In my spiritual experience the ego is the programming of the flesh. We are human(flesh)-beings(spirit). When a spiritual awakening takes place, the spirit recognizes itself and the power it has and begins to challenge(not really a challenge) the ego for control, but the ego never goes down willingly. I believe many perceive spiritual awakening as depression, suicide, or a feeling of less...because our perception is from the flesh point of view. Our flesh can't perceive the grandeur of the spirit, it can't wrap it's box of logic around the fact that spirit is limitless, it has no beginning and no end. It fears the spirit because it can't exist in a spiritual world and so it fights for control, even if that means killing itself in the process, because without control and boundaries the flesh is useless. Now the ego does have it's uses, instinctively it preserves the flesh so we may achieve spiritual awakening, and in this awakening the spirit gets to experience a limited existence. Emotions that would be incapable in a higher state of consciousness and a spiritual body. Emotions like joy, pain, fear, humility...etc are useless to a fully enlightened being that can do all and know all.
To transcend the ego you must transcend this limited existence, transcend fear, and gain grace in everyday events...grace meaning seeing things for what they are and not the duality of good and bad. Everything just is,be grateful for your have's and have not's.
I believe I have transcended fear, I am battling with grace, and my ego craves the spiritual power I am capable of but will never realize until it is subdued.
Whether any of this makes sense or if I'm nuttier than a snicker's bar is up for discussion
There is truth in everything, but everything is not truth.