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Recently, I found myself in conflict between wanting to do an extended water fast and wanting to eat—there was clearly a conflict between two sides of me and this made me reflect on the higher and lower self.
The higher self is commonly referred to as the divine part of us, representing higher consciousness and transcending our basic desires. I like to think of my higher self as a more enlightened version of me—further along in life’s journey. Through visualisations, I can ask, “What would my higher self do?” and use that as a guiding compass, or my North Star.The lower self, on the other hand, is often viewed as our animalistic nature, driven by primal urges like hunger, pleasure, and the pursuit of instant gratification. It’s the resistance that holds us from achieving our goals like going for a run.
I realised it was the lower self who was stopping me from fasting. I have a saying: 'You're only as high as your lower self', similar to how a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Instead of judging my lower self, I explored what was holding it back. This realisation led me to see that both the higher and lower self must coexist. It’s not about eliminating the lower self but balancing both, much like yin and yang. I call the midpoint between the higher and lower self 'the seat of the soul'. This scale between the higher and lower self however may be something we can move.
Our thoughts and emotions emit a frequency, and I often see images of the different emotions and what their frequency is (if this sounds 'woo woo' to you, it is actually supported by quantum mechanics. Have a quick Google x). For example, fear emits a much lower frequency than gratitude. It made me wonder: what if we could actively move up the scale by consciously choosing higher-vibration emotions and actions?
Source: Dr. Joe Dispenza.
I wanted to know what has already been said about this concept and so I did what I do best - I rabbit holed.
In Hinduism, the ego (lower self) is tied to worldly attachments, while the higher self is eternal and accessed through meditation or introspection. Spiritual liberation (moksha) comes from realising the higher self. Similarly, Deepak Chopra describes the higher self as the space between our thoughts—the awareness that exists beyond ego. This reminds me of Eckhart Tolle’s concept in "The Power of Now".
The lower self is often rooted in survival instincts, and even Freud noted that humans have a death drive—a subconscious pull toward self-destruction, as seen in aggression and risky behaviour. However, we also have a life drive, which pushes us toward procreation, social cooperation, and personal survival. I found another theory that suggested that the role of the lower self is to take the path of least resistance, as this preserves energy which is important for our survival.
As I dug deeper, I wondered how often we make decisions from our lower self. Have I chosen career paths, relationships, or even food preferences based on lower-self desires? Is it even possible to consistently make choices from the higher self? To explore this, I decided to embark on an extended water fast to observe the voices of my lower self more closely. Doing this would allow me to identify which urges were truly serving me and which were simply resistance disguised as needs so that I could identify it in future.
In his book The War of Art, Steven Pressfield discusses overcoming resistance. He argues that the more we aim for our higher calling, the stronger the resistance we face. This is interesting, as fear and resistence can be a tool used to asses how aligned your goal is to your higher calling. The greater the resistence, the more true it is - another great tool for finding your north star. He also says that resistance will rationalise with you but that doesn’t mean you have to listen. Interestingly, resistance is often strongest right before the finish line.
In my next post I describe my experience doing a 14-day water fast as a practise of challenging my lower self. There are some limitations to this theory worth mentioning - I’ve barely scratched the surface of information about the higher self and I don't think I'll ever be spiritually advanced enough to fully understand it. But overall I think it's a stick figure of an important concept that is pretty universal and can be applied to ward off resistance and aim towards my north star. Speaking with a friend, she also pointed out that the journey isn’t always linear; some days, you’re closer to your higher self, and other days, the lower self dominates. Finally I realise there will always be a higher self, much like the horizon—and so it’s about using this concept as a tool on the journey rather than achieving a destination.
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Podcast Resources
Transcript
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Books
The Higher Self: Getting in Touch with Your Soul by Deepak Chopra.
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield