The Shadow: Individuation, Wholeness, and Becoming Your True Self
Dr. Rick and I explore one of the most interesting concepts in psychology: Carl Jung’s concept of the shadow. The shadow includes the “the things a person has no wish to be,” the uncomfortable aspects of ourselves that we deny or ignore. Facing those parts can be difficult, but becoming aware of the shadow, accepting it, and integrating it allows us to embrace all of who we are.
We start by explaining what the shadow is, where it comes from, and why it’s valuable. Rick shares some examples of shadow material, what we lose by leaving them behind, and how we can start reintegrating them. I talk about modern approaches to shadow work, and viewing the shadow through a less dualistic lens. We then map out the “typical” path of what is usually a highly individualized process.
Hope you enjoy it!
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:50: Defining the shadow - things we leave out, or don’t care to know
4:30: Individuation
12:05: Some examples of shadow material
18:35: What do we lose by not incorporating the shadow?
24:10: Agency, creativity, authenticity, and unrecognized capabilities
27:50: Patience, knowing your why, inner refuge, and befriending parts
33:00: Acceptance,, awareness of projection, and being in dialog with our shadow
39:10: Deliberate practice, stepping into the wild, and showing curiosity
47:25: The golden shadow, and accepting impulses vs. acting on them
56:30: Recap
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