What lurks in the Shadow?

[Plenum]

first of all, how to define the psychological Shadow?

to me, it is just all those parts of the self that have not yet been accepted (ie rejected).

now commonly, the 'shadow work' involves working with the more negative type emotions (like anger, frustration, etc), and being able to understand the events or the origins of those type of reactions.

so there is a reclamation, or re-acknowledgement of parts of the self that were previously 'projected' and put onto others as a sort of emotional clothing.

but something I just realised recently was that the shadow can also include the more 'positive' type qualities that we fail to recognise or acknowledge.

someone who thinks they are physically ugly or unattractive, for eg, when in truth, they might be quite the looker. Or someone who has skills or abiliities but doesn't use them because they are unacknowledged. A form of denial of one of the qualities of self.

so yeah, positive things dwell in the 'shadow' too : d

- - * *

In Jungian psychology, the shadow or "shadow aspect" may refer to (1) the entirety of the unconscious, i.e., everything of which a person is not fully conscious, or (2) an unconscious aspect of the personality which the conscious ego does not recognize in itself.

Because one tends to reject or remain ignorant of the least desirable aspects of one's personality, the shadow is largely negative. There are, however, positive aspects which may also remain hidden in one's shadow (especially in people with low self-esteem).[1]

Contrary to a Freudian conceptualization of shadow, therefore, the Jungian shadow often refers to all that lies outside the light of consciousness, and may be positive or negative.

[GentleReckoning]

I know that in my rejected self lies the ability to easily influence and lead others. I'm incredibly attractive, and can relate to anyone easily.

[Spaced]

I like Jung's definition(s?). I think the reason that encounters with our shadow bring out 'negative' emotions is because just like every catalyst it must be processed upwards through the energy centers starting with red which can respond with feelings of fear or anger, orange which can bring up shame and sadness, etc. As each new bit of self is uncovered by self it must be processed in this way until it can be fully integrated, which is difficult when something seems alien or not of the self as our shadow sometimes seems to be.

[Unbound]

Right now my shadow is actually my brightest, lightest self which is that which I most fear. I fear the immense potential I have at my disposal and sometimes it is very overwhelming to try and keep myself grounded.

[AnthroHeart]

Is it my shadow self that made me think I was being pulled into hell? Is every scary experience facing the shadow self? I have medication that keeps me grounded, thankfully. It wasn't within my ability to stay grounded in reality otherwise. I hallucinated people around me that weren't there, that freaked me out when I wasn't on the meds.

[Sagittarius]

[reeay]

There are positive, neutral, and negative connotations to every aspect of self. Every aspect of self has its own history/story, its own needs/desires, and its functionality.

---

Is it my shadow self that made me think I was being pulled into hell? Is every scary experience facing the shadow self? I have medication that keeps me grounded, thankfully. It wasn't within my ability to stay grounded in reality otherwise. I hallucinated people around me that weren't there, that freaked me out when I wasn't on the meds.

Think what's most important is to have a good level of support, guidance, and safety measures when exploring shadow. Without some kind of safety measure, it's easy to get freaked out and stuff, so building ways to *self-sooth* is primary importance in this type of work.

[Jerome]

What a great insight. So obvious perhaps that it completely escaped me. Much to ruminate now. Thanks for posting!

[Sagittarius]

There are positive, neutral, and negative connotations to every aspect of self. Every aspect of self has its own history/story, its own needs/desires, and its functionality.

---

Is it my shadow self that made me think I was being pulled into hell? Is every scary experience facing the shadow self? I have medication that keeps me grounded, thankfully. It wasn't within my ability to stay grounded in reality otherwise. I hallucinated people around me that weren't there, that freaked me out when I wasn't on the meds.

Think what's most important is to have a good level of support, guidance, and safety measures when exploring shadow. Without some kind of safety measure, it's easy to get freaked out and stuff, so building ways to *self-sooth* is primary importance in this type of work.

