The shadow self

[Bindi]

Another post from me about the shadow self. I liked the article below, I looked up shadow self today because that’s what I’m engaged in a lot of the time. Last night I was being drenched in unpleasant feelings and I reminded myself after an hour or so to just feel the feeling, accept it, stop trying to quell it or hope it will just let up, and I thought of rumi’s guesthouse poem. All of that was enough for me to open to the feeling, and after another half hour or so I was able to go to sleep.   Before sleeping, maybe half asleep, I saw a very large black slug crossing a road, this morning I was thinking surely this was my shadow self, in all its fearsome reality, a great big slimy black slug, and today I have to process the idea that this too is me. Reading a good article like the one below helps me to do that, and I thought I’d share its succinct advice with the bums. 

 

ARTICLES, CARL JUNG, PSYCHOLOGY

Carl Jung and the Shadow: The Hidden Power of Our Dark Side

December 17, 2015

 

“That which we do not bring to consciousness appears in our lives as fate.” (Carl Jung)

Carl Jung is famous for formulating the concept of the shadow, the portion of our personality which, through the course of our life, is relegated to the darkness of the unconscious.

The Nature of the Shadow

“The shadow goes by many familiar names: the disowned self, the lower self, the dark twin or brother in bible and myth, the double, repressed self, alter ego, id. When we come face-to-face with our darker side, we use metaphors to describe these shadow encounters: meeting our demons, wrestling with the devil, descent to the underworld, dark night of the soul, midlife crisis.” (Connie Zweig, Meeting the Shadow)

While Jung is known for bringing the concept of the shadow to public awareness in the modern day, this aspect of ourselves has long been recognized as a ubiquitous feature of human beings. In 1886, before Jung made his mark, Robert Louis Stevenson created the now famous story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In his story Dr. Jekyll represents the respectable part of one’s personality, but when he transforms into Mr. Hyde, his shadow personality gains dominance over him and wrecks havoc on his life.

Although the shadow is an innate part of the human being, the vast majority of us are willfully blind regarding its existence. We hide our negative qualities, not only from others but from ourselves. To do this we often criticize and condemn others to ensure our focus does not fall on our own faults and destructive tendencies. We go through life with a false air of moral superiority and a belief that while others act immorally and destructively, we ourselves are wholly virtuous and always in the right.

“Unfortunately there can be no doubt that man is, on the whole, less good than he imagines himself or wants to be. Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms an unconscious snag, thwarting our most well-meant intentions.” (Carl Jung)

Making the Shadow Conscious

Some aspects of our shadow are the product of our evolution. We contain, like all animals, instincts for sex and aggression that we tend to repress in order to adapt to the social mores of the day. Some aspects of our shadow are the product of our upbringing. Personality traits and impulses that elicited fear or anxiety in our parents or teachers, for example, caused them to punish or criticize us; and so we reacted by repressing these characteristics. We put up psychological defenses to ensure they were not allowed expression, and thus these characteristics were repressed into the unconscious. As all humans have a shadow, what differentiates us from others is the degree to which we are conscious of it.

When our shadow remains unconscious, it wrecks havoc in our life. Repressed contents do not merely disappear, but rather they function independently of our conscious awareness. In other words, the shadow has the capacity to override our conscious ego and take possession of our being, exerting control over our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. When this happens we can be unconsciously driven into hard times, all the while remaining ignorant that these troubled periods were self-imposed, and not the product of bad luck or fate.

“The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains undivided and does not become conscious of his inner opposite, the world must perforce act out the conflict and be torn into opposing halves.” (Carl Jung)

The unconscious control which our shadow can exert upon us also accounts for the self destructive behaviors so many individuals struggle with and are unable to control despite consciously knowing they would be better off not engaging in such actions. Many addicts are driven by their shadow, which accounts for the internal “war” which exists within them. One moment they tell themselves they are going to give up their addiction and live a clean life, and the next moment their shadow overrides their conscious ego and they enthusiastically seek out the next drink, “hit”, or sexual release. As Robert Louis Stevenson notes in his book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, man is not one, but truly two; he has a conscious personality and a shadow, each of which often battle for supremacy within his mind.

