I see some LHP sources mention the rituals as dissolving the ego and other sources speak more about self deification. Are these separate paths or are they intended to be reconciled with one another?
Hiya OP! That depends entirely on the author framing it; the “paths” are not hard and fast opposites. The optimal level of ego dissolution tends to be shedding the human emotive complex while retaining selfhood, but, you can experience both on the same path or even simultaneously! 
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In a book by Regardie I read the sentence “This body is Buddha”; the author explained that by focusing on the body, the consciousness of it may eventually disappear. Better: a deeper consciousness is achieved.
Same with the Vedanta practice of either concentrating on “I”, “I am” or asking themselves “Who am I?”. The end goal is to find or realize a void, and upon reading such explanation I was perplexed because it seemed like a self destruction, but actually it’s just another form of the lower “me” being integrated in the higher one.
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Both of these can be incorporated into the same path.
Yes I believe this to be true. Shedding the animalistic emotions while keeping the self. An example may be if one person gets a specific item from someone and the next person does not get anything. The second person may be jealous.
Or if someone celebrates their birthday and one of their friends does not buy them a gift,and they get mad.
Just the sorts of things that bother someone for little reason.
Yes this is a very good state. Your lower ego mind is dissolved and replaced with your true mind. True self embodied while in physical form.
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Exactly! An example of this in modern myth is Griffith of Berserk.
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Merge with and embody higher self.
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Your former self has to die, you have to be reborn. It is not pleasent, it is not glorious and its not obviously rewarding, like doing some bindings or wealth magic.
No. Get the guide/patron of your choice, and let them stand beside you, when your breath leaves you, your fingers and feet go numb and you start fearing for your physical life.
Confront yourself and your mistakes. How you mistreated your guides, family, brethren etc.
And how you mistreated yourself -let die the parts of you, who are confused and twisted.
Embrace/reconnect to your true, unadulterated desire and needs.
Example: realize jeallousy and how much it made you mistreat the ones who helped you along the way. Realize what you truely wanted all this time.
Example:
Ego -wants to enslave legions, dozens of mindless lovers
true self - just seeks companionship, a family, a coven etc, someone to care for
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Yes. That too.
~a common phrase is “i can only give you strength, but hope you have to give yourself” (or other people have to ignite it)
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I think that is an ego thing as well. A higher consciousness being would be content with itself only and not need a specific companion or a few companions.
the gods, even undead seek to breed. So no, its a rather primal thing.
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I believe it’s more being content with being alone and not really a “I’m nothing unless I have a companion” which is a form of self acceptance. Not needing a companion but being content with or without one.
Though I do agree with OddEmanation as well, higher beings still face the primal desire to sow their seeds even if it’s not by normal means or if by normal means.
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As long as it is not someone who is so dependent that they would harm themselves because they don’t have friends. Or get depressed because they don’t have a wife or something.
Velenos said it in a good way.
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i will not spend time, debating interpretations of my words.
Last thing i may add: its about understanding what you did wrong, and why you were like you were.
Why you wanted, what you wanted. Where its roots are.
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Uh what are you talking about? O.O I agreed with you lmao
Honestly I’ve been wondering about this kind of stuff since I got neck-deep in Hermetic and Gnostic writings… self-deification vs merging with the Source; completely obliterating the ego, having a balanced mindset or just indulging in whatever the ego desires… if the spirits crave companionship and spreading their seeds they do have some sort of an ego, right?
Yes. As entities they have egos. How much ego they have/how much their ego influences them is what matters.
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Hm, I imagine it can range from spirit to spirit… from a certain daemonolater’s description of some beings in the Vaults of Zin feels like those beasts are pure ego and no “Higher-Self”
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To be fair higher self isn’t something everyone has, and not having one isnt a bad thing nor does it mean they are “pure ego” whatever that means.
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Sorry, I meant that some of the beasts’ descriptions made me think that they’re “mindless” in a way and pure instinct.
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