Who Am I? How the Brain Creates Our Sense of Self and Moments of Bliss

I’m trying to explain how our brain creates the feeling of “I” and “mine.” We often think of our sense of self as solid and unchanging, but science tells us it’s actually something the brain builds and constantly updates. What’s more interesting is that this “self” is not permanent. There are moments when our brain lets go of it, and when it does, we experience a sense of peace, joy, or a deep connection to the world.

How the Brain Creates “You”

The brain is responsible for creating the feeling of “me.” It takes all the sensory signals from our environment—what we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell—and it combines them into a single experience of who we are. It also relies on memories, emotions, and thoughts to form this sense of self.

However, this sense of self is not as fixed as we might think. It can be disrupted or even temporarily lost. Here are some examples of how the brain shapes, and sometimes alters, our sense of self:

1. The case of somatognosia: Imagine you wake up and feel that something strange is in your bed. You try to move it but it just won’t budge. You look, and it turns out to be your own hand, but it feels like a foreign object to you. This is what happened to a woman after she had a stroke. Her brain no longer recognized her left hand as part of her body. It felt like something that didn’t belong to her. This condition is called somatognosia, and it shows how the brain normally ties our sense of ownership to our body parts. When something goes wrong with the brain, it can create confusion about what belongs to us.

2. Phineas Gage: One of the most famous cases of how the brain affects personality is that of Phineas Gage. Gage was a railroad worker in 1848 when an accident caused a metal rod to pierce through his skull, damaging his prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that controls personality, decision-making, and behavior. After the accident, Gage survived physically but his personality changed dramatically. Before the accident, he was calm, responsible, and well-liked. After the injury, he became impulsive, rude, and socially inappropriate. His friends said, “Gage is no longer Gage.” This change shows how deeply the brain is connected to our sense of self. When a part of the brain is damaged, even the most fundamental aspects of who we are can change.

3. The Rubber Hand Illusion: Another simple experiment demonstrates how flexible our sense of self can be. In the Rubber Hand Illusion, a person sits with their hands resting on a table. One hand is hidden, and a fake rubber hand is placed in front of them. Both the fake hand and the hidden hand are stroked at the same time with a brush. After a few minutes, the brain starts to “believe” the rubber hand is part of the person’s own body. If the rubber hand is suddenly struck with a hammer, the person will flinch as if it were their own hand. This illusion shows how our brain controls what we feel is “ours.” The brain is constantly updating and adapting our sense of ownership, and it can be tricked in interesting ways.

Babies, Sigmund Freud, and Sri Ramakrishna: Pure Awareness

Before we develop a strong sense of “I,” we exist in a state of pure awareness. This is something that both Sigmund Freud and Sri Ramakrishna discussed in different ways.

Sigmund Freud believed that newborn babies do not experience themselves as separate from the world around them. In other words, babies are not born with a strong sense of "me" or "I." They live in a state of pure awareness where everything around them is part of their experience. Freud believed this early stage of life is a state where babies don’t yet recognize the boundaries between themselves and others.

Sri Ramakrishna, a famous spiritual teacher, described moments of deep bliss where the sense of “I” dissolved. He said that in these moments, he felt completely connected to everything, as if the boundaries between him and the universe disappeared. This state of bliss is similar to what Freud described in babies. Sri Ramakrishna’s mystical experiences suggest that when the ego dissolves, we experience a deep, unbroken connection with the world.

In line with this, there’s a piece of folklore that says babies smile in their sleep because they “see God” before they start eating solid food. Whether or not this is literally true, it highlights the idea that babies live in a state of pure, unfiltered awareness. Their smiles may reflect a natural state of joy and connection, before the ego develops and starts to create the boundaries of "me."

What Happens When the Self Disappears?

There are times when our brain lets go of the sense of self, and in these moments, people often experience something profound. These moments can feel like deep peace, joy, or connection.

1. Flow states: Artists, athletes, musicians, and other performers often describe moments when they “lose themselves” in their work. The ego fades, and they feel fully immersed in the present moment. Time may seem to disappear, and they experience a sense of connection to the task or performance, as if they and the activity are one.

2. Meditation and prayer: Spiritual seekers, like Sri Ramakrishna, described moments of intense spiritual bliss. These moments of deep meditation or prayer are often where the sense of “I” dissolves, and the individual feels at one with the universe. These moments of bliss are not ordinary happiness; they are moments when the boundaries between "me" and everything else vanish.

3. Psychedelics and altered states: Substances like LSD can also dissolve the sense of self. People often report feeling connected to everything around them, with no separation between “I” and the world. These experiences, though different from meditation, show how the brain can temporarily let go of the sense of self.

4. Neurological conditions: In conditions like Cotard’s syndrome, people believe they are dead or their body is decaying. This happens when certain areas of the brain stop creating a stable sense of self. These conditions show how the brain’s control over the “I” is fragile and can be disrupted in dramatic ways.

Science and Spirituality Agree

Both science and spirituality tell us that the self is not permanent—it is flexible and can change or dissolve.

Science shows that the brain builds the sense of self through signals from our senses, memories, and emotions. When the brain’s usual process of maintaining the self is disrupted, we experience a loss of identity or moments of profound connection.

Spirituality, as described by figures like Sri Ramakrishna, speaks of the ego dissolving during moments of bliss, when the person feels at one with the universe. The experiences described in both spiritual practices and scientific studies are remarkably similar.

Even Freud believed that babies live in a state of pure awareness before the ego develops. In these moments, the sense of “I” doesn’t exist as we know it. Both science and spirituality recognize that the boundaries of “I” are fluid and that moments of pure connection and bliss can happen when these boundaries fade away.

What Does This Mean for Us?

Our sense of self may feel strong, but it is something the brain builds and maintains. This self can change, fade, or disappear. There are moments when we experience a sense of joy and peace because the brain lets go of the sense of “I.” Whether through meditation, flow states, or neurological changes, we can feel a deeper connection to the world around us.

Conclusion

I’m trying to explain that the “self” is not as fixed as we think. It is something the brain creates. There are times when this sense of “I” disappears, and in those moments, we experience peace, joy, and connection. Science explains it as changes in brain processes, while spirituality describes it as oneness with the universe.

Both science and spirituality show us that the “self” is flexible. And when it fades, even for a moment, we can experience something beautiful.

Have you ever “lost yourself” in a moment—whether in work, meditation, or play? I’d love to hear your thoughts.