“Man has to realize that he possesses a shadow which is the dark side of his own personality; he is being compelled to recognize his “inferior function”, if only for the reason that he is so often overwhelmed by it, with the result that the light world of his conscious mind and his ethical values succumb to an invasion by the dark side. The whole suffering brought upon man by his experience of the inherent evil in his own nature – the whole immeasurable problem of “original sin”, in fact – threatens to annihilate the individual in a welter of anxiety and feelings of guilt.” (Depth Psychology and a New Ethic, Erich Neumann)

In order to avoid being the victim of “shadow-possession”, we must become conscious of our shadow qualities and integrate them into our conscious personality; accepting them with open arms not as abhorrent aspects of our self, but as necessary and vital parts of our being. Toward this end it is useful to realize that the task in life is not to become perfect, but to become whole. And as wholeness entails both good and evil, light and darkness, the achievement of wholeness in personality development requires we assimilate our shadow into our conscious personality.

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.” (Carl Jung)

However, as Jung alludes to in the above quote, this is extremely difficult. Most cannot and will not admit that deep down they are not wholly virtuous, selfless, and good human beings, but instead contain selfish, destructive, amoral and immoral impulses and capacities. Most would rather deceive themselves with a blind optimism about the “goodness” of their nature, which is why most remain fragmented individuals who are ignorant of their inner depths.

“The meeting with oneself is, at first, the meeting with one’s own shadow. The shadow is a tight passage, a narrow door, whose painful constriction no one is spared who goes down to the deep well. But one must learn to know oneself in order to know who one is.” (Carl Jung)

The Hidden Power of the Shadow

What is especially interesting is the idea that the shadow contains not just destructive aspects of the personality, but also potent, creative, and powerful capabilities. During our development certain traits and impulses were condemned by our family, peers, and educators, not out of care but out of envy, fear, ignorance or jealousy. Our proclivity to abide by social expectations also caused us to repress talents, innate abilities, and impulses which if cultivated and developed had the potential to make us more effective beings in the world.

For example, it is becoming more prevalent today for psychologists to diagnose individuals who question authority and show signs of extreme self reliance as being pathological, suffering from a condition they call “anti-authoritarian” (see an article by Bruce Levine here). Individuals who are too self-reliant in our increasingly collective and dependent society are viewed by many as a threat. They are lone wolves amidst a flock of sheep, and they are attacked and ridiculed by the herd because of it.

This is just one example of many regarding how our socialization into modern society handicaps our development. The bottom line is that with our higher energies trapped, labeled by others and our conscious ego as negative and bad, our growth can become blocked, and life, a wasteland.

For the sake of our personal development, we must, therefore, become more aware of our shadow and open our mind to the possibility that maybe we are not so friendly, righteous, and moral as we think. We must consider that perhaps there are unconscious aspects of ourselves driving our behavior “behind the scenes”. We must look down into our depths and realize that our conscious ego is not always in control, but is often overtaken by the power of our shadow.

Once we become more aware of these dark aspects of ourselves, we must honor them and find a way to integrate them into our life. In failing to do so, one will become weak and scattered. One cannot serve two inner drives without dissipating his strength and energies. The shadow must become a part of one’s conscious personality.

Is there a “Technique” to Integrate the Shadow?

