The shadow self acceptance journey is about unveiling your shadow self. The shadow self is the hidden aspect of the psyche that drives your unconscious preferences and desires. It is a quest for healing the shadow self and self-awareness. Are you ready to begin this journey?
To understand the term shadow self, we need to define these words. A physical shadow is a silhouette, creating an outline of an object blocking a light source. A shadow has volume and three dimensions: height, length, and width. The shadow is a reverse projection distorted by the angle of the light source. So, it is not a copy. It is a temporary moving refraction made by the object.
This hidden part of the psyche holds our cultural programming, ego, personality, and instincts. Most people can’t see the effects of these elements on their thinking; they need inner work tools to reveal them. Carl Jung’s model of the psyche is one way to understand this aspect of the subconscious. (1) Jung’s model of the psyche mirrors the structure we find in the Enneagram.
Shadow Work and Self-Awareness
The Shadow Self is what some call the Soul or Spirit. Like a physical shadow, it has substance and affects our thinking and values, even if we are not aware of it. It overshadows the psychic structures of the mind. Carl Gustav Jung was the first to use “shadow” regarding the human psyche in modern Western thought (2).
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge. — Carl Jung, (1951)
Self-awareness is the key to spiritual shadow work. The more aware we become, the more light we shine on these darker aspects. Much of our harmful programming comes from the culture.
If we want to become well-balanced individuals, we need to address this aspect of our psyche. Shadow self and self-awareness are linked. The healthier our shadow self, the more self-aware we become.
The Shadow Self, Acceptance Journey
Young children are often self-aware, confident, and they make social connections easily. They are conscious of their feelings, motives, and desires. Observe a group of young children from different backgrounds playing together. When they have not been indoctrinated with harmful cultural bias or prejudice, they all play together and work to include everyone. You’ll see they don’t recognize someone from a different race or someone with a disability as a threat. They are just different.
Our dominant cultural narrative can contain a great deal of mythology and superstition. These fabrications make their way into the value systems of a society. Healing the shadow self and self-awareness will reveal the boundaries of your spiritual growth.
Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people. ― Carl Jung
If you want to improve yourself and your relationships, you must confront the darkness of your beliefs.
Until we have seen someone’s darkness, we don’t really know who they are. Until we have forgiven someone’s darkness, we don’t really know what love is. — Marianne Williamson
Unveiling Your Shadow Self
Working on your shadow self can bring up some deep-seated fears. Our mortality is the root of all fears. So be gentle with yourself.
If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it was necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Self-acceptance is the key to understanding the shadow self and self-awareness. We must learn to accept all aspects of our default settings to see them. If we continue to deny them, they continue to rule our thinking. But once we bring them into the light of our awareness, we can learn to move beyond them. We don’t remove these aspects; we see how to integrate them into healthy behaviors.
The key to change is using our habitual nature. The process starts with illuminating these darker forces. Then, we must accept they are a part of us. Once we see them, we direct their power into positive thoughts and actions.
The goal of inner work is to identify roadblocks to our development and make us more integrated and aware. When we become more aware of our dark side, we control our thoughts and emotions. However, that doesn’t mean we experience less; it means we learn to understand our life experiences better.
Holistic Approach to Shadow Work and Self-Awareness
The holistic approach to unveiling your shadow self involves the use of inner work tools. These tools help us identify, address, and heal the hidden programming that drives thinking and desires.
Negative emotions are one way we feel this shadowy substance. However, Western medicine gives us drugs to numb our negative feelings. Numbing our feelings doesn’t address the reasons for them; it masks our awareness of these aspects. The underlying issues remain and then manifest in other ways.
Harmful beliefs are another way the shadow self reveals itself. All harmful biases and prejudices result from tainted perceptions which distort the shadow self. Racism is an example of how over-inflated self-esteem and self-worth become prejudice and hatred. Discrimination is another common way we can observe distorted beliefs.
A holistic approach to shadow work involves collaboration with mental health professionals. Clinicians should be involved in any inner work. This is especially important when using powerful inner work tools. The repetitive question exercise, automatic writing, and holotropic breathing should be supervised. These tools can exacerbate underlying mental health conditions.
Healing the Shadow Self and Self-Awareness
The health of our thoughts can fluctuate depending on several factors, such as traumatic events, stress, illness, and losses of any kind. One of the primary sources that affect our thinking is the programming we get from the cultural narrative. The dominant cultural narrative can overshadow our instincts of community and self-preservation.
It is called the shadow self acceptance journey because in order to change, we must accept our current position. Accepting the fact that their beliefs harm others is difficult for many people. Unveiling your shadow self can be difficult for those who have a high level of unhealthy cultural indoctrination.
Indoctrination of harmful religious and political beliefs has several negative consequences. It degrades critical thinking ability and makes people vulnerable to psychological manipulation. Unhealthy beliefs and values diminish self-awareness, making people selfish. Harmful beliefs lead to extremism, discrimination, and violence. You can see why unveiling your shadow self is so important. If we don’t expose this programming, it only degrades and disintegrates into more unhealthy thinking patterns.
Many people deny that their beliefs and values are harmful. They assert that their discrimination is a viable position. To overcome this mindset, one must accept the effects of one’s beliefs and values on others who don’t have the same prejudices and biases.
