Is the ultimate goal henosis (ἕνωσις) or the magnum opus?
As far as I can remember, destroying the ego was considered wrong.
The Magnum Opus, on the other hand, seems to be about refining one’s ego.
Can union with God be achieved without losing one’s individuality?
... εἰ δὲ νοεῖς, ἔστιν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ϰαὶ σωμάτων ἀσώματα. — Ποῖα; ἔφη ὁ βασιλεύς. — Τὰ ἐν τοῖς ἐσόπτροις φαινόμενα σώματα οὐ δοϰεῖ σοι ἀσώματα εἶναι; — Οὕτως ἔχει, ὦ Τάτ· ϑείως νοεῖς, ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν. — Ἔστι δὲ ϰαὶ ἀσώματα ἄλλα, οἷον αἱ ἰδέαι οὐ δοϰοῦσιν εἶναί σοι, ἀσώματοι οὖσαι, ἐν σώματι φαινόμεναι, οὐ μόνον τῶν ἐμψύχων ἀλλὰ ϰαὶ τῶν ἀψύχων; — Εὖ λέγεις, ὦ Τάτ. — Οὕτως ἀνταναϰλάσεις εἰσὶ τῶν ἀσωμάτων πρὸς τὰ σώματα, ϰαὶ τῶν σωμάτων πρὸς τὰ ἀσώματα, τουτέστι τοῦ αἰσϑητοῦ πρὸς τὸν νοητὸν ϰόσμον ϰαὶ τοῦ νοητοῦ πρὸς τὸν αἰσϑητόν· διὸ προσϰύνει τὰ ἀγάλματα, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ὡς ϰαὶ αὐτὰ ἰδέας ἔχοντα ἀπὸ τοῦ νοητοῦ ϰόσμου. ὁ οὖν βασιλεὺς ἐξαναστὰς ἔφη, Ὥρα ἐστίν, ὦ προφήτα, περὶ τὴν τῶν ξένων ἐπιμέλειαν γενέσϑαι· τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ περὶ τῶν ἑξης ϑεολογήσομεν.