Spiritual Forum

Face Your Dark Side – Carl Jung and the Shadow

“Like plants, so men also grow, some in the light, others in the shadows. There are many who need the shadows and not the light.”

Carl Jung, The Red Book

None of us are as good as we like to think. We possess animalistic drives for sex and power. We have a cruel and aggressive side that can do great harm to others, and we tend to deny our flaws and weaknesses. But what we deny does not disappear, it sinks into the unconscious and congregates in what Carl Jung called the shadow. In this video we are going to explore how confronting the shadow, and integrating its elements into our personality, is a means to rejuvenate our life and heal a divided world.

“Only the man who goes through this darkness can hope to make any further progress.

Carl Jung, Yoga and the West

For a shadow to be cast an object must impede a path of light. The object that casts our psychological shadow is our persona. Persona is a Latin word signifying a mask worn by an actor. In Jungian psychology, the persona represents the metaphorical mask we wear in the social world. It is the collection of character traits we want others to believe define us, or as Jung writes, the persona is:

“. . .a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and, on the other, to conceal the true nature of the individual.”

Carl Jung, Two Essays on Analytical Psychology

The construction of our persona begins early in life as we learn which elements of our character garner approval from family members, peers, and society at large, and which are rejected. The former we integrate into our persona, the latter we hide behind this mask. Over time, however, so as not to feel like a fraud, most of us identify with our persona and in the process hide unwanted character traits not only from others, but also from ourselves. These character traits are repressed and congregate in the unconscious to form the shadow.

“[The shadow is] the inferior part of the personality; sum of all . . . psychic elements which, because of their incompatibility with the chosen conscious attitude [of the persona], are denied expression in life and therefore coalesce into a relatively autonomous “splinter personality” with contrary tendencies in the unconscious.”

Carl Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections

The repressed contents of our shadow do not lie dormant in the unconscious, never to be heard from again. Rather they operate in an autonomous manner behind the spotlight of conscious awareness. One way the shadow manifests itself is through projection, wherein we perceive in other individuals, groups, nations, races, or political parties, the weaknesses, faults, and evils, that reside within ourselves. Or as Jung put it:

“We still attribute to the other fellow all the evil and inferior qualities that we do not like to recognize in ourselves, and therefore have to criticize and attack him, when all that has happened is that an inferior “soul” has emigrated from one person to another. The world is still full of … scapegoats, just as it formerly teemed with witches and werewolves.”

Carl Jung, Civilization in Transition

Elements of our shadow also find expression in our day-to-day life by affecting our moods and behaviors. For the character traits, instincts, and desires that we repress fester in the unconscious, creating a tension between our conscious personality and the autonomous splinter personality of the shadow. At times of stress, or conflict, when our conscious mind is unable to keep the doors of the unconscious closed, the shadow reveals itself, and often with damaging consequences.

“There are patients who boast that for them the shadow-side does not exist; they assure us that they have no conflict, but they do not see that other things of unknown origin cumber their path – hysterical moods, underhand tricks which they play on themselves and their neighbours, a nervous [inflammation] of the stomach, pains in various places, irritability for no reason, and a whole host of nervous symptoms.”

Carl Jung, Two Essays on Analytical Psychology

Rather than denying the shadow, we are far better served by shining a light on this dark side of our character. Confronting the shadow begins with accepting its existence and realizing that the personality we portray to the world, and our conscious sense of self, does not represent us in totality. Once accepted, honest self-reflection and self-criticism, can reveal some of the traits we have been hiding from. The good and the bad explains Jung

“…are bound to come to light in [us], should [we] wish – as [we] ought – to live without self-deception or self-delusion.”

Carl Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections

But not all the contents of our shadow can be confronted by turning within as some elements of our character have been pushed too far into the depths of the unconscious. To unearth these elements, we can use a few different tactics: Firstly, we should take notice of any traits in other people that trigger a particularly strong emotional reaction, as this is a sign that the same trait lies within us. Another tactic is to peer into the shadow of someone close to us – a task that is typically easier than peering into our own. For although some aspects of the shadow are personal, much that gets deposited there is influenced by social and cultural trends and so shared among members of our society. A character trait we reject, has likely been rejected by a sibling or close friend. If we can learn about their shadow, clues about our own will be revealed.

“. . . I have come to the conclusion that the most individual thing about man is surely his consciousness, but that his shadow. . . is far less individualized, the reason being that a man is distinguished from his fellows more by his virtues than by his negative qualities.”

Carl Jung, Fundamental Questions of Psychotherapy

One of the many benefits of gaining greater knowledge of our dark side is that it creates a contrast that allows the good of our character to stand out in greater prominence. Or as Jung writes, when we confront the shadow we suddenly

“. . . see both sides. [We] become aware not only of [our] moral inferiorities but also, automatically, of [our] good qualities. [We] rightly say, “I can’t be as bad as all that.” To confront a person with his shadow is to show him his own light.”

