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Shadow work is a method used to uncover those aspects of ourselves that have been suppressed in our subconscious. These subconscious aspects of ourselves are referred to as our shadows. When we are firstborn into this world, we are whole and fully integrated human beings. We had complete acceptance of ourselves.
Our self-acceptance was only temporary. We soon learned from our parents and other significant figures in our lives which aspects of ourselves were approved of and which were not. The aspects of ourselves that were met with disapproval created emotional pain for us. Our ego told us that these aspects were not consistent with our self-image. As a result, we dismissed these aspects. We suppressed them, and they became our shadows. As a result, we lost the wholeness that we had as infants. We became fragmented.
Each of us has a shadow self, a part of us that we have disowned and suppressed until we lose all awareness of it. Even though our shadow aspects are suppressed, they still impact how we think, feel, and behave. Shadow work involves using strategies to uncover our shadows and shine the light of awareness on them. The goal is to get to know our shadows with full acceptance and without any judgment. When we can do this, we experience healing as all aspects of ourselves become integrated. In other words, we become whole again. Some of the strategies for doing shadow work include:
- Meditation
- Journaling
- Dream analysis
- Inner child work
One strategy you can use to recognize your shadow is projection. Though we are unaware of our shadows, we project them onto other people.
Let’s say that you see another person and feel yourself getting triggered by them. You start to form judgments about them, thinking that they are too aggressive or not courteous. You got triggered because these same qualities are found within you, though perhaps to a lesser degree. They are part of your shadow. In this case, you can ask yourself what benefits these qualities may offer. In other words, are there benefits to being aggressive and not courteous?
If you are a passive person, being more aggressive may serve you. Similarly, not putting pressure on yourself to be courteous can make you more spontaneous and take more risks.
By confronting your shadow without judgment and discovering its positive attributes, you bring your shadow aspects from the abyss of the subconscious mind to the light of awareness. You become more integrated as a person.
Another way that the shadow projects itself is in our dreams. Whenever you have a dream where you are running away from something, that symbolizes avoidance. So, let’s say you have a dream where a stranger or wild animal is chasing you, and you are trying to get away. The dream character that is chasing you is a projection of your shadow. It is trying to get you to recognize and accept it. When you wake up, ask yourself what your purser wanted from you. Ask yourself what it is that it was trying to tell you. When doing shadow work, you will eventually discover that your experience of life is a reflection of what is happening within you.
