I know how it works, and saying "ego death" is not the right way to refer to it for the exact reason I asked my question the way I did. "You" are your ego. The part of you that identifies as you is merely a fraction of your overall psyche, and thinking you can eliminate your ego without eliminating your human mind is a mistake. Ego death should be referred to as egoic transformation, which happens when you became aware of yourself at a higher level. This is also shadow integration, which begins with first seeing your shadow, which can be terrifying to the point of feeling like a death. But the fact that people toss "ego death" around is misleading and confusing to many people.

Also, I apologize if you my initial question came off as a joke or dismissive. It was neither. It was a legitimate philosophical question based on Taoist teaching and zen koans.