EGO Denial?- A 7-Day Challenge
What Is Ego Denial?
The smaller the ego, the wider the doorway to the sacred.”
This is a deceptively simple but profoundly revealing experiment. This isn’t just a linguistic challenge—it’s a portal into expanded awareness.
What Is Ego Denial?
This 7-day life exercise asks us to refrain from using the words:
“I,” “me,” “my,” “mine,” or “myself”
in any conversation.
No workarounds. No third-person cheats like “this humble being” or “the practitioner.” Just silence or restructured speech.
It begins the moment you rise and ends when you lay your head down to sleep.
And yes—it’s harder than it sounds. This practice stems from a magical tradition and was originally taught by Aleister Crowley. While he recommended a straight razor to the arm upon failure (not advised!), this version is far gentler.
Why Do This?
The purpose of this exercise is not to destroy the ego—but to become exquisitely aware of its grip on language, identity, and worldview.
You’ll notice how language constantly orbits the self.
You’ll see how attention returns again and again to the centre of the personal solar system. You may stumble, hesitate, and fall into silence—good. That pause is the space where the sacred breathes.
Rather than diminish you, this practice widens you. It attunes the spirit to the whole—the interconnected field, where the personal merges with the universal.
How to do the Ego Denial Exercise
The Practice
For 7 full days, do the following:
Refrain from saying: “I,” “me,” “my,” “mine,” or “myself”.
Don’t refer to yourself in third person (e.g. “Alexia needs a cup of tea”).
Don’t use quirky substitutions like “this entity” or “the vessel.”
Restructure speech entirely, or choose silence.
Example:
Instead of, “I finished the report,” say:
→ “The report is finished.”
If no rephrasing is possible, remain silent.
Track It
Carry a small notebook or scrap of paper.
Each time one of the forbidden words slips out, make a stroke mark.
If you realise later you forgot to mark it, add 5 strokes as a penalty.
At day’s end, total your marks and record the number.
Tips for the Journey
Begin each morning with intention. A short breath meditation, perhaps repeating: “May this day reveal where I cling to identity.”
Expect awkwardness. Let it teach you. Each stumble is an opening.
Don’t judge. This is not about perfection. It’s about deepening awareness.
Keep your sense of humour. This is a holy game.
What Might You Discover?
How frequently your speech orbits around the self.
The discomfort of being “absent” from your own words.
A surprising stillness between impulses.
A widened perception beyond the personal lens.
A new reverence for language, silence, and presence.
This is an alchemical stretch into wholeness. As you untangle language from ego, you make space for essence.
Blessings and Love
Alexia X