Interwoven Dimensions of Self: Body, Ego, and Identity
Philosophical and spiritual teachings about the self treat the body, ego, and identity as interrelated yet fundamentally distinct components of human existence. In these approaches, the body is often perceived not merely as a physical shell, but as a "cosmic I" – a collection of organs through which a person establishes a connection with the surrounding universe. For example, one of the sources emphasizes that:"If one is to distinguish the hypostatic I, the absolute subject, from the epistemological and psychological I, then one should certainly distinguish it from the body, as a unity of psychophysical organization, as a sensorium. The body is our cosmic I, a collection of organs through which we are connected to the entire universe; the latter is, at the same time, our peripheral and potential body. In the body, with the body, and through the body, our entire life unfolds; it is a laboratory for the spirit, where it develops itself in its functions." (source: link txt)On the other hand, the ego or psychological "I" is regarded in these teachings as the aspect that enables an individual to become aware of and uphold their unique essence. In some interpretations, there is no clear separation between the physical body and consciousness, and the personality is perceived through the prism of holistic self-consciousness. This position is expressed as follows:"I do not distinguish my body from my I, which is the self-aware body. But my body is fused with the trans-subjective spatiomaterial existence, so that not the slightest particle of my body is not also an objective being. Just as in my self-consciousness I perceive the self-individualizing higher self-consciousness, so in my body I perceive the space that it individualizes – the corporeality of this higher self-consciousness." (source: link txt)Finally, the concept of identity in these teachings takes on meaning not as something provided by an externally fixed substance, but as the result of constant inner self-identification, in which a person independently confirms their own essence. As noted:"The identity of a self-conscious being is an identity established not by an external authority, but solely by itself. Only a person is capable of confirming his own (self) identity. This act of self-confirmation means that a person engages in self-referencing, in which he strives to discover, document, and identify himself—exactly himself." (source: link txt)Thus, within the framework of philosophical and spiritual teachings about the self, the body appears as both a material and cosmic aspect of human existence – a "laboratory" where the spirit carries out its functions – while the ego (or psychological I) represents the subjective experience of individuality. Identity emerges through the act of self-identification, where a person reflects and defines their own essence, simultaneously feeling a unity with the body while not entirely equating themselves with it. This interplay reveals the complex multidimensionality of human existence, where the physical, psychological, and existential intersect while retaining their unique characteristics.