Few things matter more to the value and quality of human life than our conception of self, our notion of who or what we are. For what we identify ourselves with largely determines what we perceive as threats, what goals we believe are worth pursuing, our understanding of death, and even our sense of meaning.
For instance, those who identify themselves with their professional careers—as in “hi, I am a doctor”—stand to experience losing their job as an amputation of the self. For those who identify with their body—the mainstream conception of self in our society—life becomes a slow march towards inexorable oblivion. Most importantly, for those who see themselves as just audience to the seemingly absurd spectacle we call life, little can make sense at all.
An extraordinarily insightful analysis of the self—which, if fully grasped, can permanently free us from the horrific expectation of ultimate oblivion—has been available for over 200 years
Eastern philosophical traditions—particularly Advaita Vedanta—have been exploring and refining the notion of self for millennia. Western popular interest in these eastern insights has been growing rapidly since the 20th century and is now—thanks to the advent of the internet and social media—widespread.
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