Unlooping the self: Ego dissolution and the collapse of recursive identity.

Summary

Ego dissolution, or the loss of self-identity, occurs in various altered states like psychedelics and trauma. The concept of 'unlooping' is introduced to explain this phenomenon as a breakdown of feedback loops that shape identity. The analysis shows that selfhood is not fixed but rather a dynamic process influenced by cognitive structures. This perspective highlights the fragility and adaptability of identity, with implications for theory and therapy.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Ego dissolution—the experience of losing one’s sense of self—is reported across a range of altered states, including psychedelic intoxication, meditative absorption, traumatic dissociation, and psychotic episodes. This paper proposes a unifying framework for these phenomena by introducing the concept of unlooping: the breakdown of recursive structures that construct and maintain identity. Drawing on models of recursive self-modeling, predictive processing, and enactive cognition, ego dissolution is interpreted as a graded suspension of feedback loops responsible for agency, continuity, and self-boundary. Through phenomenological analysis and cross-contextual case studies, the paper demonstrates that selfhood is not an ontological constant but a contingent, dynamically enacted achievement. Unlooping the self reveals both the fragility and plasticity of identity and offers new insights into the intersection of subjective experience and cognitive architecture. The implications span theoretical, methodological, and therapeutic domains, suggesting a revised account of selfhood that incorporates its capacity for suspension and reorganization.

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