Carl Jung, Civilization in Transition

Confronting the shadow also reduces the ability of our flaws and weaknesses to wreak havoc on our life. Awareness of an anger issue, selfishness, greed, or aggression, or of an obsession or compulsion, grants us the opportunity to exert a modicum of control over it. We can strive to overcome the flaw, or at least minimize its potential damage, for as Jung explains:

“The psychiatrist knows that certain dangerous unconscious forces can be rendered harmless, or at least held in check, if they are made conscious, that is, if the patient can assimilate them and integrate them with his personality.”

Carl Jung, Collected Works Volume 18

In the shadow we also discover instinctual drives for aggression, power, and sex, that contain immense amounts of energy. In becoming aware of these drives, and sublimating them – that is, putting them in the service of higher ends – these drives can empower us, motivate us to take the needed risks for a fulfilling life, and even spur our creativity.

“. . .only down below can we find the fiery source of life. . .”

Carl Jung, Psychology and Alchemy

The shadow contains more than just animalistic instincts, flaws, and weaknesses. It is also home to strengths of our character which we repressed as a result of a poor upbringing or adapting to a sick society. Some people, for example, deny their intelligence, creativity, resoluteness, or ability to act in defiance of corrupt authority figures:

“. . .[the] shadow,” writes Jung “does not consist only of morally reprehensible tendencies, but also displays a number of good qualities, such as normal instincts, appropriate reactions, realistic insights, creative impulses, etc. . . the shadow is on one side regrettable and reprehensible weakness, on the other side healthy instinctivity and the prerequisite for higher consciousness.”

Carl Jung, Aion

To harness the positive side of our shadow requires more than merely observing what resides in its depths. We should consciously integrate the elements of our shadow into our character and allow them expression in our day-to-day life, or as Jung’s renowned student Erich Neumann wrote:

“The recognition and acceptance of the shadow presupposes more than a mere willingness to look at one’s dark brother – and then to return him to a state of suppression where he languishes like a prisoner in a gaol. It involves granting him freedom to share in one’s life.”

Erich Neumann, Depth Psychology and a New Ethic

Re-connecting with the positive side of our shadow, minimizing the effects of it negative side, and integrating it all into our conscious sense of self, produces a character that tends toward the ideal of wholeness – which Jung believed defined the psychologically healthy. As we approach a state of wholeness, we become more attractive to other people. For human beings possess an instinctive suspicion of those who appear too good and who identify too much with their persona. We know that beneath a bright persona, lurks a dark and dangerous shadow. Far more attractive is the complete character, the whole man, who knows not only of his strengths, virtues, and potential for good, but also of his weaknesses, faults, and potential for evil. Or as Jung writes:

“. . .the shadow belongs to the wholeness of the personality: the strong man must somewhere be weak, somewhere the clever man must be stupid, otherwise he is too good to be true and falls back on pose and bluff. Is it not an old truth that woman loves the weaknesses of the strong man more than his strength, and the stupidity of the clever man more than his cleverness? Her love wants the whole man . . .”

Carl Jung, Civilization in Transition

Those of us who take up the challenge of confronting the shadow will also help heal a divided world. For when we face the shadow, we withdraw our projections, and we stop participating in the rampant scapegoating of political opponents or members of a different race, religion, ethnicity, or gender:

“If you imagine someone who is brave enough to withdraw all these projections,” writes Jung “then you get an individual who is conscious of a pretty thick shadow. Such a man has saddled himself with new problems and conflicts. He has become a serious problem to himself, as he is now unable to say that they do this or that, they are wrong, and they must be fought against.”

Carl Jung, Psychology and Religion: West and East

Too many people see all the problems in society, and all the problems of other people, but fail to notice the much more serious problem that lies within themselves. They fail to see they are a character split in two and until they confront the shadow side, they will only amplify the hostility and divisiveness of the modern world.

“. . .[the man who confronts his shadow] knows that whatever is wrong in the world is in himself, and if he only learns to deal with his own shadow he has done something real for the world. He has succeeded in shouldering at least an infinitesimal part of the gigantic, unsolved social problems of our day. . .How can anyone see straight when he does not even see himself and the darkness he unconsciously carries with him into all his dealings?”

Carl Jung, Psychology and Religion: West and East

One way to become conscious of the shadow is to observe the weaknesses, flaws, and insecurities of those close to us. For not only do most of us repress similar character traits, but we also tend to project elements of our shadow onto other people. If, therefore, we pay attention to which character traits of our friends and family bother us, we may also gain a glimpse of our own shadow. In addition to observing others, another way to bring the shadow into the light of consciousness is to reflect on the motives for our actions, especially actions we are ashamed of, and to be open to self-criticism when it is warranted. For as Jung notes, often the only thing that is preventing us from seeing our shadow is the ability to be honest with ourselves: “With a little self-criticism one can see through the shadow” (Carl Jung Aion).