Yep I have found when I'am exploring a part of my shadow it is easy to get caught up in the moment and create negative connotations in my brain about actions and events around me while experiencing the negative thought and emotional patterns.

Unfortunately I found out that keeping disciplined positive coping strategies is essential to travelling through the shadow consciously before it was to late. The vampire analogy of negative energy you find is quite spot on, very important to use the positive strategies to keep conscious through the experience otherwise I find negative aspects of self hide just under consciousness so even though you rationally know what's going on you find yourself slipping unconsciously back into the patterns your trying to accept and release.

Conscious disciplined positive coping strategies that you get a sense of love out of it vital. Particularly the part about love. Just because the strategy is positive doesn't mean certain people will get the sense of love out of it, it's an extremely individual process and I find a mixture of well known strategies plus unique personal strategies is the best mixture for success.

Have you done much clinical type psychology Rie? As in have you held therapy with someone? I would guess the personal spin is the hardest part, something empirical evidence cannot help with yet. How to cater to the unique individual and how to relevantly help them.

[vervex]

I've come to understand that it is only once you accept yourself completely, your light and your shadow, that you are truly whole. God after all encompasses everything equally, and we are a facet of God. What we call light and shadow are but a polarization, an illusion of separation, and we experience this in our reality as contrasting concepts. When you put them together again, when you accept all, you are complete. Then you can truly choose the path you want to follow without any shame or pride.

In the end, I can say I have no shadow, nor do I have light, for I am truly both... and none.

P.S. Yes, I had to go through what they call "shadow work" in order to come to this understanding

[ChickenInSpace]

Still shedding my shadow self but so much of it is accepted and forgiven that only fragments surface now. I can still get hurt by this but by being hurt by myself I also remind myself of how fantastic it is to feel such things and how glad I am that I can experience the things I do. Bit by bit my knots thus resolve and I stay happy =).

[reeay]

Yep I have found when I'am exploring a part of my shadow it is easy to get caught up in the moment and create negative connotations in my brain about actions and events around me while experiencing the negative thought and emotional patterns.

Unfortunately I found out that keeping disciplined positive coping strategies is essential to travelling through the shadow consciously before it was to late. The vampire analogy of negative energy you find is quite spot on, very important to use the positive strategies to keep conscious through the experience otherwise I find negative aspects of self hide just under consciousness so even though you rationally know what's going on you find yourself slipping unconsciously back into the patterns your trying to accept and release.

Conscious disciplined positive coping strategies that you get a sense of love out of it vital. Particularly the part about love. Just because the strategy is positive doesn't mean certain people will get the sense of love out of it, it's an extremely individual process and I find a mixture of well known strategies plus unique personal strategies is the best mixture for success.

Have you done much clinical type psychology Rie? As in have you held therapy with someone? I would guess the personal spin is the hardest part, something empirical evidence cannot help with yet. How to cater to the unique individual and how to relevantly help them.

Yeah I do purely clinical type psychology doing therapy work with people... and have gone thru intensive therapy myself. My knowledge is not just from a textbook but mostly from practice/training/experience, if that is what you were curious about.

One of the key component to doing deep, deep work is to have sufficient 'ego strength' to cope with emotional distress & challenges. Ego-strength is different from strength of will or engaging in activities to self-sooth, but having internal support/strength & having ability to endure anxiety, fear, pain, & other emotional distress. For example, ego strength could be a more mature, forgiving, open aspect of self who is able to take perspective and sooth distress. When there is insufficient ego-strength, and faced with highly emotionally charged situation, it's possible for people to completely shut-down emotionally or even dissociate, in more severe cases.

Building ego-strength comes with what we call 'maturity' and of course healing process... it's building the foundations to be able to get out in the world and live fully. Self-acceptance, forgiveness... the basics. With basics, we may increase our distress threshold, thus we may go deeper to find out things about self that we want to deny or reject completely.

