The Locked Gate Trick of the Ego

Metaphorical Narrative

You wander through an empty place not meant for you, until a guard appears and locks the gate. The exit you know is terrifying — climbing, jumping, escaping in ways that seem impossible. Fear takes the body first: breath shortens, throat tightens, weakness spreads. It feels like the body itself is acting sick to bargain for safety.

Then it happens: a strange, primal release. A sneeze, a gasp, a sound that cracks the spell. The body jolts, the lock snaps open, and freedom comes suddenly. Strangely, what follows is not terror but humor — an image of bread with chutney, the taste of ordinary comfort, arriving like a final joke after the drama.

Core Insight

Ego often hijacks physiology as a survival script. Instead of saying, “I’m scared,” the body performs weakness: blocked nose, tight throat, morning flu. This earns safety but keeps you small. The trick only works until you catch it. Once you recognise the role-play, a raw expression — sneezing, vocal release, guttural sound — interrupts the loop before meaning-making begins.

The key insight: closure doesn’t require endless analysis. It requires one decisive act to break the lock. After that, the body itself will often bring in humor or comfort, proving the system has reset.

Saturday Experiment

1. When weakness or morning anxiety shows up, pause for 1–2 minutes.
2. Do a short vocal release: six guttural sighs or sneezes if they come. Let the body express without filter.
3. Observe the shift. Label it aloud: “That was the script.” Then move on to a normal action (make tea, step outside).

Sunday Reflection

• Where in life does the ego lock you into weakness as a safety script?
• What primal lever could reset the body — a sound, a sneeze, a growl?
• After the release, what small, ordinary comfort shows up for you? Can you let that be the real ending?