The shadow is a concept first advanced by Carl Jung to describe those parts of ourselves that we reject and repress. Everyone has a shadow. If we have some sense of what it is, we can work with it; if we don’t, it can run our lives in unseen ways. The failure to work with the shadow is at the root of many interpersonal and organizational problems, and on a mass scale it has a lot to do with the tragedy we see in the world today. Shadow behaviors are incongruent with religious and spiritual ideals, but psychological truth is powerful and can trump beliefs and better intentions. Forces that contribute to the development of the shadow are considered. There is discussion of Mahler’s research on the psychological birth of the child in the process of separation-individuation and Ainsworth’s study of early attachment issues. Repetition compulsion is the urge to recreate and overcome childhood hurts. We unconsciously avoid the shadow to keep painful feelings from awareness, but it shows up in relationship to others. Ways that we contact the shadow are considered. The shadow also contains positive aspects of ourselves and abilities we have disowned. Shadow issues that have manifested in abuse, misuse of power, and lack of responsibility in mainstream religions and spiritual communities based in Eastern traditions are referenced. Spiritual bypassing is the tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to avoid facing unresolved emotional issues or psychological wounds. We can use spiritual teaching to discount, judge, and interpret rather than open to our experience. The shadow can be transformed by relating to it over time. When we do shadow work, clarity arises and we offer something to the world. The “cure of the shadow” is discussed. We repress our basic goodness. VJ is the organizer of the Western Baul Podcast Series and author of The Shadow on the Path and Father and Son.
Being Where We Are: Grounding Spiritual Teaching in the Body (Bandhu Dunham)
Everything is Food: A Gourmet’s Guide to the Spiritual Path (Regina Sara Ryan)
Sun. Moon. Tantra. Navigating the Ocean of Chaos and Coherence (Angelon Young)
Love and Longing: May the Heat of Suffering Become the Fire of Love (Vijaya Fedorschak)
Conscience: The Transformative Effect of Working with Inner Conflict (an interview with Clelia Lewis)
The Way of the Wise Woman: A Deeper Dive into the Awakening of the Mother Spirit (Red Hawk)
Enlightenment? (Jocelyn del Rio)
Understanding the Persistence of 'Sleep' (Unconsciousness) (Matthew Files)
Spiritual Warriorship and the Undefended Life (Nachama Greenwald)
A Deeper Yoga: Moving Beyond Image to Wholeness and Freedom (Christina Sell)
Faith: How Necessary is It on the Spiritual Path? (Karl Krumins)
Contemplating Continuity—A Conversation with Spiritual Friends (Barbara Du Bois)
Creative Life: The Art of Getting Out of Our Own Way (Bandhu Dunham)
Not What Should Be But What Is (Regina Sara Ryan)
Cultivating Resilience and Inner Strength on the Spiritual Path (Angelon Young)
Yogi Ramsuratkumar: The Godchild, Tiruvannamalai (Caylor Wadlington)
Love What You Do Not Love: The Doorway to Ever Present Peace (Vijaya Fedorschak)
The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself (Matthew Files)
The Alchemy of Grief and Love (Nachama Greenwald)
Maintaining Presence in the Midst of Chaos (Bandhu Dunham)
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