What exactly is the ego—and why does everyone keep telling us to get rid of it? In this episode, we meet the part of us that wants to look good, stay safe, and maybe (just maybe) get invited onto Rupert Spira’s podcast. From Freud’s 1923 definition of the ego, to the modern-day midlife crisis, we explore how the ego tries to run the show… and what happens when it burns out.

Along the way, you’ll hear Meatloaf impressions, priest jokes, and a surprising story about HOA trash cans (yes, really). We unpack shadow work, talk about how the body tattles on our emotions, and explain why your mouth goes dry when you’re about to tell the truth. Aliceanne connects the dots between ego and the Enneagram, while Ryan shares what it’s like to reclaim the heart he once held back.

By the end, you’ll see why ego isn’t the villain—it’s just the overworked intern of your soul, trying its best to keep the system running. The real journey, they remind us, is learning to let that earnest little intern rest while your deeper Self takes the wheel.

(Thank you AI for letting us look like superheroes in this episode's cover art.)

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#RememberingYou

00:00 – Opening & intro

01:17 – Meeting the ego: voices in the back seat

03:20 – Ryan’s early view of sin, flesh, and ego

05:08 – What the ego really is: Freud’s id, ego, and superego

09:33 – Why we need ego to function

10:30 – When the ego starts to run the show

11:25 – Healthy ego in action: teaching at Dell

15:26 – Why “ego” became a dirty word

17:03 – Shadow and the parts we hide

21:46 – Reclaiming the light we’ve hidden

25:00 – The body’s wisdom in shadow work

30:58 – Boundaries vs. avoidance

35:49 – Introducing the Enneagram: personality as ego pattern

39:48 – Seeing ourselves clearly through the Enneagram

43:52 – Blind spots and feedback from others

47:05 – Ryan’s reflections on type 9 and the fear of rejection

50:51 – When ego strategies stop working

52:19 – Richard Rohr and the two halves of life

57:00 – Ego death and midlife transformation

01:02:00 – Women, patriarchy, and the feminine journey

01:04:00 – True Self vs. False Self

01:09:00 – Aliceanne on exhaustion and the slow art of rest

01:15:00 – The sacred container cracking open

01:18:00 – Healthy masculinity & the archetypes

01:22:00 – The Hero’s and Heroine’s Journeys

01:27:00 – Wholeness beyond separateness

01:29:00 – Closing reflections & invitation

YouTube video mentioned about The Heroine's Journey: https://youtu.be/oeVHp2DtZjg?si=ngwPW4tPUu9l4sEW