Doing My Thesis on Ego Dissolution: Need Help/Ideas

[Cudi]

I'm in the honors program at my college and it requires undergraduates to complete a thesis before graduation. My working title right now is, "Ego Dissolution in Altered States of Consciousness: Sociological Implications and Biological Explanations". Most of it will be about psychedelics, and some will be about meditation. My prospectus is due next Friday and I haven't made much progress on it. Basically, it needs to be an outline of what my research/findings will be about specifically as well as my schedule for meeting times with my director and 2nd committee member.

Any ideas on what to include as far as the sociological implications or biological explanations of ego dissolution? I'm thinking about mentioning the 60s counterculture and how psychs played a major role. And for biological explanations, I'm obviously going to look into MRI studies that have been done. Mainly the brain activity during subjective ego dissolution experiences. How the brain becomes more of a global network. I will also go in depth with Serotonin 5HT2A and its (heavy) role.

Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

 

[protovack]

Congratulations, you've picked probably the most difficult topic of all time for your thesis I would definitely recommend picking something a bit smaller in scope, and a bit more specific, otherwise you risk losing the detail and the push of applicability. You don't want your thesis to just be: "psychedelics cause ego dissolution. MRIs show this when it happens. We think this is whats happening biochemically but we aren't sure. So......"

I mean, maybe if you were interested in pursuing biochemistry at a masters/doctoral level, sure, go for it. Is this going to be a neurological discussion about brain waves in various ego states? Or a high level sociological rumination? You need to decide first before you get started.

You also want it to be something provocative or novel to catch people's interest and make them read your paper. The most you can hope for is that whatever professor reads your thesis, if he thinks its really amazing, might send it off to a few colleagues and say, "hey check this out." The vast majority won't get that far.

Try something like....

"Psychedelia and the Freudian construct: towards a more modern discussion of so-called Ego dissolution."

"Psychedelia and modern psychology: time to reunite old friends?"

"Ego dissolution and the psychedelic experience: western versus traditional perspectives."


Pick a topic that is relevant RIGHT here, right now. Ego dissolution has always been important but your reader needs to know why now. What can you link it to, that is happening right now. New schools of psychology or brain research or both. New social movements. Old social movements made new again. Using ego dissolution to treat various maladies, etc.

Think about what you want to say, and who you want to hear it, and craft it specifically for that purpose.

 

[DrumTripper]

I like your idea and tend to steer my students toward less specificity in the undergrad programs.
Try writing a couple abstracts as fast as you can - stream it out, then return and be selective, drawing the salient bits from both. I find it helps to move fast, especially with your deadline.
Protovak is saying good things, though and I agree that it is too easy to reverse the funnel and get broad.
But given the timeline, just start writing those abstracts, they may help you alter you course without making a new chart.
And good luck and congrats!