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 Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:09 am
I'm getting pretty serious about shadow work, and I'm finding that it takes a lot of concentration. I am firstly attempting to conquer the shadow of my personality before attempting to meet with my shadow. Some time ago, when I was first learning about my shadow, I didn't have to find it, because it appeared to me. I was very frightened, and as I should have expected, it had an eerie calm confidence about it. I wasn't prepared to deal with it at the time, but I've finally defined my ideal self with great confidence, and I'm prepared to face my shadow.
Has anybody else done much work with this? In the personality aspect, the shadow is everything that you are not allowing yourself to be, yet it is still you. I'm trying to keep tabs on both the shadow and the light, and Carl Jung gave some good ideas on how to do this which are helping me quite a lot.
Has anybody conquered this concept? To let your shadow express itself while still maintaining the qualities of what you believe makes you the person you want to be? Or even if not to express it, then to acknowledge it, validate it, and then refuse it while not losing your mind? I'm not having as much difficulty with this as I'm sure I make it sound, but any help or experiences with either the shadow in your personality or your actual shadow self would be very much appreciated. Thank you all.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:09 am
The whole "shadow self" thing is absolute bollocks, imo. It's just a way to separate yourself from a part of you that you don't like. It's false. You are you. Accept that and it will no longer be an issue. Separate s**t out and you no longer know yourself. Denying who you are is only going to lead to confusion.
I took psych and they whole department was really anti-psychoanalysis. I am not a fan of Jung.
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:39 pm
I would very much agree with you that we and our shadows are not different, and that we are one in the same. But I also agree that it is a way that we separate ourselves from the parts that we don't like, and being that everyone does that, I am trying to unite myself with those neglected and condemned attributes. Not only is it a psych thing, but I have read many accounts of it being purly a religious experience, and they all report that meeting with their shadows have profoundly affected their life.
I am finding even more confusion however.
I'm not sure if I should merely be consciously aware of all these despised attributes, if I should express all of these neglected and repressed emotions, or if I should do as Satanists do and assign special time to let my shadow's thoughts unrepress themselves so that there is no strain of separation again, and just keep setting aside these periods from time to time.
Ever since I have been thinking about my shadow, I have been having wierd dreams, and I have found pieces of me that I used to be fond of. I guess it's all about balance, but can it really be so unhealthy to be your ideal person all the time?
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:28 pm
Is it bad when most things in here, I know only/mostly from books and movies? And I mean fantasy, fictional, not the non-fiction which would actually be useful? What can I say, my life is boring other outside of my fantasy life.
So is your shadow like a doppleganger? *makes note to research subject*
it is you, except the you that you want to be, but dont ever let out. And here I thought I just had a split personality. Just wait, this'll be a long post.
I've always loved movies and books about the hero with the sword who saves the day, along with a witty comment here and there and everywhere. Wouldn't it be nice, if only I could think of a witty comment at will, actually get the courage to say what I want to whom I want, to stand up on stage and act, to face fears and fight wrong-doers. No, I'm shy and weak and scared.
The years of high school and the past year of university have changed me. Not so much at first, but by my last year, and especially my first year of uni, I've really come out of that shell. Sure, I'll never throw balls of lightning at evil warlocks attempting to take over the world. I'll never wield a sword against trolls and orcs invading the land. But I can talk to people when I never could before. I can get up on that stage and act out Juliet or one of the three witches form Macbeth. And even though I still lack that witty charm I would love to have, the ability to talk to others opens up a passageway to let out the occasional witty comment that crosses my mind.
Now I wonder - you are talking about recognizing your shadow, that person you do not allow yourself to be...and I wonder if that is what you mean? The person you want to be but cannot?
Or perhaps, do you mean a person who would completely demoralize everything you stand for, yet is a part of you nonetheless (I also have encountered her, and am quite embarrassed but her and yet, what a fun person she would be....if only....well....).
In this case, hmm....what was your question? Yes, I have talked to them. well, they are not actual other people...the other people aren't like that, they like to argue with me and tell me to stop arguing with myself...but that's another story. I'm not sure if I do not understand you or if I understand all too well.....the idea of a shadow self - I can think of it as a totally different person, with a personality that is yours and yet can also talk to you? and yet, I can see a different version of a shadow self as being like what I described - that is, being there, and you are aware of different desires or thoughts that may seem ridiculous, vulgar, random, strange, crazy and totally unlike what the normal you would think or do. Am I completely off?
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:15 pm
I reckon you're worrying too much.
Introspection is a great thing, and if you want to set time aside to explore yourself and your past and all that, that's great. Likely to be painful and all that, but you'll end up better for it.
I've just heard too many bs stories about people "fighting" their "shadow-side" or something... you know how it is wink
But yeah... I think you're over-thinking this. Perhaps it would be more beneficial to get in contact with your emotions and understand your instinctive responses than it would be to worry over whether you should be embracing this or rejecting the other thing.
On the other hand, if this sort of thing is really a bother, you may wish to devote some time to developing a code of action or moral code to follow. This sort of thing can seem restrictive at first, and indeed it can be, but it's useful to have something there in word form that echoes your personal value system. You can then take something and compare, and decide "do I want this in my life?" or "is this 'right action'?" in relation to your moral code.
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:47 pm
Sanguina-chan:
I think I may indeed be worrying too much. I had developed a code of ethics to keep my psychic shield stronger, but I am currently questioning the whole thing. I think maybe I'm trying to figure it out too much too, when what I should be doing is just keeping an eye on it to learn about it. But I don't want to fight it, in fact, my goal is to become all the things I'm not, as well as what I am, but I think I'm trying too hard. Thanks for the splash of cold water.
Mistreena:
It is not bad that most of the things you know are from fiction, in fact, it's probably that fiction that maintained your interests. But I wouldn't expect things to be the way they are portrayed definitely. Hopefully, we can help each other get more experiences, then we will all know everything first hand.
I thought I had found my shadow, and it had a demonic presence, much the way you described, but it also had a strength, so its presence was more animalistic I guess. It was all the things I didn't want to be, along with all the things I forgot I could be. It was primal, and more honest than anything I can remember; however, I feel like I don't want to become one with this shadow. At least not all at once, not without a system to control things, and not at this point in time.
I did have an encounter with something that I wouldn't necessarily call a shadow, but it sounded like it is what others meant when they said "shadow self." People describe it as being able to see everything they are in brutal honesty - all of their strengths and all of their weaknesses illuminated for them to get to see. But it seems to me that a reflection would be a more adequate analogy than shadow. It had the same intentions as me, but I could very clearly see all the weaknesses in me, and it was frustrating. Communicating with this self was like talking to a child. It didn't stay long after manifesting.
Anywho - I have made small but significant success with this, and there's still a lot more I want to do, and more questions that this raises. I would like to meditate further on my experiences before forming more questions though.
Everyone here is so caring and helpful! Thank you. As soon as I can see how I want to progress with this, I am sure I'll be right back with more questions.
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