“There is no generally effective technique for assimilating the shadow. It is more like diplomacy or statesmanship and it is always an individual matter. First one has to accept and take seriously the existence of the shadow. Second, one has to become aware of its qualities and intentions. This happens through conscientious attention to moods, fantasies and impulses. Third, a long process of negotiation is unavoidable.” (Carl Jung)

As Jung notes in the passage above, there is no general technique to integrate the shadow. Our shadow is unique, and thus, to integrate it requires we adopt our own unique approach. No matter the approach we adopt, to properly integrate our shadow it is necessary to behave in ways which run counter to the mores of society and our own conscious moral compass. Most of our shadow qualities, after all, were repressed into our unconscious because we believed they were unacceptable, either socially or according to our family or peers. A common technique in shadow integration is to find a healthy, productive, or at the very least, controlled outlet for either repressed aggression or sexual urges. Another is to ignore customs one thought to be superficial or pointless, but previously conformed to in order to fit in. Another is to pursue a passion despite all those around you pressuring you otherwise. These tactics can help us separate ourselves from the expectations and “conforming-eye” of others, and allow us to look within, without judgment or condemnation, to discover who and what we really are.

If we can find a way to negotiate with our shadow, and allow it to “live” in our conscious personality rather than repressing it, we will not only attain a more secure sense of selfhood, but also more knowledge about what it is we really want in life. We will be more capable of ignoring what others think we should be doing, more able to deviate from the masses, and thus more prepared to commence on a path to fulfill our own personal destiny. The shadow, as Jung mentioned, is the doorway to our Self. The many dare not descend into their depths, but this is exactly what we must do if we are to become who we really are.

“The shadow, when it is realized, is the source of renewal; the new and productive impulse cannot come from established values of the ego. When there is an impasse, and sterile time in our lives—despite an adequate ego development—we must look to the dark, hitherto unacceptable side which has been at our conscious disposal….This brings us to the fundamental fact that the shadow is the door to our individuality. In so far as the shadow renders us our first view of the unconscious part of our personality, it represents the first stage toward meeting the Self. There is, in fact, no access to the unconscious and to our own reality but through the shadow. Only when we realize that part of ourselves which we have not hitherto seen or preferred not to see can we proceed to question and find the sources from which it feeds and the basis on which it rests. Hence no progress or growth is possible until the shadow is adequately confronted and confronting means more than merely knowing about it. It is not until we have truly been shocked into seeing ourselves as we really are, instead of as we wish or hopefully assume we are, that we can take the first step toward individual reality.” (Connie Zweig, Meeting the Shadow)

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[old3bob]

This "Shadow self" seems to being made way more complex than it is by Jung?  For me it is the dark and exceptionally devious side of ego and in recognizing that in ourselves its power of darkness is broken, thus not somehow allowed to continue (in the end) and co-exist as some kind of inherent part of ourselves, since the true Self has always been here and is the only inherent truth about us, AKA  the Real and incorruptible, while the all rest of our complexities are passing in a states of evolution.    

Edited February 22 by old3bob

[Master Logray]

I thought that you refer to @Shadow_self.  

 

 

 

[Bindi]

1 hour ago, old3bob said:

This "Shadow self" seems to being made way more complex than it is by Jung?  For me it is the dark and exceptionally devious side of ego and in recognizing that in ourselves its power of darkness is broken, thus not somehow allowed to continue (in the end) and co-exist as some kind of inherent part of ourselves, since the true Self has always been here and is the only inherent truth about us, AKA  the Real and incorruptible, while the all rest of our complexities are passing in a states of evolution.    

Perhaps the shadow self is more abiding than just the devious side of ego, for example what if the shadow self was the shadow face of kundalini, a potentially powerful and creative aspect that is not accepted by us on a conscious level. I see the shadow self as the equivalent of the unlovable female side within that needs to be embraced to reveal her true vital and powerful nature, associated with emotions and black and female and water. Just following this possibility, the potential coexistence becomes Shakti and shiva. From the article above “What is especially interesting is the idea that the shadow contains not just destructive aspects of the personality, but also potent, creative, and powerful capabilities.” 

[old3bob]

I'd say manifest Shakti (manifest Love ) comes from transcendent Siva, thus duality ends in returning...  two was only for evolution. 

[johndoe2012]

Shadow self is just an energetic block, heal it and it becomes integrated.

 

We don't need a philosophy on top of it IMHO. 

