Jungian shadow work takes healing to new levels
Psychologist Carl Jung is known for his work on the analysis of dreams and the subconscious mind; but perhaps one of the most important areas of his work is that of the Shadow.
As a young student of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung followed Freud’s models until he matured more fully in the field of psychology and found Freud’s definitive and structured nature limiting. There were areas of the human psyche that Jung longed to explore further, so he ventured out and progressed into what became the work of Shadows and the subconscious mind.
The Shadow is identified as the “darkest or hidden sides” of our selves; which has not yet come to light. More specifically, the emotions and aspects of our selves that are less attractive to our nature: greed, jealousy, lust, hate, etc. Although these aspects are prevalent in our world today, we personally tend to punish, criticize and bury these emotions until they are unleashed through unconscious actions and reactions. Dictators, murderers and child molesters become the target monsters of the media, as we judge them for behavior we would “never” do ourselves. The unhealthy and harmful actions of the most wanted cartels derive from a system of denial that reaches critical mass; but these atrocities occur even at a local level of which we are all capable.
The reality is that these darker aspects and emotions live within us all as the human condition, and it is when they are not recognized that “all hell breaks loose.” Part of this philosophy/psychology is that we are (become) what we believe in, therefore “He who believes in the devil is the devil.” And all of those things that we find shocking and frightening exist within our very human nature.
A concept like this is not easy to digest, because it means that we must take full responsibility for ourselves. It can be easy and acceptable to be “the lover,” “the teacher,” and “the friend.” However, it is difficult to accept “the sexual deviant,” “the liar,” and “the manipulator,” traits each of us possesses on some level.
This awareness is not meant to scare or frighten, but rather to be embraced. Through acceptance comes true healing, from the core of our innermost being. It is within the core of our selves that both love and hate reside. If we do not accept and integrate these oppositions into our consciousness, we are unbalanced as human beings and therefore end up making decisions and feeling our emotions from our unconscious dark side that we so desperately try to deny. The energy of our planet today is working primarily from these shadow energies so evident in the times we live in.
We are now in a period of heightened awareness of the need to heal, and the collective consciousness, which is the power of mass positive or negative thought, is beginning to shift to higher levels.
To integrate the dark (unconscious) into the light (conscious), we must first acknowledge all of our emotions as they occur, measuring them with each experience. Without an aggressive intervention of our own self-destructive patterns, there is little chance of being freed from our own denial system no matter how many healing modalities we practice. It is also imperative that we connect closely with others who are interested in reaching higher levels of consciousness and beginning to live our truth as we share it with all of humanity… Taking conscious steps to further our own evolution and healing, and adapting a selfless attitude. , loving and forgiving nature is the only way we can begin to change the world: one person at a time.
For those interested in individual Shadow Workshops and/or Soul Sessions, please call Julia George at 561.750.9292