“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”
-C.G. Jung, “Alchemical Studies”
Let’s get this out of the way first: Everyone is struggling with something. Nobody is perfect. And the darkest shadow of all is believing that you don’t have one.
These days, the word “shadow” is thrown around a lot without much explanation for what it actually is. Against all odds, “shadow work” has actually become something of a buzzword these last few years. I’m amazed that the local yoga studio has a monthly Shadow Work Circle. Aaaand I’m a little concerned.
Because here’s the thing: nothing about shadow work is glamorous. If we knew what it required, we probably wouldn’t sign up. And it definitely isn't something that happens on the organic essential oil-scented floor of the brightly lit yoga hall.
So I thought I’d do a little Shadow 101 for you all, just to set the record straight. Please don’t take any of this as dogma, which is a human tendency filled with shadowy potential. Rather, these are some reflections and key points that I hope serve you on the inner quest into that cave we all fear to enter. Take what’s useful, throw away the rest. You know the drill.
Last thing: if you ever meet someone who claims to have “mastered” their shadow, to be above or beyond it, run away as fast as you can.
The Shadow is a Place, Not a Thing
"The person we choose to be ... automatically creates a dark double–the person we choose not to be."
-Thomas Moore, “Care of the Soul”
The simplest way of defining the shadow is that it encompasses all of the parts of us that don’t neatly conform to our idea of who we are. These parts of ourselves are not of the shadow, but in the shadow.
The shadow is a region of the psyche where all of the feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and even sub-personalities that do not match up with our vision of ourselves, go to live in darkness.
Think for a moment: How do you see yourself? How do you want others to see you? How do you show up in the world? This is what Jung called our persona. Literally the Greek word for “mask,” the persona is the public, acceptable, ego-affirming side of ourselves. We can feel good about our persona. It probably has nice table manners, and lots of inauthentic smiles.
It is also not the full story of who we are.
The persona represents the known areas of the map. The shadow is off the map entirely.
The shadow operates in stealth, like a secret intelligence program working without the knowledge of the head of state. It’s a rogue element, and sometimes takes actions in spite of our better natures. The CIA of the psyche, erasing its clandestine tracks, convincing the gullible public of its non-existence.
The Shadow is Not Inherently bad.
“Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.”
-Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
Internal Family Systems, or IFS therapy, which I’ve written about before, refers to “exiles:” parts of our personality that, at one point or another, we decided were not welcome within our psychic home.
“You’re too loud.” “Who do you think you are?” “Boys don’t cry.” “Girls are supposed to be nice.” “Sit still.” Can you remember ever hearing such things as a child? Can’t everyone?
Robert Bly called the shadow, “the long bag we drag behind us.” Little by little, as we grow up, we put more of ourselves into the bag because we were told they were not appropriate or pretty. One day, we wake up as adults, hauling around this backpack of neglected parts.
Imagine if you were kicked out of your home as a 5 year old, and left to fend for yourself? Imagine never experiencing a positive word of support or understanding, living through rainy, cold nights without the warmth of a fire, or the happiness of a home.
If this was you, it is highly unlikely that you would turn out to be a well-adjusted member of society.
These fragmented parts of ourselves were raised in darkness. Is it any wonder that they shatter windows and light fires when they burst into our carefully ordered lives? A therapeutic perspective says that our shadow parts are starving for our love, our warmth, and our attention.
As a therapist, I mostly agree with this. But I’m also not fooled into thinking that we can just “love and light” our shadow out of existence. The shadow also contains energies that have the potential for immense violence, suffering, and destruction. These energies don’t have much to do with us as individuals, but are collective, and therefore archetypal. Which leads to my next point…
The Shadow is Archetypal
“Where we do not willingly go, sooner or later we will be dragged”
-James Hollis, “Swamplands of the Soul: New Life in Dismal Places”
The shadow is so pervasive and powerful because it is rooted in the archetypal realm, meaning that it is universal to all psychic life and transcends our ego and individual personality.
The shadow usually conforms to deep patterns of predictable behavior--a sign that something has archetypal elements within it. We can see these patterns play out in our personal lives, and through wider cycles throughout history and culture.
The personal shadow shows itself through all of the small betrayals that people do despite themselves: infidelities, rage, self-sabotage, and secretive behaviors.
The collective, or archetypal shadow, however, is a different beast. This energy is imbued into archetypal characters in myth and folklore: witch, a sorcerer, or the Devil himself. In the West, many of these demonized symbols also represent a deep connection to the earth, which our culture relegated to the shadow a millennia ago.
The archetypal shadow in human history is immense. This force allows for genocide, war, the slave trade, the trail of tears, and for every violent conquest ever committed throughout history. It allows for the desecration of the earth, and for the marginalization and abuse of innocent people.
We are now living through times where the collective shadow is emerging onto the global stage. It accounts for the intensity and polarization we see playing out across the world, with the rise in fascistic, tribal thinking, demagogic leaders, and the breakdown of trust in larger social structures and institutions.
Collective issues that have long been suppressed by the collective coming to the surface, like our treatment of the earth, as well as our collective histories of colonization, racism, and misogyny, is a signal that we are living through shadow times.
Part 2 coming next week.
My book, Psychedelics and the Soul: A Mythic Guide to Psychedelic Healing, Depth Psychology, and Cultural Repair, is now available for pre-order! Get your copy here or through my favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s Books.
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Looking forward to part 2 and your book! I wonder if in Part 2 or in the comments you could offer a potent reflective question for connecting with the exiled parts/shadows.
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Hi, great read. Would like to hear your thoughts on the concept of a “hereditary”shadow stemming from the experiences, traumas, and unresolved issues of our ancestors. Something that could have been imprinted in our DNA and passed down through generations, influencing our psyche on a subconscious level. I wonder if this “hereditary” shadow includes emotional residues and psychological patterns inherited from past generations, potentially including past life influences for some of us who believe in reincarnation.