[Jenn]

I have been doing a lot of shadow work, including an intense session last night.  This morning I woke up early thinking about things that came out of last night and read this.  The part about not just seeing / accepting but also integrating into who you are, a lightbulb clicked on, and I've been thinking about it all morning.  This was so helpful and perfect timing - thanks for sharing!!

[Cobie]

18 hours ago, Bindi said:

… unpleasant feelings … I reminded myself … just feel the feeling, accept it … 

that was enough for me to open to the feeling … 

 

A great achievement.

 

Quote

… half asleep, I saw a very large black slug crossing a road … 

Great metaphor, imo “black slug” for Yin and “crossing the road” integration of Yin with Yang. 

 

Quote

my shadow self … this too is me.

 

I agree. 
 

10 hours ago, Bindi said:

…  I see the shadow self as the equivalent of the unlovable female side within that needs to be embraced to reveal her true vital and powerful nature, associated with emotions and black and female and water. …  the shadow contains … potent, creative, and powerful capabilities.” 

I agree.  
 

 

Edited February 22 by Cobie

[Mark Foote]

12 hours ago, Bindi said:

Perhaps the shadow self is more abiding than just the devious side of ego, for example what if the shadow self was the shadow face of kundalini, a potentially powerful and creative aspect that is not accepted by us on a conscious level. I see the shadow self as the equivalent of the unlovable female side within that needs to be embraced to reveal her true vital and powerful nature, associated with emotions and black and female and water. Just following this possibility, the potential coexistence becomes Shakti and shiva. From the article above “What is especially interesting is the idea that the shadow contains not just destructive aspects of the personality, but also potent, creative, and powerful capabilities.” 
 

I liked the quotes from Jung in your original post, but I found the explanations by whoever authored the article uninspired.

Daniel Goleman in "Emotional Intelligence" attributes the impulsive actions that overwhelm our better judgement to memories from before we had speech, stored in the amygdala.  

I think it's true that we have to come to terms with action whose source is in the unconscious, and with action whose source is in our innermost belief.  If we don't permit ourselves to examine carefully what we truly believe, and especially the actions manifested from those beliefs, then we are two mints in one (so to speak).

The question is how do we relinquish volition to the action of the unconscious, how do we remain conscious as action of the unconscious takes place, as action out of our innermost beliefs plays out like a hypnotist's suggestion in the action of a subject under hypnosis.  

I would suggest through the sense of place associated with awareness, from moment to moment.

 

When “doing something” has ceased, and there is “not one particle of the body” that cannot receive the placement of attention, then the placement of attention is free to shift as necessary in the movement of breath.
 

When a presence of mind is retained as the placement of attention shifts, then the natural tendency toward the free placement of attention can draw out thought initial and sustained, and bring on the stages of concentration.

Shunryu Suzuki said:

 

To enjoy our life– complicated life, difficult life– without ignoring it, and without being caught by it. Without suffer from it. That is actually what will happen to us after you practice zazen (“just sitting”).

 

(“To Actually Practice Selflessness”, August Sesshin Lecture Wednesday, August 6, 1969, San Francisco; parenthetical explanation added)
 

I practice now to experience the free placement of attention as the sole source of activity in the body in the movement of breath, and in my “complicated, difficult” daily life, I look for the mindfulness that allows me to touch on that freedom.

("To Enjoy Our Life")

 

 

[Bindi]

20 hours ago, old3bob said:

I'd say manifest Shakti (manifest Love ) comes from transcendent Siva, thus duality ends in returning...  two was only for evolution. 

We could only speak authoritatively if we had achieved a final outcome of course, but I’m not convinced philosophically that 1. Shakti comes from shiva or 2. That they are not still two in the end. 
 

Re Shakti coming from shiva, in daoism yin doesn’t come from yang, yin just is and so is yang, and they unite to their mutual benefit, yin doesn’t disappear. Then there’s true yin and true yang, a more refined iteration of yin and Yang, neidanists are convinced that true yang is the ultimate achievement, but I personally think that is an androcentric view. I do believe that there is Shakti and shiva, and that they are drawn to each other, but when they unite instead of shiva subsuming Shakti there could instead be the product of their union as seen with Ganesh. Who knows? 

