hoghead1

That's maybe how Campbell sees it: but in the Christian mystical literature, unity with God did allow for retained personal identity. The "ego" has not been dissolved. Rather, the defenses or barriers have been lowered so that the creature can enjoy a richer direct, immediate flow of God's feelings into itself. In some of the literature on experimental meditation, the object of contemplation does seem to disappear, but I posit that is because one has transcended the subject-object dichotomy, moved from an I-it relationship to an I-thou relationship, is experiencing the empathic bond that always existed between the two, though normally not paramount in consciousness.

I'm a newbie. I have a doctorate in theology. My AOS is process theology. I will be happy to9 share what I know.