The Illusion of Self in Philosophy and Dream States
Introduction to dreamscapes and the shapeshifting ‘I’
Who are you?
Try to answer without ticking off a standard checklist containing your name, job, or nationality.
It’s not so simple, is it?
Depending on what you believe, you might answer with ‘I am a child of God,’ or alternatively, ‘I am nothing but an ape with a few extra steps along the evolutionary pathway.’
I would challenge both assertions as mere ideas that you’ve been taught. A set of phrases and concepts, equally dependent on the authority of belief, and equally insufficient in answering the three-word question.
Be honest: who are you? Who is the ‘I’ behind the eyes?
A good start would be to answer with ‘I don’t know who I am.’
This is the first step into the philosophical contemplation of the ‘self’, which traverses the minds of Western thinkers from Heraclitus to Descartes, from Nietzsche to Jung, and to the present day’s you and me.
Additionally, the mystery of the self is central to Eastern religious traditions, like the Buddhist doctrine of ‘anātman’ (no-self), and the non-changing, immaterial self ‘Atman’ in Hinduism. Both religions find their parallels in the writing of Christian mysticism by the likes of pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagaite and the unknown author of The Cloud of Unknowing.
The Philosophical Quest to Define ‘Self’
‘Nothing endures but change.’
― Heraclitus
To ask the age-old question is an endeavour that crosses cultural boundaries, yet the individual — a potentially illusory construct — is always central to the equation.
Understand that each attempt to answer the conundrum of personal or collective identity must, by default, be threaded through the eye of the needle that is your subjective interpretation.
Below, I will outline a timeline of Western thought grappling with the questions of self. Note the gradual shift from metaphysical theories to more empirical and psychological understandings.
Heraclitus (c. 6th — 5th century BCE), a prominent figure among the pre-Socratic philosophers, famously said, ‘No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.’ Meaning, everything is always in flux; the water is displaced with new water, just like the man’s thoughts.
Plato (c 428–348 BCE) suggested the idea of the perfect realm of Forms, with the unchanging self having knowledge of these forms prior to their embodiment.
René Descartes (1596–1650) coined ‘Cogito, ergo sum’ (I think, therefore I am), defining the self as a thinking substance, wholly distinct from the material (Cartesian dualism).
John Locke (1632–1704) figured that personal identity is tied to the conscious continuity of memory.
David Hume (1711–1776) challenged the very notion of a permanent self, reducing it to a bundle of perceptions without essence.
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) presented the concept of the transcendental ego, as distinct from the empirical ego known through experience.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) critiqued the static notions of self, attributing the inner dynamic interplay of drives and forces to his idea of ‘the will to power’.
William James (1842–1910) distinguished the ‘I’ (subjective self) from the ‘me’ (objective self).
Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), largely influenced by Nietzsche, defined the self as a complex system of the id, ego, and superego, emphasising the unconscious process of shaping identity.
Carl Jung (1875–1961) expanded on Freud’s ideas and branched out into the concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes, positing a deeper, more spiritual layer to the self.
Gilbert Ryle (1900–1976) critiqued Cartesian dualism, proposing that the mind (and thus the self) is better understood in terms of actions rather than as a repository of consciousness.
Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980) argued that the self is a result of our actions and choices, stating that ‘existence precedes essence’.
Charles Taylor (1931 — ), in his book Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity, writes on the narrative construction of the self within social and cultural frameworks. He suggests that our identities are shaped by the languages and moral spaces we inhabit.
Judith Butler (1956 — ) thinks that the self is performative, arguing against a pre-existing identity, seeing it as primarily a construct of behavioural and social norms.
To go further in this direction would inevitably land us at the doors of neuroscience
However, as much as I’d like to pick apart the brain, my goal is to explore ideas and how they relate to our subjective experience of self as dreamers.
So, having traversed thousands of years of thinking on the nature of self in just two minutes, let’s pivot to the realm of dreams. This, in my view, involves spiritual and mystical experiences as well as our innate capacity for self-identification through myths and stories.
It’s important to explore dream states because they present us with fluid identities, which further establishes the depth of our philosophical musings on the self’s mutability. This raises more and more questions about self-perception and the mystifying nature of consciousness.
Self-Identity in Dreams and Spirituality
‘What we experience in dreams — assuming that we experience it often — belongs in the end just as much to the over-all economy of our soul as anything experienced “actually”: we are richer or poorer on account of it.’
