SHADOW WORK - A COMPLETE GUIDE

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2. 1 WORK: A COMPLETE GUIDE This complete Shadow Work Guide reveals Carl Jung's interpretation of the Shadow, including powerful shadow work exercises and insights to discovering your darker, hidden ​half. SHADOW WORK: CONNECTING AND INTEGRATING WITH YOUR SUPPRESSED SELF Overview: This in-depth guide dissects the complete Shadow Work process, guiding you through an exhaustive list of shadow work exercises, techniques, and <<CLICK HERE TO>>

3. 2 other related information for you to implement shadow work into your life almost immediately. Table of Contents ● Introduction To Shadow Work ● Deepening One's Understanding of Oneself With Shadow Work ○ First Way: Distancing Oneself – William Luijpen’s Subjectivity and Freedom ■ Shadow Work Exercise: Distancing ○ Second Way: Understanding One’s Self With The Help Of Others: Freudian Psychoanalysis ■ Shadow Work Exercise: Psychosexual Development Theory ○ Third way: Analyzing oneself – Karen Horney’s Self-Analysis ■ Shadow Work Exercise: Horney’s Psychoanalytic Theory ○ Fourth Way: Jungian Dream Analysis ■ Shadow Work Exercise: Dream Analysis ● Improving Social Awareness Through Shadow Work ○ Detaching From Public Opinion: Kierkegaard’s Individual vs. Crowd ○ Detaching From One’s Environment: B.F. Skinner’s Determinism ■ Shadow Work Exercise: B.F. Skinner’s Operant Conditioning ○ Defying External Factors – Victor Frankl’s Will to Meaning ■ Man’s Search for Meaning ● Harnessing Spiritual Powers With Shadow Work ○ Harnessing the Power of Mind: Meditation ○ Harnessing the Power of the Earth: Healing Crystals ○ Harnessing the Power of Energies: Chakra Healing ○ Harnessing the Power of the Universe: Om ● Final Word <<CLICK HERE TO>>

4. 3 INTRODUCTION TO SHADOW WORK The shadow plays a significant role in our everyday lives, influencing our decision-making process by manifesting tendencies that we repress or even resent. Shadows influence us and when we are unaware of them, they only become blacker and denser. The thicker they become, the more uncontrollable they may be. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

5. 4 Even worse, the problem is that the shadow can take over, it can use the driver’s seat and control our lives. It does so in a manner that we don’t even know about. Even so, we have also witnessed that these shadows are not necessarily negative. Rather, they are often misinterpreted and misused due to either our lack of knowledge about it or biased perspectives against it. Contrary to misguided notions, these shadows can even become resources of renewed power and vitality. They can be aspects of ourselves that we never really knew about and might actually help us. It’s all possible through the process of shadow work. In order to do so, it is important to recognize them so that we can integrate them as parts of our personality. In this Shadow Work Guide, we will continue the quest of understanding our shadows by discussing practical ways of using shadow work, and the remarkable effects it has on our consciousness. It is important for us to look into these methods in order to fully utilize the shadow to our advantage. By discussing them, we shed light to the various ways of shadow work. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

6. 5 This series will discuss 3 main aspects in our lives in which the shadow can be dealt with through shadow work. It will give a brief description of each method, but not extensively discuss them in order to maintain the brevity of the article. The main topics will be the individual, social, and spiritual aspects of our lives, and how to deal with our shadows. By doing a holistic approach, we become more fulfilled in our journey of self-understanding. Join us in this quest for fulfilment and mastery of one’s ​sense of self​. DEEPENING ONE’S UNDERSTANDING OF ONESELF THROUGH SHADOW WORK We have seen that the shadow is merely an idea of the self. By perceiving it as a perception of ourselves, we get to understand that it doesn’t necessarily control us. However, people nowadays, being distracted by the social media and the nature of the technological life itself, it is difficult to keep track of one’s individuality. People are easily swayed by their phones just as much as they are used to getting what they want in an instant. While useful and seemingly harmless, these technological developments have undeniably shaped the way we live our lives. Instant gratification makes people busy and bored at the same time. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