[Bindi]

8 hours ago, Mark Foote said:

I liked the quotes from Jung in your original post, but I found the explanations by whoever authored the article uninspired.

Daniel Goleman in "Emotional Intelligence" attributes the impulsive actions that overwhelm our better judgement to memories from before we had speech, stored in the amygdala.  

I think it's true that we have to come to terms with action whose source is in the unconscious, and with action whose source is in our innermost belief.  If we don't permit ourselves to examine carefully what we truly believe, and especially the actions manifested from those beliefs, then we are two mints in one (so to speak).

The question is how do we relinquish volition to the action of the unconscious, how do we remain conscious as action of the unconscious takes place, as action out of our innermost beliefs plays out like a hypnotist's suggestion in the action of a subject under hypnosis.  

I would suggest through the sense of place associated with awareness, from moment to moment.

 

When “doing something” has ceased, and there is “not one particle of the body” that cannot receive the placement of attention, then the placement of attention is free to shift as necessary in the movement of breath.
 

When a presence of mind is retained as the placement of attention shifts, then the natural tendency toward the free placement of attention can draw out thought initial and sustained, and bring on the stages of concentration.

Shunryu Suzuki said:

 

To enjoy our life– complicated life, difficult life– without ignoring it, and without being caught by it. Without suffer from it. That is actually what will happen to us after you practice zazen (“just sitting”).

 

(“To Actually Practice Selflessness”, August Sesshin Lecture Wednesday, August 6, 1969, San Francisco; parenthetical explanation added)
 

I practice now to experience the free placement of attention as the sole source of activity in the body in the movement of breath, and in my “complicated, difficult” daily life, I look for the mindfulness that allows me to touch on that freedom.

("To Enjoy Our Life")

 

 

 

To allow the unconscious to become conscious, we need to allow the language of the unconscious to be given a voice. That language is primarily emotions, if I’m looking anywhere else, I’m not looking in the right place. The language of the unconscious isn’t rational, and it can’t be accessed rationally, or suppressed rationally. Say you have an unconscious proclivity developed at an early age, and your only awareness of it is the emotion and action it promotes in you. Just stopping the action requires endless willpower, but looking squarely at the underlying emotion and consequent action allows the entire issue to dissolve. To be honest, I think think Suzuki is too worried about suffering, I would rather embrace the suffering and in the fullness of time see it dissipate, rather than skirting around it and trying to find the thin line between attending to it and not being caught by it. Far too much work IMO. 

[Bindi]

19 hours ago, johndoe2012 said:

Shadow self is just an energetic block, heal it and it becomes integrated.

 

We don't need a philosophy on top of it IMHO. 

I am proposing that the shadow self is actually a fully creative and powerful consciousness within ourselves that is denied because it carries so much pain, equivalent to the power of kundalini, just by a different name. 

[johndoe2012]

Could be, let's say suppressed sexuality, healing that makes you like a wild animal. 

 

My experience. 

[old3bob]

7 hours ago, Bindi said:

We could only speak authoritatively if we had achieved a final outcome of course, but I’m not convinced philosophically that 1. Shakti comes from shiva or 2. That they are not still two in the end. 
 

Re Shakti coming from shiva, in daoism yin doesn’t come from yang, yin just is and so is yang, and they unite to their mutual benefit, yin doesn’t disappear. Then there’s true yin and true yang, a more refined iteration of yin and Yang, neidanists are convinced that true yang is the ultimate achievement, but I personally think that is an androcentric view. I do believe that there is Shakti and shiva, and that they are drawn to each other, but when they unite instead of shiva subsuming Shakti there could instead be the product of their union as seen with Ganesh. Who knows? 

