This article explains the unhealed shadow aspects of the self and how to accept and heal.
Most of us go to great lengths to protect our self-image from unflattering.
Your unhealed shadow self is your dark side, and it’s the part or aspect of you that you don’t openly show everyone.
Every human being is susceptible to this. Exploring your repressed parts can lead to greater authenticity and personal awakening.
Remember that it is elusive; it hides behind us. Our defense mechanisms keep our shadows repressed and out of view. Pay attention to your behavior and emotions.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN the same as having good behavior. If you are in church or school, you should behave maturely. So, doing shadow work IS NOT an invitation to misbehave publically or privately.
Only those closest to you or those you believe you have authority over will ever see your shadow self.
You may not be aware of it, but it’s present in each of us.
It’s that part of you that you refuse to see in yourself, though you know it’s there. It’s your dark side, disowned and repressed self, and parts of you that you don’t fully claim as your own.
Make peace with your repressed parts so you can experience a peaceful life. Be aware of it so that you can start the healing process. This is called shadow work.
Any part we disown within us turns against us. Remaining unconscious of the it hurts our relationships with our spouses, family, and friends, impacting our professional associations and leadership abilities.
Shadow work involves confronting the repressed parts, bringing its hidden aspects out, and accepting and understanding it. Take care not to shame, blame, or judge it.
Related: Transcending The Ego’s Journey
Not Everyone See’s Your Shadow Self
Sometimes, no one sees your shadow because you believe it is too bad for anyone to witness.
The truth is we all have ugly parts of our personalities. It never gets integrated into your being, so it stays off to the side until an event triggers it.
In essence, it is often the truth of who you are. The reason it is hidden is that it is painful to look at. The shadow self is an aspect of ourselves that we do not like or are ashamed of.
Your entire shadow self is not bad. Yes, parts of it are, but not all. We hide it because we believe it may cause us pain and suffering. Acceptance and transmutation is the work to be done.
During childhood, you’re taught to suppress parts of yourself to fit in school, your sports team or club, or your family. We cut off parts of ourselves so we could survive in the group. Shadow work involves reintegrating yourself so you can be a whole being.
Perhaps you were assertive as a child and were challenged by your parents or authority figures. Maybe you asked to have your needs met, and a parent yelled at you.
Maybe you were generous, kind, and thoughtful, yet people took advantage of these natural tendencies, so you decided to cut them out.
Not all parts are negative.
Related: Why A Healthy Ego Is A Good Thing
Shadow Aspects Meaning
The shadow aspects is a psychological term for everything we can’t see in ourselves.
Anything that is deemed wrong or immoral by society, all that is frowned upon by our family or peers, all the traits that, when initially expressed, were ridiculed, shunned, or met with some form of punishment.
Right now, the unhealed aspects of ourselves are causing all the significant destruction on the planet. To destroy means to cause deliberate, irreparable damage.
It seeks to destroy anything beautiful, peaceful, well-functioning, and safe. It does this because its primary function is to sabotage.
You can see this in The Lord of The Rings & Hobbit movies. Good civilizations lived in relative peace and prosperity, order and cleanliness, and evil societies were dirty, full of disease, crime, violence, and sloppy.
Think about it. Where would you rather live? Rivendell or Mordor?
What creates these civilizations is the conscious awareness of their inhabitants and their ability to work together collectively towards a common purpose or goal.
The shadow self is unconscious and is a master at the art of projection. Projection means to project unpleasant feelings or emotions onto another person instead of admitting to or dealing with them.
Unifying our unhealed, dark parts is known as “shadow work” and is critical to becoming a “whole being.”
We only operate as a partial being when we hide or suppress parts of ourselves. Being spiritual doesn’t mean being perfect and without fault.
Being spiritual means accepting, integrating, and allowing all parts of us to be as one. Preferably a “healed” one.
You are a biological creature, and you are designed to grow and mature naturally. However, some people will get in your way.
When the life force is obstructed in its development, do ingredients of anger, rage, or hate to connect with it?
Related: What Are My Negative Emotions Telling Me?
Shadow Behavior Examples
- Rage
- Envy
- Greed
- Selfishness
- Laziness
- Cruelty
- Hatred of self and others
- Pettiness
- Acting out negative emotional triggers
- Hunger for power
- Mercilessly judging others
- Projecting your issues onto others
- Trolling on social media
- Taking your emotions out on people you believe are under you
⇒Related Article: How To Be Authentic
What is Shadow Work?