7. 6 As a result, patience is not anymore, a virtue. It has been replaced by productivity and efficiency. And so, waiting in line becomes less and less relevant while ordering online becomes more necessary. Making use of these technologies aren’t necessarily wrong. But whether we like it or not, they shape the way we perceive life, and see little to no value on patience. Patience brings solitude. It is in the most routinely common idle moments in life that we get to have time for ourselves. Waiting in line, queuing in traffic, and sitting at the departure area gives us time to think and reflect. Thus, in order to deepen our understanding of ourselves, it is necessary to see the value of these instances and how we can make use of them. In this section of the guide, we will do a quick discussion of some ways that the individual can immediately start applying shadow work into one's life. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

8. 7 FIRST WAY: DISTANCING ONESELF FROM THE SHADOW WILLIAM LUIJPEN’S SUBJECTIVITY AND FREEDOM One of the first ways that we will explore in this quest for ​integrating the shadow is William Luijpen’s Subjectivity and Freedom. Luijpen is a renowned philosopher, particularly on the subject of phenomenology which basically talks the study of the world from man’s viewpoint or experience. He was a catholic priest who contributed greatly to the study and propagation of <<CLICK HERE TO>>

9. 8 Existentialism or the philosophical study of understanding man’s meaning and existence. We won’t be discussing the entirety of phenomenology and existentialism. We also won’t be discussing even the whole article of Luijpen. Rather, what we will be doing is to discuss a specific idea from his writings that can be applied to shadow work. Luijpen wrote an essay called Subjectivity and Freedom. In this essay, he discussed the very notion of man’s existence, consciousness, being, and autonomy. Now these four terms will be crucial because they will form part of the basis why this method can become a practical way. SHADOW WORK EXERCISE: DISTANCING Man is free. This is one of the central ideas that the article discusses. By being free, it doesn’t mean that we are in a state of absolute freedom. Our work binds us just as our physical existence constricts us. Meaning, when we talk about man’s freedom and autonomy, we are not necessarily talking about external freedom. Rather, this kind of freedom is internal and is in the mind. The first condition in this method of distancing is autonomy. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

10. 9 By understanding that man is autonomous (at least in so far as he is able to come up with conscious and rational decisions) we realize that it is part of our nature to make decisions and choices in life. For instance, when you decide whether or not you will lend money to your friend who needs it but you know can’t pay you back, you realize that you are engaging in a rational decision-making process which involves morality. When you think about it, this concept of autonomy extends to the point that inaction is action. If you see trash in front of you and decided to disregard it, of course that reflects your decision as an individual. This autonomy of man enables him to be accountable for his actions, given that he has the freedom to decide what to do and how to react. The second condition in this method of distancing is reason. Since man is equipped with the capability of reason (given that he is mentally sane, of course) it automatically follows that he has the capacity to identify what is right from what is wrong. As in my previous example, reason defines the gap between man and animals. When dogs are taken for a walk and goes out of the house, it is strange that they have this urge to defecate the moment they are out. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

11. 10 If we leave them be (yes, some dog owners deliberately do this), they will simply discharge on the first lawn they see or even in the street itself. However, as the dog owner, it is our responsibility to pickup that trash and dispose it accordingly. In this example we can see that because man is imbued with reason, he has the responsibility to make choices which are correct and rational. If man cannot make those choices, he is no different from animals. The popular comic/movie Spiderman tells us a lot about man’s autonomy and freedom. The scene where Peter Parker decided to let the criminal go in order to get even with the organizers speaks volumes of our daily experiences wherein we let bad people get away. As we all know, the very criminal that Peter Parker decided to let go was the man who killed his uncle. Thus, we have the famous phrase that “with great power comes great responsibility”. The same holds true for man’s autonomy and rationality – because we are free and with reason, we must be able to make moral and conscious decisions and be held accountable for it. While this is the usual ideal scenario, we realize that this is not automatically the case. The existence of the shadow, for instance, can possibly hinder us to make the best or right choices in life. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

