Loving Your Shadow in the Light

Loving Your Shadow in the Light

By John Burton EdD

This article presents a somewhat different perspective on transforming what is known as our shadow self. The process described here is based on the work of Carl Jung as well as some of internal family systems concepts and then my own experiences in personal growth work.

How do we create a shadow and what how does our shadow affect us? Well, first, volumes of written material exist describing our shadow self. I will give a very brief overview from a practical perspective. Then we’ll see how to work with our shadow to re-integrate the segregated part of self.

The dynamics that create our shadow occur when some part of self that experiences judgment and rejection by a significant other person, usually in childhood, aka emotional trauma. As a result of our thought process in the trauma response, we come to believe that this judged part of self actually endangers our life. Survival instinct then leads us to also reject this part our self. We separate a part or parts of self as a reaction to emotional trauma and our shadow is born.

Shadow may oppress us or it may impulsively move us into some harmful behavior, but either way, the shadow performs its service to protect us. Initially, it can be challenging to recognize this role of our shadow. Shadow does not consider the big picture, just immediate safety. The threat is all that matters, not the consequence of the chosen strategy to maintain safety.