For many, a sense of self is most precious, strongly defended, what if only an illusion?

Jealously guarded by the evolved ego, but suprisingly, more free if not guarded. Into the void and out the other side.

Notes:

Belief in historical continuity. As if an object possesses a history in itself, rather than historical information being in the tracking system.

How are we the "same" persons that we were yesterday, a week ago, 10 years ago...?

How we see ourselves. vs. how others see us as individuals.

Brain damaged individual and effect on their "self"

Chemical mood swings and effect on "self"

Drug use and effect on "self"

Psychiatric disorders and effect on "self"

Day to day variations in "self"

Variation in "self" over lifetime.

Discontinuities: Sleep, coma.

Fragility and plasticity of memory.

When does a child develop awareness of self?

At what stage (after adolescence?) does one's self become more stable?

Alzheimer's disease and self.

Our perceptions and thoughts are somehow filtered by self.

Our behvior is guided by our self-image.

T what extent can the self considered to be stable?

Self image, self-control, self-improvement, self-esteem...

Future: Replication scenarios, multiple selves, group selves, intimate sharing of self with significant other, immortality implications.

Why sense of self evolved. Its usefulness.

Effect on "self" of cultures that favor the collective.

The Borg

Buddhist concept of self. Other religions. Christian concept of soul.

Social, legal implications of changing definitions of self.

Concepts of self and effect on moral thinking.

In the final analysis it comes down to usefulness of definition.

ego

Anatta (Pali) or Anatman (Sanskrit) is the Buddhist doctrine of the absence of a permament and unchanging self (Skt. atman). Anatta is one of the Three Seals of the Buddhist doctrines and is recorded as having been one of the primary realizations attained by the Buddha during his enlightenment experience.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Definition: Self-identity
Awareness of and identification with oneself as a separate individual.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000

Baumeister, R. (1987). How the self became a problem: A psychological review of historical research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 163-176.

Hales, S. (1985). The inadvertent rediscovery of the self in social psychology. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 15, 237-282.

James, W. (1890). The consciousness of self. In The principles of psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 291-401). New York: Holt.

Viney, L. (1969). Self: The history of a concept. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 5, 349-359.