Shadow work acknowledges all parts of the psyche, bringing what is in the dark (unconscious/unacknowledged) into the light.
It actualizes living a multi-faceted life that incorporates the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, the embarrassing, and the uncertain.
The more concealed it is, the more secret an influence it will have on you. When you are prepared to shine a light on the repressed parts of yourself, you must be ready to accept what you discover.
The shadow self is an unhealed part of you that is unconscious and split off/separate from your conscious Self. The unhealed shadow self often is a saboteur of your goals and successes in life.
It is very individualistic with its plan, which is at odds with your conscious intentions. Essentially, it is what you most don’t want to be, the polar opposite of your conscious Self.
It exists in your psyche and is part of your energetic, psychic body. It’s with you but often remains dormant or lingering in the background until it is triggered.
It is a creation – of your conscious Self – created by negative and even traumatic experiences.
It is held in an “energetic containing device” of “bad” experiences that constantly run in your conscious self’s background.
So even when things are going well, there is a pessimistic part of you waiting and preparing for the next bad thing to happen in the background of your mind.
Healing Through Shadow Work: A Workbook for Self-Transformation Book – Amazon Link.
How to Heal the Shadow Self
The cure is to heal the split between persona and shadow to give a complete self or ego. To give a whole, healthy mind, not a split and broken mind. The cure to this is to reunite their mind and their body.
- Self-awareness: The first step is to become aware and acknowledge its existence. This requires honest introspection and self-reflection. Journaling, meditation, or therapy can be helpful tools for this process.
- Identify It: Take time to identify the specific traits, emotions, or behaviors that make up your shadow self. What aspects of yourself do you tend to deny or suppress? What triggers these feelings or behaviors?
- Acceptance: Embrace it with self with compassion and acceptance. Recognize that these aspects are a natural part of being human and that everyone has a shadow side. Avoid judging or condemning yourself for these feelings.
- Integration: Instead of trying to repress or ignore it, work on integrating it into your conscious awareness. This involves acknowledging and accepting these aspects of yourself without allowing them to control or dictate your behavior.
- Shadow Work: It involves confronting and exploring the deeper roots of your shadow self. This can involve techniques such as dream analysis, guided visualization, inner child work, or working with a therapist or counselor.
- Self-compassion: Practice self-compassion and self-love throughout the healing process. Treat yourself with kindness and understanding as you confront difficult emotions and experiences.
- Emotional Healing: Work on healing any past traumas or wounds that may be contributing. This may involve forgiveness, inner child work, or other therapeutic techniques.
- Mindfulness: Cultivate mindfulness practices to help you stay present and aware of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Mindfulness can help you recognize when your shadow self is influencing your actions and choose a more conscious response.
- Creative Expression: Explore creative outlets such as art, music, dance, or writing as a way to express and process in a healthy way.
- Seek Support: Don’t hesitate to seek support from friends, family, or mental health professionals as you navigate your healing journey. Having a supportive community can provide encouragement and guidance along the way.
The best way to see your shadow is to watch your adverse reactions to people and situations. When I began my shadow work, I noticed who and what triggered me to give my power away.
I always felt terrible after getting triggered and reacting negatively.
One thing that helped me was daily stillness. Some call this meditation, and others call it prayer.
Would you please check out the best personal development courses page on my site and go to the energy healing and meditation courses section to find programs to help you with your unhealed shadow aspects?
Embrace Your Shadow Self
What caused suffering in human beings was some aspect of the psyche, an aspect of their selves that has been repressed, denied, and split off.
This caused a whole and complete ego, an accurate self-image, to become distorted or reduced to a small inaccurate self-image, often called the persona, which was split from the repressed and denied material called the shadow.
This split is the primary cause of human suffering.
The cure is to heal this split between persona and shadow to give a complete self or ego. To give a whole, healthy mind, not a split and broken mind.
The Psycho Therapeutic approach attempts to unite the narrow persona and repressed shadow to give a whole and healthy mind.
The typical person has become inauthentic and unhappy because they dissociate or split their mind from their body.
They say, “I am a mind, but I have a body.”
They treat their body as separate from themselves.
The cure to this is to reunite their mind and their body.
Unite thinking and feeling.
⇒Please check out the Ken Wilber Course, The Integral Life, where he can teach you how to deal with your shadow aspects.
You might want to read my article next: ⇒Michael Tsarion YouTube.