EGOTON
EGOTON practice
The idea is an interesting paradox: in most systems, progress is seen as "increase" (values, degrees, achievements), while here progress is seen as decrease. It is similar to many spiritual traditions, where liberation is seen as unlearning rather than accumulating new things.
For example, one could describe the Egoton practice like this:
Basic idea
Each new candidate starts with a perfect score of 10/10. The points represent identification with the ego: the need to be right, to be recognized, to defend one's identity, to control others, or to build an image of oneself. Unlike in regular development systems, in Egoton, progress does not bring more points. Instead, each insight in which the candidate recognizes and lets go of some ego-related attachment reduces his score by one.
Examples of losing a point
• Gives up the need to win an argument.
• Admits his mistakes without defence.
• Does a good deed without the need for recognition.
• Recognizes and lets go of envy or pride.
• Stops building one's identity around one's achievements.
In these situations, the candidate does not "earn" a point, but loses one.
Levels (example)
• 10 points - full identification with the ego.
• 5 points - significant number of attachments identified and released.
• 1 point - only a subtle sense of a separate self remains.
• 0 points - not an achievement, but the end of the point system.
The paradox of egoton
The deepest challenge of the exercise is that the desire to reach zero points can also become a project of the ego. Therefore, the last point can be seen as the hardest to lose: as giving up even the idea of "I have progressed".
Decision
When the score reaches zero, the candidate does not receive a new title, degree or recognition. His name can simply be removed from the list. From the perspective of practice, there is no longer anyone who needs points or their absence.
This makes Egoton a reverse development system: the goal is not to become something, but to stop considering oneself as something.