A shadow self is something that many people have heard about but those that haven’t, it is part of your personality that has things that you don’t want to talk about or admit to having.
This is the unconscious part of your being and once you recognize your shadow self, you will become more aware of what is going on around you.
A shadow self is a negative thing, it is just what you see as weak and what you see as hidden in your life. It is parts of your self-esteem and parts of you that are things such as:
- Lazy
- Sad
- Angry
- Cruel
This is also a place where you might hide your power or independence or how emotional you are.
Getting Rid of the Shadow Side
You cannot get rid of the shadow side. Even if you are kind or caring, you will have a shadow side just like someone else.
You cannot get rid or fix your shadow self because it is part of who you are. This is your power inside, and you have to learn to understand it instead of trying to get rid of it.
Jung and the Shadow Self
The shadow was given as a term by Carl Jung. He thought that nature was part of the dark sides of ourselves. It is what makes us human.
He didn’t feel that people were just individuals but that they had a collective shadow as part of society. He saw this as a danger to people and a danger to others.
Knowing Your Shadow
You have to learn to know your shadow and to feel balanced. When you learn to face your anger and your emotions, you can have more joy and you will have a strong emotional surge.
When you know your shadow self, you can make your relationships better and you can learn to understand yourself more and accept who you are.
Being uncreative will cause you to see your shadow self and will cause you to be emotionally free.
When you repress your feelings, you can grow, and you can fight off things that are hard for you.
Psychological Projection
Psychological projection is when you have unconscious thoughts and feelings, and you can see your talents and those of people around you.
You might feel that people are unsuccessful and want to blame them but if you think everyone around you is lazy or selfish, this might happen because you are not looking at yourself with true light. You might be self-centered.
Having a collective shadow will help you to understand yourself and your feelings.
How to Know Your Shadow
The shadow is one thing that you have to face when you go to therapy. This is where they will help you to figure out things you didn’t even know were in your life.
You can journal and talk about your feelings and you will learn to stop blaming others for your own actions. This will be things that exist inside of you.
When you work hard, you learn to recognize your shadow self, and this can cause you to have depression and low self-esteem. Shadow work can help you to see your weaknesses and your strengths.
Understanding Your Shadow
This is a way that you can talk about your life and you can learn to get therapy to help you to make it through your life.
Some therapies that you might consider include:
- Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy
- Cognitive Analytic Therapy
- Short Term Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Existential Therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Schema Therapy