Part 3: Shadow Work
Shadow work forces us to hold the tension of opposites - right and wrong, good and bad, light and dark. Carl Jung said that the first step toward the integration of the shadow was to accept its reality. To take seriously the existence of the dark side of all our natures. Shadow work begins with an attitude. It begins with an orientation toward the parts of ourselves that we have neglected, shut off, ignored and silenced. Very often, they are the darkest, most disturbing parts of ourselves.
The shadow is a psychological projection, which simply means the attributing of our own process of mind to that of another. Generally, this is because it is unbearable for us to recognise that aspect in ourselves. It is easier to “project” the thought or the emotion onto another person, because then we can be free of it, and judge the other person more comfortably. These are almost always our negative traits, which we tend to see in everyone else but ourselves.
Not integrating the shadow leads to a chronic frustration and tension, because so long as we project our negative tendencies, we are unable to accept them. We live as a fragmented being, and lose out on the energy and power that comes with a full acceptance of our humanity and our potential.
Shadow projection is a process of attempting to make ourselves acceptable by denying who and what we really are. Everything that clashes with what we superficially identify ourselves as. The image we wish we were, or the image we think we should be.
To do shadow work, you must:
Become aware of your opposites
Consciously contact, express, play and assume exactly the opposite of what you believe, feel, desire like or want without acting on them.
The main fear in doing shadow work is that we will end up over-powered by our opposites. However, it is almost always the opposite. So long as our shadow remains unconscious, it tends to affect and influence us. When it is made conscious by creative means, it tends to cease to affect us in negative ways. Not only does it cease to affect us, but it lends power and fullness to our personality.
