Shadow work can feel daunting, because it’s about aspects of ourselves we don’t want to see, don’t want to have and may even feel ashamed of. Sometimes we don’t even know what our shadows are… In this post I share a step by step method for identifying and integrating your shadow.
Shifting Perspectives
This method has been developed by Integral Theory, a metatheory framework founded by Ken Wilbur.
It involves a shift in perspective done step-by-step to identify and then integrate aspects of the shadow.
Every aspect of ourselves that we reject is part of our 1st person awareness, the “I”.
What happens is that we start pushing the shadow away because we feel it as a threat, for whatever reason, and we start projecting this aspect onto other people so the aspect becomes a 2nd person “you”.
Remember at this point: These aspects of ourselves can be either positive or negative. We also have positive shadow elements, but it’s still “in the shadow” – not in our conscious awareness.
Shadow work is a psychological and spiritual practice that was introduced by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. It involves the process and practice of acknowledging and exploring the hidden, unconscious aspects of your personality, known as your “shadow.”
So now you see that we have positive shadows too, it’s those aspects of ourselves that are still hidden.
In some cases where the threat we perceive becomes very great, we stop the projection of it onto others and instead it becomes banished completely, therefore a 3rd person “it”.
This is when we start feeling irritated, enraged, afraid, aversive, without recognising why we feel so.
Although meditation is a great tool to use when we do shadow work, in some cases it doesn’t help at all, or not initially.
Meditation is a method that helps us avoid identifying with certain experiences so we can begin to unravel it, but the process I’m describing here helps us to re-identify with parts of ourselves and our experiences that we have suppressed, or disowned.
This is how the process works
Facing the shadow aspect in the 3rd person, the “it”:
You visualise the aspect that irritates you / enrages you / you feel aversive towards.
For example: a short temper
Talk to the shadow aspect in the 2nd person “you”:
Ask this aspect why it is the way it is.
For example: Why are you so angry?
Imagine having a conversation with it.
Own the shadow aspect in the 1st person “I”:
This integrates the shadow element, because you recognise you have that aspect within you.
For example: I recognise I have a short temper sometimes. It’s okay.
By following this process we begin to dissolve the specific aspect in peace.
By using this step-by-step process towards owning our shadow aspects they don’t manifest in our lives as intense negative emotions or experiences.
You can also do this with positive projections towards others, like “It’s only {…..} that are powerful in their expression”. (3rd person “it”).
How are you so powerful in your expression? How are you sharing your voice? (having a conversation with the aspect in the 2nd person).
I see this, because I am also powerful in my expression. (owning it, making it into 1st person “I”).
By the way, this was/is my method for living with courage into sharing my voice with the world. Shadow work is awesome to discover your magick!
My work centres around awakening to our true innate gifts as we journey with the alchemy of shadow work, Gene Keys, the medicine of the Rose, and meditation. You can learn more below.