12. 11 Despite the fact that we are equipped with both reason and freedom, we still end up making wrong choices due to the imbalanced and unattended perceptions that we have of ourselves and of others. In this case, we ask, what then does distancing contribute to the whole problem? In order to answer the question, I will be referring to a direct quote from Luijpen’s article. “On the affective level existence also has both positive and negative aspects. Existence on the affective level—which Heidegger calls “mood” or “tonality”—is both a “finding oneself to be well” and a “finding oneself not to be well”: the world is both a “home” and “alien to home.” “The subject’s consent to reality is never unreserved; he can never fully say yes to any reality. Neither money nor sex, science nor power, health nor the Revolution—in a word, nothing fully satisfies man.” “The subject’s affective yes to the world includes also an affective no. All fullness of being-man is equiprimordially emptiness, all satisfaction is infected with dissatisfaction, all peace, rest and happiness contain conflict, unrest, and unhappiness. The “yes” within existence excludes absolute “nausea” (Sartre); the “no” makes absolute consent impossible. The world is my home in which I long for a better fatherland.” (William Luijpen, Subjectivity and Freedom) <<CLICK HERE TO>>

13. 12 These directly quoted paragraphs speak volumes about the finitude of human existence. But more importantly, it talks about the idea that the shadow is an inescapable part of man’s existence in this world. So, to truly answer the question, we ask – is man really bounded by this experience mentioned above? Or can man break-free from these bonds in order to decide for himself? In our previous article, we already presumed that this can be possible. By noticing our shadow traits and recognizing them, we get to consciously decide whether or not to integrate them. However, the groundwork for the very possibility of this point is yet to be laid. How can we say that man’s consciousness is enough for him to deal with the shadows or perform shadow work? Isn’t it the case that consciousness alone is not enough that’s why we constantly have unrecognized shadows in the first place? This is the part where Luijpen’s idea plays a crucial role in understanding man’s consciousness. I quote: “The negativity involved in the subject’s affirmation of and consent to himself and to reality is sometimes called “distance”: the subject distances himself from unreserved affirmation and consent.” (William Luijpen, Subjectivity and Freedom) <<CLICK HERE TO>>

14. 13 While some philosophers understood that to be and to live necessarily means that we are in the world and is constantly engaged on it, it doesn’t mean that we’re inevitably tied to it. Meaning to say, when an individual encounters a situation that creates a shadow, it doesn’t automatically mean that the shadow will have an imprint on him. This is precisely because individuals are free and rational – they are conscious. But the aspect that allows them to detach from the world is their capability for distancing. This notion of distancing from one's shadow is the very foundation of what allows man to re-examine and evaluate what is happening to him. Without distancing, a lot of things may happen to us to a point that we simply let life see its way. When there is distancing, people have this capability to further evaluate themselves by placing their consciousness at a distance. If we were to simply illustrate it, it would look like this: As we can see in this simple conceptual illustration, the arrows represent the in-between distances. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

15. 14 By this method, we see that the self can be different from the world. The problem, however, is that the self is tied to the shadow and to consciousness. That is why when we let the shadow take over, it takes over the self, the consciousness, and how the individual appears and reacts to the world. This can be solved by what we refer to as “stepping-back”. By doing a simple back step, we get to see things at a distance, and allow us to have a chance to re-evaluate things in ourselves and lives as well. To put into context, the value of stepping back is appreciated when we are about to make big decisions in our lives. Your boyfriend for 5 years suddenly proposed. And so, you are taken aback, and re-evaluate at that spur of the moment. This evaluation will decide which action or course you take. If you didn’t realize your shadow, you would have decided right away without all factors accounted for – like giving your shallow yes because you have a tendency of being submissive. But if you did the step back method, you would pause, think, and critically assess the situation. “Am I ready for this?” <<CLICK HERE TO>>

16. 15 You ask the perennial question of humanity as if anyone is ever fully ready for everything. In this simple example, we can see that the value of stepping back is not only to temporarily detach from the world (or how we perceive it), rather it also talks about how we can detach from ourselves. In which case, stepping back actually allows us to manifest the idea of the previous section wherein we have to treat shadows as merely ideas of the self and let consciousness become the driver. By doing this method of shad wwork, we detach from our image of ourselves and enter the higher level of consciousness. And so, we ask, from this higher level, the same questions but with greater clarity and understanding. When things happen in our lives so fast (just like that salesperson in the supermarket who sells seemingly essential stuff like a 16-in-1 blender), people with clear judgments aren’t easily persuaded. They know that they have tendencies and the compelling script of the salesperson can easily lead to that unnecessary card swipe. They know that their emotions can take over and justify their actions with logic. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

17. 16 That is why they step back, evaluate, see their shadows from a distance. As one of the many ways to perform shadow work and understand our shadows, it is important to take note of this existential method for allows us to question the meaning not only of the world but also of our own existence. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

18. 17 SECOND WAY: UNDERSTANDING ONE’S SHADOW SELF WITH THE HELP OF OTHERS: FREUDIAN PSYCHOANALYSIS In this second shadow work method, we will explore more about our shadows using the Freudian phases of development. As a quick introduction, Sigmund Freud is the father of Psychology. His main theory revolves around the ideas of psychoanalysis, psychosexual development, and more famously – the id, ​ego​, and superego. Despite criticisms, his ideas played a central role in the development of the majority of theories in psychology. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

19. 18 Freud spearheaded this idea of the conscious and unconscious states – both of which has opened the path for digging deeper into human psychology. As Psychology progressed, these ideas of Freud became cornerstones from which other famous psychologists built their theory with. In this section, we will selectively discuss Freud’s theory. We will explore how shadows develop and are treated using the Freudian stages of development. By examining his famous psychosexual development theory, we can see how our past experiences might have subconsciously affected our growth SHADOW WORK EXERCISE: PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY Freud, perhaps, is the, if not most, famous psychologist largely due to his sexually inclined theory. Previously seen as radical, growing intrigue, belief, and acceptance in these controversial topics continues to catapult his legacy beyond his death. One particular theory that sparks this intrigue is the psychosexual development theory which mainly focuses on the phases of childhood. These phases are explained involving a sexually inclined approach even to the point that it presents the Oedipus Complex. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

20. 19 Such an idea usually highlights the intrigue in Freud’s psychology, making him less But before we delve into that intrigue, it would be fairer to him if we begin with his core principles – pleasure and reality. Freud tells us that we have a natural tendency towards the pleasure principle. As humans, we aspire for happiness and pleasure. This is part of our being human. On a bit of a side note, this idea is one of the primordial questions in man’s existence. What makes man truly happy? If we were to go back to the pre-historic times, we would see that humans tried to aspire for survival because a certain level of happiness was to be achieved for surviving. As man became more literate and was able to begin civilizations and recording of history, this question remained but with different answers. The Greeks aspired for virtue and self-actualization while the Catholics longed to be one with God. Modern thought brought by Descartes relinquished all other ideas of happiness and led to the ultimate idea that we know of – the ability to pursue life as we see it fit. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

21. 20 This idea served as an umbrella which takes in our concept of happiness. But for Freudian psychology, happiness meant pleasure. As children, we grow up to seek pleasure usually from our parents, particularly with our mother who fed us with breastmilk. But Freud also notes that while the chief good that man seeks is happiness, he cannot over-pursue it for it will cause displeasure. While we’d always love to have a bite of that Krispy Kreme donut, we know that eating a donut a day, keeps diabetes (not away lol). In the same way, the same example applies. Spending too much time with a person can eat up both your time and make you stagnant. Resting and relaxing can be perceived as happiness but too much of such can lead to laziness. And so, Freud theorized that it is not only the pleasure principle but also the reality principle​ that we have to take note of. Having the reality principle, people will balance off their inner desires for sex and aggression (biases of Freud in his theory). People will not just randomly take advantage of someone even if that is their definition of happiness. In other words, the reality principle points at social rules and norms which are set to limit our idea and pursuit of happiness. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

22. 21 Going back to our shadow, these two main ideas are strongly relevant in dealing with them because if we were to have a better understanding of shadow work, we have to see how it affects us and how society perceives it. As a shadow is growing, it is possible that these are repressed notions of happiness which manifests itself in unusual manners. With the help of being able to see them, we are better able to manage them. But how should we see them using the Freudian lens? In the Freudian theory, we develop what we call as neurosis/neuroses. In an attempt to balance the pleasure and reality principle, the human mind may sometimes make faulty negotiations which will lead to repressions. By having to regulate ourselves in an unbalanced manner, we develop a certain neurosis which can trigger negative responses in a person. But how do these neuroses come about? Freud tells us that we need to examine our childhood in order to asses if there were any events which have led to us being imbalanced in one way or another. From his lens, this is where the psychosexual theory becomes relevant. Freud suggests certain phases in the human experience which contributes to this overall trend. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

23. 22 First, the oral phase. As we are born into this world, our expression of pleasure manifests in the act of looking for basic sustenance. And so, a baby cries as it yearns for food through oral intake. Thus, the way we commune with the world is through our mouth. Our feelings and ideas are expressed through the mouth whether it be by eating or making sounds which can signal the parent about something that we want. Freud argues that if parents are not careful, this phase may later on develop certain fixations such as smoking, nail-biting, over-eating, or even rejection of dependency on food. The second phase is the Anal phase. At ages 1-3 years old, the child is being toilet-trained. As the child learns to do this on his/her own, control over the environment without being dependent on others is achieved. Gratification is realized through self-achievement by proper toilet training. By recognizing through positive gestures, parents are encouraging children to positive outcomes as well. But if the child is not trained properly, this may cause problems – a dichotomy between orderliness and messiness. Both are natural results of not being properly trained given that the child is unable to distinguish the apt medium and opts for the extreme. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

24. 23 Moving on, the phallic stage is when the child begins to realize his/her sexual orientation. By becoming more aware of his/her surroundings, children begin to have this drive towards affection of the opposite parent. This is the controversial stage where Freud presents the idea of Oedipus/Electra Complex. As boys desire to replace the father, young girls also compete for the father’s affection. As children begin to identify with their common sex parent, this naturally resolves the issue. However, if they fail to resonate with their parent, it can cause a whole lot of sexual dysfunction during adulthood. The next stage is the latency stage. By 6-12 years old, children begin to play with other children. At this stage, the sexual libido is present but not on a specific part of the body. Children during these stages manifest their energies through pursuits of things that they want to do. They become more concerned with relationships between them. Lastly, the genital stage occurs from ages 12+. As they become more aware of their sexuality, the focus is restored on the libido. This manifests in their puberty stage. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

25. 24 On both last stages, Freud notes that there are no adulthood fixations caused by such. So far, we have seen an attempt to give a compact summary of Freud’s psychosexual theory. But how is this related to one’s shadow? In Freud’s psychological theory, we can see that he places great emphasis on how children are raised from ages 0-6 years old. As mentioned above, possible adult fixations result from these stages. What this tells us is that problems we encounter during childhood can have a big impact to our personality. This is because during the time that we were experiencing them, we don’t quite have a grasp of the world. Freud also shows that embedded in our personality is the idea that we are sexual beings. Having these essential sexual drives makes manifest in the actions that we do as children. Thus, if we look back to Freudian theory, we can see that the shadows that we have are most likely a result of childhood fixations that were left unaddressed For instance, if we are humans with the tendency to smoke, it might have very well been the case that during childhood, we weren’t fed properly. Thus, our mouths constantly look for the same sensation that was supposedly afforded to us. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

26. 25 In the same way, the anal stage also shows that as children we should have been taught to do the toilet alone and be praised for it. But nowadays, some parents just use the diaper due to the convenience that it provides. When parents do such, they cannot train children properly to do potty training. Practically, this will have an effect in the child as they lacked the sense of control and praise that was denied to them. As adults, they may become overly organized given that they were lacking such before or completely the other way around. Lastly, we see that the phallic stage talks about the sexual orientation of children. In failing to become a proper role model to them, they can be prone to sexual dysfunction. What this means is that they may have problems associating with their own sex or associating with the other sex. Since as children, they were denied this feeling of security, they might look for a father figure from their partner, a presence that they lacked before. If we try to take into account Freud’s arguments in relation to our concept of shadows, we will see that shadows form not only because of our own choices. In the previous article, we have attributed shadows as natural consequences of things we resent or reject. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