 

the teaching is quote, "Tao gave birth to One,  One gave birth to the Two, Two gave birth to Three, Three gave birth to all myriad things."  From Chapter 42 of the T.T.C.... along with much of the T.T.C speaking of a Return which to me is a conscious reverse of that,  also that only "Nothing can enter into no-space" Chapter 43.  Thus the Great Tao according to their teaching is not essentially two although Two and all the rest arise from it,  yet in the end of a great cycle all return then another great cycle starts all over again.  All of that change is passing evolution while the Tao is,  "Standing alone without change"  Chapter 25.  This is almost exactly what many schools of Hinduism say but with far different terminology.  For instance the Creator God Brahma, who is of a very great cycle can be traced (so to speak) back to arising from Brahman,  with Brahman being beyond all categories of time, space, form, etc...thus is not essentially two separate and different forces.   Btw, to me that ultimate achievement you mention is the fully evolved Golden Being of pure spirit.  (or which I guess could be called pure yang...thus not more or less stuck or limited to a side of duality in the polarized workings of yang and yin in the worlds of things?)

 

(on another note and edit  I'd say that certain Saivite schools of Hinduism equate a transcendent Shiva as being beyond just male or female forces or duality thus as or with Brahman;  yet there are the aspects  of Shiva as destroyer which also includes the aspects of Lords Vishnu/maintainer and Brahma/creator.  Long story short the major Saivite schools agree on a great deal when it comes to religion and related culture but not on all or certain core teachings like duality,  non-duality or the full merger of soul beyond separate identity or not the full merger of soul in which it still keeps some separate identity!) 

Edited February 23 by old3bob

[snowymountains]

What is fun is that in Jungian dreamwork one may actually meet their shadow.

 

After integrating the shadow we're no longer triggered by the personalities of others.

In some cases people will admit as much, saying what parts of their current or past self this or that reminded them, but they're typically unaware that it's the lack of integration with these parts that's the root cause of their irritation.

So shadow work helps us understand why others are triggered as well (though it remains their responsibility to do shadow work on themselves).

 

Other forms of therapy may not call it shadow btw, may have its components under different names but most forms of long term therapy do shadow work, even if it's not called explicitly as such.

I wouldn't draw too many parallels between the shadow self and kundalini tbh

[old3bob]

16 hours ago, Mark Foote said:

I liked the quotes from Jung in your original post, but I found the explanations by whoever authored the article uninspired.

Daniel Goleman in "Emotional Intelligence" attributes the impulsive actions that overwhelm our better judgement to memories from before we had speech, stored in the amygdala.  

I think it's true that we have to come to terms with action whose source is in the unconscious, and with action whose source is in our innermost belief.  If we don't permit ourselves to examine carefully what we truly believe, and especially the actions manifested from those beliefs, then we are two mints in one (so to speak).

The question is how do we relinquish volition to the action of the unconscious, how do we remain conscious as action of the unconscious takes place, as action out of our innermost beliefs plays out like a hypnotist's suggestion in the action of a subject under hypnosis.  

I would suggest through the sense of place associated with awareness, from moment to moment.

 

When “doing something” has ceased, and there is “not one particle of the body” that cannot receive the placement of attention, then the placement of attention is free to shift as necessary in the movement of breath.
 

When a presence of mind is retained as the placement of attention shifts, then the natural tendency toward the free placement of attention can draw out thought initial and sustained, and bring on the stages of concentration.

Shunryu Suzuki said:

 

To enjoy our life– complicated life, difficult life– without ignoring it, and without being caught by it. Without suffer from it. That is actually what will happen to us after you practice zazen (“just sitting”).

 

(“To Actually Practice Selflessness”, August Sesshin Lecture Wednesday, August 6, 1969, San Francisco; parenthetical explanation added)
 

I practice now to experience the free placement of attention as the sole source of activity in the body in the movement of breath, and in my “complicated, difficult” daily life, I look for the mindfulness that allows me to touch on that freedom.

("To Enjoy Our Life")

 

 

 Does this also apply to just sitting while on a fast Suzuki ride "to enjoy our life"

 

 

Edited February 23 by old3bob

[Cobie]

 

13 hours ago, Bindi said:

… in daoism yin doesn’t come from yang, yin just is and so is yang. 

