Ego Dissolution, Death Anxiety, and Impulse Regulation: A Conceptual Psychological Model of Contemplative Transformation
Prashant Gunjan
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) March 13, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19000137 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Mindfulness Meditation Contemplative practices |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation Ego dissolution |
| Keywords | Contemplation Impulse physics Death anxiety Psychological intervention Conceptual model Coping psychology Existentialism Psychotherapist Empirical research Spirituality Rationalization economics Homogeneous Grief |
| Key points | Proposes that contemplative practices facilitate transformation by influencing ego dissolution, death anxiety, and impulse regulation, with enhanced impulse regulation and reduced death anxiety mediating psychological benefits. |
Abstract
This conceptual paper proposes a psychological model exploring how contemplative practices facilitate transformation by influencing ego dissolution, death anxiety, and impulse regulation. Drawing on insights from mindfulness, meditation, and contemplative traditions, the study examines how the temporary reduction of egoic boundaries (ego dissolution) can diminish existential fears and improve self-regulatory capacities. The model suggests that enhanced impulse regulation and reduced death anxiety mediate the psychological benefits of contemplative practices, fostering emotional stability, resilience, and adaptive behavior. By integrating contemporary psychological theory with contemplative insights, this work offers a framework for understanding mechanisms underlying personal growth, well-being, and spiritual development. It contributes to research in psychology, mental health, and contemplative studies, providing a foundation for future empirical validation and applied interventions in therapeutic and organizational settings.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Proposes a model in which contemplative practices influence ego dissolution, death anxiety, and impulse regulation, with reduced death anxiety and enhanced impulse regulation mediating psychological benefits.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on ego dissolution, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self unbound: ego dissolution in psychedelic experience | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ethics and ego dissolution: the case of psilocybin | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mystical and Other Alterations in Sense of Self: An Expanded Framework for Studying Nonordinary Experiences | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psychedelic medicalization, public discourse, and the morality of ego dissolution | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |