The Death of the Old Self - Why Psychedelic Journeys Can Feel Like Dying (and Rebirth)

If you’ve ever taken a deep journey with psilocybin, you’ll may recognise there’s a moment where everything you thought you were begins to dissolve. The stories, the roles, the control - all gone.

It can feel terrifying. It can feel like dying.

And in a way, it is. But what’s dying isn’t your body. It’s the illusion of separation. It’s the identity you’ve been taught to cling to. And on the other side of that death is something extraordinary: rebirth.

The Ego Death Experience

In psychedelic work, what many call “ego death” is the process of letting go of who you think you are so you can meet who you truly are.

Psilocybin, in particular, can quiet the brain’s default mode network - the part responsible for your sense of self and constant inner narration (Carhart-Harris et al., 2014). When that chatter falls silent, consciousness expands. Boundaries blur. You become vast, connected, infinite.

For some, it’s blissful. For others, it’s deeply confronting.

The ego doesn’t want to die. It will fight to stay in control. But this soft death is necessary. It’s the shedding of the armour that kept you safe, but small.

Surrendering to the Process

This is the hardest part of the journey - the surrender.

When fear arises, when your mind screams “I can’t do this,” that’s usually the moment just before breakthrough. The medicine asks for trust. For humility. For a willingness to dissolve into something bigger than yourself.

Facilitators often remind participants: You are not dying. You are remembering.

When you let go, the wave carries you. And in that surrender, you meet the part of yourself that’s never been separate from life.

Death and Rebirth in the Psyche

Psychologically, this process mirrors what Jung described as “the death of the persona” - the shedding of outdated identities so the true self can emerge.

Every rebirth requires a death. The death of old coping mechanisms. The death of people-pleasing. The death of needing to be liked, right, or perfect.

This is why integration is essential. Without support, the ego can rush back in, terrified of the changes that occurred. But with care, this death becomes the fertile ground for transformation.

Why It Feels So Real

Your nervous system can’t always tell the difference between physical and egoic death. That’s why psychedelic journeys can bring trembling, shaking, crying, or sweating. The body is releasing old imprints of fear, grief, and control.

This is not pathology - it’s purification.

In many indigenous and spiritual traditions, death and rebirth rituals have always existed. Psychedelics simply reopen a pathway our ancestors knew well: to die consciously, so we can live fully.

After the Death

After the storm comes stillness.

Clients often describe the world looking brighter, colours more vivid, sounds more alive. But more than that, there’s a quiet knowing: “I’m not who I was.”

From this space, life rearranges itself. Relationships shift. Priorities realign. You begin to live from essence, not ego.

And sometimes, that rebirth takes time. Just as a newborn learns to walk, you learn to navigate the world with new eyes and an open heart.

To Die Before You Die

To die before you die is the greatest act of liberation.

Every psychedelic journey holds the potential for this sacred unravelling - not to destroy, but to reveal. To peel away the masks until only truth remains.

The death of the old self isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of everything real.

🌿 Ready to explore your own transformation?

I offer one-to-one and couples facilitation across the UK using psilocybin and MDMA-assisted work to support deep surrender, integration, and rebirth.

👉 Book your free discovery call and begin your journey home to yourself.