Shadow Work

[beyondaurora]

This post is not about shadow functions.

I am referring to the repressed aspects of yourself, those that you have refused to accept and acknowledge.

If you are not familiar with the Jungian concept of the shadow, I recommend the book, "Owning Your Own Shadow" by Robert Johnson. The idea of shadow work is that the subconscious mind does not know the difference between a metaphorical act and a real one.

So, to those of you who are familiar with this concept, my question is this: do you participate in any shadow work or rituals, and if so, what are they and what do they represent?

 

[INTJMom]

This is what Naomi Quenk says about how the "shadow" and the eruption of the "inferior" are not the same thing, but they are related.

 

[redacted]

This post is not about shadow functions.

I am referring to the repressed aspects of yourself, those that you have refused to accept and acknowledge.

If you are not familiar with the Jungian concept of the shadow, I recommend the book, "Owning Your Own Shadow" by Robert Johnson. The idea of shadow work is that the subconscious mind does not know the difference between a metaphorical act and a real one.

So, to those of you who are familiar with this concept, my question is this: do you participate in any shadow work or rituals, and if so, what are they and what do they represent?

Does psychoanalysis count?

 

[INTJMom]

This post is not about shadow functions.

I am referring to the repressed aspects of yourself, those that you have refused to accept and acknowledge.

If you are not familiar with the Jungian concept of the shadow, I recommend the book, "Owning Your Own Shadow" by Robert Johnson. The idea of shadow work is that the subconscious mind does not know the difference between a metaphorical act and a real one.

So, to those of you who are familiar with this concept, my question is this: do you participate in any shadow work or rituals, and if so, what are they and what do they represent?

What is a "metaphorical act"?
Is it like imagining something that you WANT to take place?

 

[Mole]

The idea of shadow work is that the subconscious mind does not know the difference between a metaphorical act and a real one.

We are often told here that this is not real life.

And it's not.

It is more important than real life - it is the revelation of the unconscious.

This does make some uncomfortable.

Simply because their unconscious is uncomfortable.

So all kinds of defences are deployed to keep the unconscious at bay - just as we might keep a tiger at bay with a chair.

But the tiger bats away the chair - and here we are - bathing in one anothers' unconscious.

We are more intimate than a husband and wife. All the more as we don't know we are married.

My God, who wants to be married to him, who wants to be married to her?

So we have an elaborate scheme called MBTI to explain how we have ended up with each other.

We are actually in a dangerous situation because we are deeply affected by the unconscious of everyone here.

Some are damaged and damaging; some are controlled and controlling; some are creative and creating; and some are present.

And with this extraordinary admixture of unconsciousness, we don't know what will happen.

We just don't know.

 

[beyondaurora]

This is what Naomi Quenk says about how the "shadow" and the eruption of the "inferior" are not the same thing, but they are related.

Thanks, Mom. That was sweet of you to post these. I bought Lenore Thomson's book yesterday, and she touches on this as well.

Does psychoanalysis count?

No.

What is a "metaphorical act"?
Is it like imagining something that you WANT to take place?

For example, say I am having difficulty letting go of a past relationship. I could tie pictures associated with that relationship (for example, my wedding photos) to a rock and drop it off the pier, essentially 'letting go' of that relationship. My subconscious mind would view that metaphorical act as actually letting go of the relationship.