Carl Jung first referred to the shadow as the part of ourselves that we have rejected, disowned or denied. We may not even be aware that certain emotions or behaviours exist or have the potential to exist within us because they are so deeply repressed.

 

As a result of repressing aspects of ourselves, such as anger, fear, shame or our sexuality, we project these emotions as qualities onto others or the world around us, which become external things we either judge, feel frightened or are irritated by.

 

The shadow includes the aspects which we also feel jealous of or become obsessed with in other people. This jealously comes up because we perceive others as having the qualities that actually reflect our potential.

 

Why work with the Shadow?

 

Even when we are not fully aware of our shadow, trying to hide or repress these aspects of ourselves uses a huge amount of energy which can cause physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. It's like constantly putting on a mask, yet underneath the mask lay the darker, negative, shameful parts of ourselves.

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Shadow work is crucial on our path of psycho-spiritual transformation and healing. If we are only seeking out spirituality in an attempt to reach spiritual dimensions without having first acknowledged or worked with our shadow, John Welwood, a Buddhist psychotherapist, suggests that this is a form of spiritual bypassing which may lead to an imbalance within the person. Overly focussing on spiritual development can be a way of avoiding or denying the challenges of day-to-day human life!

 

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