— Friedrich Nietzsche
You’ve certainly noticed that in dreams, self-identity can undergo dramatic transformations.
The dream self can embody characteristics different from those of our waking life. In my dreams, I’ve occupied a variety of archetypes and personalities, from heroic adventurers to regretful mass murderers. Each night we lay our heads on our pillows and slip into atypical behaviours, to possess alternative histories. These nighttime narratives can be so compelling that, within the dream, they are accepted without question, highlighting the self’s inherent fluidity.
Dreams challenge our notions of a fixed identity. The self, it seems, can be whoever it needs to be when untethered from the continuity of daily experiences.
The conception of a fluid self finds resonance in spirituality
In the Buddhist tradition, the concept of anatman is a declaration that the self, as we tend to understand it, is an illusion: ‘Form is empty, emptiness is formed,’ expounds the Heart Sutra, highlighting the absence of an enduring essence.
This contrasts with the Hindu scripture’s assertion in the Upanishads: ‘That thou art,’ suggesting that the individual soul (atman) is not distinct from the universal essence (Brahman).
These statements encapsulate a fundamental spiritual debate about the nature of the self — one ephemeral, the other eternal.
Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, teaches the fading away of the ego to unify with the divine, suggesting the self’s transient nature. In Christian mysticism, as seen with pseudo-Dionysius and The Cloud of Unknowing, there’s a focus on uniting with God, a process that moves beyond individual selfhood. These spiritual paths both reflect the concept of an elusive, ever-changing self.
In contemporary thought
These ancient and medieval insights are paralleled by modern philosophical and psychological theories that question the construction of self-identity.
Postmodernists scrutinise the existence of a stable self, viewing identity as a construct shaped by social and linguistic structures. Psychologically, figures like Carl Jung explored the self as comprising various personas and archetypes, with dreams providing a stage for these elements to manifest.
Moreover, the field of neuroscience offers insights into the brain’s role in creating a coherent narrative of self, suggesting that our identity is as much a product of neurological processes as it is of existential experiences.
Psychedelic Experiences and Ego Dissolution
‘To fathom hell, or soar angelic, just take a pinch of psychedelic.’
— Humphry Osmond
Psychedelic substances have long been known to induce radical changes in self-perception, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, or temperament.
The experience often associated with this shift in consciousness is ‘ego dissolution’ — the sensation of merging with something larger, or even disappearing entirely. Unlike philosophical ponderings, psychedelics provide an almost immediate experiential insight into the non-permanence of the self. Users report a sense of oneness with the universe and a breakdown of the boundaries between the self and the other.
As of late, we’ve seen these substances garner increased attention from psychologists and neuroscientists. Research suggests that psychedelics, such as psilocybin, LSD, and DMT can temporarily reduce the activity in brain networks associated with the sense of self, offering a scientific viewpoint that complements the spiritual and philosophical perspectives on ego and identity.
Psychedelic experiences disrupt our usual sense of self and prompt a rethinking of consciousness, offering a glimpse — or a full-on submersion — into the malleable nature of the psyche.
Transience and Transformation
In philosophy, in spirituality, as in dreams and psychedelic experiences, the self is not a monolith but a phenomenon in flux, subject to continual redefinition.
‘Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.’
― Robert Frost
Consider the implication of this self-perception
If our waking self-concept is as fluid as our dream identities, then personal transformation is not only possible — it is inherent to our nature!
Recognising this transience can be liberating. It suggests that we are not bound to static definitions but can evolve. We should run with this perspective and empower individuals to embrace change, cultivate their character, and acknowledge the multi-layered aspects of their identity as parts of a dynamic whole.
The Implications of Illusions
Consciousness is not a static entity but a process that constructs and reconstructs the self continually. If our ‘self’ is such a malleable construct, what does that reveal about the nature of consciousness?
‘So then, the relationship of self to other is the complete realisation that loving yourself is impossible without loving everything defined as other than yourself.’
— Alan Watts
The conception of the self as an illusion prompts us to ponder
If the self can be so fluid, might our perceived reality also be just as pliable? Understanding the illusory aspects of self may be the key to unlocking deeper truths about the enigmas of consciousness and existence.
Travel inward: watch your dreams, reflect through meditation, and capture your insights via journaling. These practices can serve as gateways to unraveling the layers of your ‘self’ — and who knows how deep the rabbit hole goes?
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