Hi
I just want to add that my story is quite dramatic true to my 'silent' dramatic life but
not everybody has to experience one single thing too know the knowness.

Also no, no
We must not dismiss our Ego - our Ego is the conscious of our soul - it is what thinks in 'me'
When pass through into the realms it is our Ego that tells us - I am here.
It is our Ego which re-embodies in new physical, etheric and astral bodies in progressing earth lives. The Ego is our seat of control over our will. And is likened too The Goddess of Beauty - Venus.
Indeed, it is our Soul's Conscious.
So we must not suppress our Ego we must rather strive to (keep it) enlighten it or change it; for the better to evolve to higher stages of being. In ennobling and spiritulising our Ego it becomes master in our soul's life.
i think misconception has come about because of the name : Ego and terminology such as egotistic. Although these terms are correct in they are refering to the Ego at base level, the ego that has not been purified or has not manifested from an unrefined state.
Striving in spiritual knowledge, enlightment and attainment transforms the Ego into a Spirit-Man. and this is done through the physical body translating our cells.
So we must realise the Ego has to come into the body at this age of 7 it is a natural process that leads to the unfoldment of our spiritual body. We must cherish our Ego's, our Ego's are old and have been with us from the start and will always be with us. We must not let our Ego become distant from our soul because then it is lost and randomly searches for love and meaning outside without looking inside.
As Tim said; he replied without thinking and what he wrote was true and fulfilling. Here is the Ego being master of the soul without stopping to let a unrefined Ego control his words, thoughts and actions. (sorry Tim use you as an example but it is a good one to say - trust your immediate reaction)
and George, your spirit of forgiveness is the true Ego holding hands with the soul.