[Plenum]

thanks rie. This last post of yours is filled with truth, wisdom, and lived experience.

there are many cases where people talk out of their arse, and its just utter nonsense, but as xise has said in the past - 'you be spitting some serious truth here'.

real world experience > something I read on the internet



I'm glad you've gone through the therapy yourself. It is only by opening up honestly to at least one other individual on this planet, that one is then able to open up honestly to everyone else. You gotta do it at least once in a trusting safe environment to show yourself that its ok to do it at all.

thanks for being here dr eardrums : d

[Sagittarius]

Yep I have found when I'am exploring a part of my shadow it is easy to get caught up in the moment and create negative connotations in my brain about actions and events around me while experiencing the negative thought and emotional patterns.

Unfortunately I found out that keeping disciplined positive coping strategies is essential to travelling through the shadow consciously before it was to late. The vampire analogy of negative energy you find is quite spot on, very important to use the positive strategies to keep conscious through the experience otherwise I find negative aspects of self hide just under consciousness so even though you rationally know what's going on you find yourself slipping unconsciously back into the patterns your trying to accept and release.

Conscious disciplined positive coping strategies that you get a sense of love out of it vital. Particularly the part about love. Just because the strategy is positive doesn't mean certain people will get the sense of love out of it, it's an extremely individual process and I find a mixture of well known strategies plus unique personal strategies is the best mixture for success.

Have you done much clinical type psychology Rie? As in have you held therapy with someone? I would guess the personal spin is the hardest part, something empirical evidence cannot help with yet. How to cater to the unique individual and how to relevantly help them.

Yeah I do purely clinical type psychology doing therapy work with people... and have gone thru intensive therapy myself. My knowledge is not just from a textbook but mostly from practice/training/experience, if that is what you were curious about.

One of the key component to doing deep, deep work is to have sufficient 'ego strength' to cope with emotional distress & challenges. Ego-strength is different from strength of will or engaging in activities to self-sooth, but having internal support/strength & having ability to endure anxiety, fear, pain, & other emotional distress. For example, ego strength could be a more mature, forgiving, open aspect of self who is able to take perspective and sooth distress. When there is insufficient ego-strength, and faced with highly emotionally charged situation, it's possible for people to completely shut-down emotionally or even dissociate, in more severe cases.

Building ego-strength comes with what we call 'maturity' and of course healing process... it's building the foundations to be able to get out in the world and live fully. Self-acceptance, forgiveness... the basics. With basics, we may increase our distress threshold, thus we may go deeper to find out things about self that we want to deny or reject completely.

Is that what you tell your patients? Do they understand if not how do you attempt to guide or show them ?

[Karl]

My shadow's fucking awesome.

[Horuseus]

You do not seek out the shadows, but rather the blocks (Beliefs) within your Light which have cast them.

The Shadow is but a circumstantial secondary byproduct and has offered the service through Love of 'shedding light' on that which has not.

[Aloneness]

Right now my shadow is actually my brightest, lightest self which is that which I most fear. I fear the immense potential I have at my disposal and sometimes it is very overwhelming to try and keep myself grounded.

I've been thinking about this, a lot. See, I fear any type of potential like crazy because of the responsibility that naturally comes with it and I try to avoid keeping myself grounded. Because I don't like how it feels, it's too heavy. This results in a, sort of, constant state of friction.
I hope it's just a phase.

[reeay]

Is that what you tell your patients? Do they understand if not how do you attempt to guide or show them ?

No I wouldn't go into a philosophical discussion about psychological theory and such if they are coming in w/ severe distress.

You would spend time fleshing out their life story, and identifying internal resources that are already there, then work from there. So one would not come from a place of deficit but from a place of strength (the light that already shines). If there are very little resources, like a person feeling extremely unlovable, unworthy, totally deflated then you go on to use techniques to being to build foundational resource... but you don't need to explain bc they usually figure out what could help them to cope.