Steps in the Holistic Approach to Shadow Work
1. Unveiling your shadow self is the first step. This involves recognizing the parts of yourself that you have suppressed or denied. These are beliefs and values that cause harm. There are some excellent tools we can use to help us become aware of these beliefs and values hidden in the subconscious.
2. Self-acceptance means acknowledging these hidden parts without judgment. It’s about understanding that these aspects are a natural part of being human and that they do not define your worth.
3. Self-reflection is about assessing our beliefs and values. It helps us understand how these repressed aspects affect our thinking. This can involve journaling, meditation, or therapy, which can uncover things that shape our shadow selves.
4. Healing the Shadow Self occurs through self-acceptance and self-reflection. Facing these hidden beliefs gives us the insight to deal with harmful programming, unresolved emotions, and traumas. Removing harmful programming heals both the shadow self and self-awareness.
5. Integration occurs when our self-awareness bridges the gap between conscious and unconscious thinking. This integrates our shadow self into our conscious awareness. With integration, we have more control over thinking and emotions.
6. Personal Growth is the natural outcome of integration. As you integrate and heal your shadow self, you increase personal growth. This is the ultimate goal of the shadow self acceptance journey. Personal growth leads to increased self-awareness, self-compassion, and authenticity.
Tools for Healing the Shadow Self and Self-Awareness
The sheer intensity of this psychological work can leave one emotionally drained. The ego will fight the exposure of its programming. There are several tools we can use to heal the psyche.
Spiritual Journal
A journal is the first tool we recommend for the shadow self acceptance journey. It’s the most underrated tool for inner work. The more accustomed you are to using it, the more valuable it becomes. You will create several of these as you walk your path. A journal is nonjudgmental and truthful when healing the shadow self.
These journals reflect the truth of your inner thoughts, so they are your best personal coach and counselor. They can show you trends in your thinking and roadblocks to your spiritual growth.
You should create one to record your dreams when you awake. Keep one with you to jot down creative ideas. Use them for notes during automatic handwriting sessions. Your handwriting reflects your mood and state of mind. We see it as an essential tool for any explorer.
Some refer to the spiritual journal as a book of shadows. Besides being a document to record rituals, it will reveal our inner darkness.
The Enneagram
The Enneagram has a rich history, blending scientific rigor with the wisdom of spiritual traditions. It is valuable whether you are doing this adventure solo, with a coach, or in a group.
This inner work helps us delve into the mechanics of personality and instinct. Its system is straightforward yet is detailed enough for clinical work. These characteristics make it a basic tool for self-discovery. The analytical approach makes healing the shadow self less stressful.
Darkness is the absence of light. Ego is the absence of awareness. ― Osho
Meditation
Meditation is learning to fold your attention inward. This journey will help you find silence and peace. There is a simple two-step process for beginning meditation. Take a few minutes to do it.
The mantra is the first mobile communication device. Everything is vibration. Vibration is sound. The mantra is the sound that resonates with the same sound and vibration as the Soul of the Universe. ― Guru Tua
Lucid Dreaming
Dreams are one way the shadow self reveals itself. Sigmund Freud used dreams to form the backbone of Freudian psychology. So learning how to lucid dream is one tool we recommend. It is the easiest way to expand awareness. Lucid dreaming is a technique that allows you to be aware you are dreaming and also exerts some level of control over your dreams.
Shamanic Journey
The Shamanic Journey is one of the earliest forms of inner work. It is one way we can approach the subconscious. This kind of guided meditation brings many symbols and typologies of our beliefs to the surface.
Many generations have used this process. This method of healing the shadow self gives you complete control over the depth and duration.
Automatic Writing
Automatic writing is another tool that can reveal the shadow self. It allows the subconscious freedom to express itself through our handwriting.
Repeating Question
A repeating question is a tool you can use, along with other spiritual technologies. It’s a favorite for those who study the Enneagram. You can use it yourself, but it works best with two people. It’s a simple process. Your partner asks you the same question over and over. You find a different answer for the same question, which allows us to drill down below the superficial to intrinsic values. So, it makes the repeating question a versatile inner work tool.
You can start with the most obvious question: What is your shadow self? Jot down your answers quickly and keep asking the question. It will help you dig below the superficial to the genuine answers.
The Emotional Check Process
The emotional check-in process is an integral part of spiritual work. It helps us maintain our emotional equilibrium so that we can use common sense and logic to guide our inner work. This process gives us the clarity to face our fears. Because if we don’t face our fears, our boundaries control us.
Fear and anger are primitive responses that trigger our fight, flight or freeze mode. These responses pump adrenaline into the system so we can react to danger. But adrenaline is toxic for the brain’s higher thinking centers, taking these centers offline. You can’t use common sense or critical thinking skills when this happens. The emotional check helps us shut down these responses to think clearly.
In Conclusion
Healing the shadow self is a major aspect of the shadow self acceptance journey. If you don’t repair the faulty programming, it will surface in your thoughts as fears and anxieties. The thought of beginning this inner work fills many with anxiety. Your ego doesn’t want you to take back control. However, unveiling your shadow self is the key to your intellectual and spiritual freedom.
References
(1) The Shadow in Jungian Psychology: thesap.org
(2) Can You See Your Shadow?: psychologytoday.com