The shadow is a concept of analytical psychology (a term coined by Carl Jung) that speaks to aspects of ourselves that are hidden, unconscious, denied or even repressed. It is often difficult to talk about our shadow, because as we seek to define it, it also attempts to evade our gaze, often pointing to something else to distract us with - anything to avoid detection.
Making things more confusing, the shadow, while always there, doesn’t always present itself. It is often not until something arouses, stimulates or triggers our shadow that a manifestation or expression of that shadow occurs. This can create behaviour that appears to have a mind of its own, sometimes resulting in disproportionate or uncharacteristic responses.
The shadow often develops in early childhood where our first sensations of shame, separation and guilt take form. We can all probably think back to an experience early on that challenged our perception of our goodness - something that deeply struck us and made us feel different, “wrong” or “bad”. It is these early strikes that can send shockwaves through the nervous system that we then spend the rest of our lives, consciously or not, trying to heal from. But, while we try to heal from this pain and trauma, we simultaneously run from it and thus, the challenge of shadow work begins.
We should also note that it isn’t just the “seedy” aspects of the self that get banished to the shadow. Our kindness, sensitivity and intuition (as some examples) can also get placed there. The shadow can contain anything - traits we fear, that contradict, that we’re ashamed of, that we don’t understand, that society looks down upon, that have been judged or criticized or that defy what is “normal”.
While the shadow can create a lot of tension and confusion in our lives, and the lives of others, its intentions are often quite pure. It is trying to protect us in the only way it knows how. Unfortunately, that protection has consequences and so the process to uncover one’s shadow is really a journey of healing from the past, understanding the present and creating a more whole future.
There’s more to say about the shadow than can be summarized in a short post. Tim wrote a comprehensive introduction to the shadow for those interested in reading more. We would also encourage you to do your own research about this outside of the confines of this program.
“It’s almost as if you were landed in a foreign country with a conniving and deceitful interpreter (the shadow), and then proceeded to try to establish meaningful relationships with others, relationships upon which your own self-esteem with soon rest. And, you never suspected or confronted the interpreter. And, you were the interpreter.”
❂ Draw A Card Prompt: If my shadow could speak for itself, what would it like me to know about it at this stage?