 

Yes, wuji (no-thing-ness) brings forth taiji (i.e. yin and yang come into existence simultaneously).

wuji 無極 wu2 ji2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuji_(philosophy) 

taiji 太極 tai4 ji2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiji_(philosophy) 

 

Quote

 … they unite to their mutual benefit, yin doesn’t disappear. 

 

Yes, 中 氣 以 為 和 zhōng qì yǐ wéi hé - blending the two primordial essences, creates harmony. (Ch 42)

 

Quote

… neidanists are convinced that true yang is the ultimate achievement, but I … think that is an androcentric view. 

 

I agree.

 

But I better refer you to TT on this, as he knows a lot more about it.
E.g. … [the goal of alchemy is] to join with the dao. in the process the yin is not shed, on the contrary it is gained …”

https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/55079-deleted/?do=findComment&comment=1021390

 

 

Edited February 23 by Cobie

[Cobie]

 

12 hours ago, Bindi said:

To allow the unconscious to become conscious, we need to allow the language of the unconscious to be given a voice. That language is … emotions … 

 

Exactly.

 

Quote

… Just stopping the action requires endless willpower …

 

Yes. And willpower always fails as the undesirable behaviour comes from the shadow (which willpower is unaware of).

 

Quote

 … looking squarely at the underlying emotion and consequent action allows the entire issue to dissolve. 

Exactly.

 

 

Edited February 23 by Cobie

[Cobie]

 

11 hours ago, Bindi said:

… the shadow self is actually a fully creative and powerful consciousness …

 

I agree. 
 

Quote

… within ourselves that is denied because it carries so much pain …

 

Yes. It’s the yin side.
 

Quote

… equivalent to the power of kundalini …

 

Yes, ime it’s the same thing. 

 

[old3bob]

55 minutes ago, Cobie said:

 

 

I agree. 
 

 

Yes. It’s the yin side.
 

 

Yes, ime it’s the same thing. 

 

 

if talking about identity fragments then yes, if talking about the unified non-fragmented Self then absolutely no.  Regardless of what various shrinks may say.

[Cobie]

Ime integration of the shadow ends in ignition into star form; which is without separation again, wuji, the cycle restarts.

 

Edited February 24 by Cobie

[old3bob]

1 hour ago, Cobie said:

Ime total integration of the shadow results in ignition into star form.
The star form again is without separation, wuji, the cycle restarts.

 

 

sounds right for an evolving soul, but not for the non-fragmented Self which has never been and never will be fragmented for if it had been or could be then game over...(so to speak)  It is discovered, uncovered or revealed as being such.  (see the Chandogya Upanishad and others if you will for the take by Hinduism from those pointers) 

Edited February 23 by old3bob

[Cobie]

Ime yin and yang both, equally disappear in total integration; it’s wuji again.  
 

 

Edited February 23 by Cobie

[Jenn]

2 hours ago, Cobie said:

willpower always fails as the undesirable behaviour comes from the shadow (which willpower is unaware of).

That has been my experience as well, unless you deal with the root of the problem, using willpower to overcome emotions is like a house of cards, great when there is no wind, but crumbles when the storm brews and you need it most.  Like building up confidence after a difficult childhood by improving yourself, taking healthy risks, self-compassion, etc.  It's good and healthy, you can rise out of your childhood and be strong and confident going forward, as long as life doesn't throw you more than you can bear and you find yourself right back to being insecure.  Almost like you never stopped being insecure, you just found a way to not be affected it while times are good enough that you could persist.

 

Digging through the tangled mess of emotions, desires, and social programming, at some point, you start finding roots, once you deal with one, poof, you are free from its influence.  Instantly^{(Ignoring all the months / years it took you to get to that point hehe)}

[Cobie]

2 minutes ago, Jenn said:

… Instantly^{(Ignoring all the months / years it took you to get to that point hehe)}

Exactly.

 

 

Edited February 24 by Cobie