“. . . the elite still cling firmly to the notion that [anxiety] disorders originate in alterations within the brain. Unfortunately many run-of-the-mill doctors still swear by this gospel to the detriment of their patients, whom our age produces in swarms. Nearly all these patients have been convinced by the medical dogma that their sickness is of a physical nature.”

Carl Jung, The Symbolic Life

Jung believed that most cases of anxiety and depression are not the product of a faulty brain, but of a faulty way of life. The first step in Jung’s method of treatment, therefore, was not a drug prescription, but a dose of psychological insight – insight regarding what to expect from life and insight into what it takes to change. With respect to the former, Jung noted that many people believe that life should be easy, suffering kept to a minimum and difficulties avoided. But Jung would be blunt with his patients telling them that life is not easy, and comfort and peace are not our natural state. Or as Jung wrote:

“In the last resort it is highly improbable that there could ever be a therapy that got rid of all difficulties. Man needs difficulty; they are necessary for health. What concerns us here is only an excessive amount of them.”  

Carl Jung, Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche

Accepting that difficulties are inevitable and nothing worth achieving comes easy, places us on the firm ground of reality from which to change. For when we accept that life is hard, we will also realize that only through a strengthened character do we have any chance of living a good life. If, on the other hand, we remain caught in the delusion that life should be easy, we will be less motivated to overcome a weak character, as we will falsely hope that if we just give it time life will get easier.

“Life is a battleground. It always has been, and always will be; and if it were not so, existence would come to an end.” 

Carl Jung, Man and His Symbols

There is another piece of psychological insight that Jung saw as crucial for his patients to understand – namely, that our problems exist in the present and that present problems are not solved by digging into our past. Many people like to believe that only when they have determined why they are the way they are, can they move forward in life. But Jung believed that an excessive fixation on the past was merely an avoidance tactic used to evade the difficult task of facing up to what needs to be done now.

“People should know that not only the neurotic, but everyone, naturally prefers never to seek the causes of any inconvenience in himself, but to push them as far away from himself as possible in space and time. Otherwise he would run the risk of having to make a change for the better. Compared with this odious risk it seems infinitely more advantageous either to put the blame on to somebody else, or, if the fault lies undeniably with oneself, at least to assume that it somehow arose of its own accord in early infancy.” (V7)  

Carl Jung, Two Essays on Analytical Psychology

Jung believed that facing up to the shadow was crucial in the process of self-change for several reasons. Firstly, we do ourselves no favours by denying the inferior parts of our personality, we merely lose control of how, and when, these traits emerge. If, on the other, hand we acknowledge a character flaw we can learn how to control its expression and so minimize the damage it does in our life, or as Jung explains:

“Anything conscious can be corrected, but anything that slips away into the unconscious is beyond the reach of correction and, its rank growth undisturbed, is subject to increasing degeneration. Happily, nature sees to it that the unconscious contents will irrupt into consciousness sooner or later and create the necessary confusion.”

Carl Jung, Mysterium Coniunctionis

Along with becoming more conscious of the shadow, another integral aspect of Jung’s method of treatment was helping his patients find a meaning to their lives. For Jung believed that when stuck in a deep depression, or consumed by an anxiety disorder, to be cured necessitates discovering a “role as one of the actors in the divine drama of life” (Carl Jung, The Symbolic Life). To understand what was meant by this we can turn to an encounter Jung had with a chief of the Pueblo tribe in the first half of the 20^th century. Jung was discussing with this man the traditions of his tribe when the chief made the following remark:

“Yes, we are a small tribe, and these Americans, they want to interfere with our religion. They should not do it,  because we are the sons of the Father, the Sun. He who goes there”; (pointing to the sun) – “that is our Father. We must help him daily to rise over the horizon and to walk over Heaven. And we don’t do it for ourselves only: we do it for America, we do it for the whole world.” (V18) 

Carl Jung, The Symbolic Life

Jung understood that to many in the modern day this statement would sound crazy and archaic. But as he further notes the members of this tribe did not suffer like we suffer. They were not infected by neuroses, anxiety disorders, or depression. They did not fill themselves with pills each day, and they were not debilitated by addictions. Rather this tribe was composed of highly functioning individuals who saw themselves as fulfilling their duty as an actor in the divine drama of life, and their lives were rich in meaning and purpose. Or as Jung wrote:

“These people have no problems. They have their daily life, their symbolic life. They get up in the morning with a feeling of their great and divine responsibility: they are the sons of the Sun, the Father, and their daily duty is to help the Father over the horizon – not for themselves alone, but for the whole world. You should see these fellows: they have a natural fulfilled dignity.” 

Carl Jung, The Symbolic Life