the self - an idea...

Most of us are more attached to our self-identities than we realize. Our personal histories, psychological personalities, social roles, and purpose in life are all derived from the idea of a fixed self. Indeed, our very search for meaning in the universe is based on the sense of a personal identity. What would we be left with when this begins to dissolve? Who would we be when we are no longer recognizable as a fixed and separate self?
- dark night of the soul