27. 26 But from a Freudian standpoint, we can see that a lot of those things that we resent are not truly our choices. Rather, they are natural consequences of some fixations or neuroses that were left unaddressed during childhood. Thus, the failure to address these basic functions of the body can manifest into psychological neuroses. These neuroses can have an effect on the decisions we make, eventually forming our shadows. But in the same way, we can also say that even when we parents were able to resolve these issues correctly, shadows still occur. Consider for instance the phallic stage. Freud tells us that we need to integrate and associate with the common sex parent. As a girl, one can associate with the mother who exemplifies what being a woman is. (at least from the child’s standpoint) As a result, it is to be expected then that children will pursue womanly things given the influence of their mother. In the same way, a lack of a father figure for male boys can result to a female preference. As a writer, I’ve known people who have experienced such. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

28. 27 Given the strong maternal experience in their family, his childhood preferences were strongly altered. I used to remember seeing him playing with bras instead of cars during childhood. I’m not claiming that this eventually led him to prefer men as life partners. But eventually, it did happen. Although we cannot fully conclude that this was a result of problems during childhood, we can at least theorize that there is a correlation. In this case, whether little boy prefers cars or bras, he definitely considers the opposite as inapt. From there, a shadow is built, even when the child is yet to reach the peak of his autonomy and reason. What does this tell us about our shadows and shadow work? First – that they are most likely heavily influenced by our psychological upbringing. In this theory, we can see that ​shadow archetypes are made even without our own volition. The psychological upbringing of an individual can strongly influence how he or she perceives the world – whether it be a dangerous or safe place to live in. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

29. 28 Much of these shadows are things that we can really do nothing about during these phases for it is up to our parents to choose which shadows to allow. Which brings us to the question of – how do we actually deal with them if they are made right from the beginning? Come to think of it, if your own shadows right now are results of choices you didn’t make, would it even be possible for us to identify them alone? Perhaps, this is the reason why some people continue to live with their shadows and fail to identify them. Because individuals obtained these ideas of themselves during childhood, it would be difficult for them to bring it to the table. And so, individuals grow up with fixations, as Freud tells us. This brings us to the second point of why Freudian theory is very much relevant to the case of shadow work. While he was famous for this psychosexual theory, another thing that made him legendary was his psychoanalysis method. As a founder of psychoanalysis, Freud invented and utilized this method to treat patients with neurosis or fixations due to bad childhood experiences. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

30. 29 In psychoanalysis, repressed emotions and ideas of the self are made conscious to the subject. This aims to have a cathartic effect, healing and relieving them from their faulty ideas. Today, it is being used to treat depression and anxiety. Freud suggests that we use psychoanalysis with the help of a trained professional. Using their expertise, psychologists can employ a series of tests which can be interpreted following a scientific method. These tests are aimed to help us understand more about ourselves, repressions, and tendencies as individuals. With their help, we are better able to have a grasp of reality and our own minds. But are we really required to go to psychologists to know more about our shadows? Do we require a presupposed “expert” to tell us how to perform shadow work? The next theory that we’re going to discuss suggests otherwise. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

31. 30 THIRD WAY: ANALYZING ONE'S SHADOW KAREN HORNEY’S SELF-ANALYSIS While the second way talked about Freudian method of psychoanalysis, this third shadow work method will explore a different approach from a neo-Freudian theorist named Karen Horney. As a brief introduction, Karen Horney is one of the most famous psychologists in human history whose theories have form part of their fundamental methodologies. Horney’s work was radical for she even was one of the first female students who were allowed to pursue being a physician. She was also even part of the <<CLICK HERE TO>>

32. 31 Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis, and of course was closely relevant to Sigmund Freud. In this section, we will have brief exploration on Horney’s psychoanalytic theory. By using her theory, we will dig deeper into the shadows and understand more about how we can deal with them using Horney’s method of self-analysis. SHADOW WORK EXERCISE: HORNEY’S PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY As mentioned in the previous series, one of the many ways to unravel and integrate our shadows is by way of self-analysis - one of the principles of shadow work. Briefly defined, self-analysis is a shadow work exercise that involves performing personal psychotherapy wherein the individual is both the analyst and patient. This idea is largely based on Horney’s ​Psychoanalytic Social Theory wherein she talks about how the human person develops his/her psyche. As a quick summary, we will be talking of a few concepts in her theory. Horney’s theory begins with the perception that a human person is like an acorn whose potentiality is to grow into an oak tree. If proper conditions are met, an acorn, while fragile, can grow into an oak tree. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

33. 32 However, this also means that the acorn is susceptible to unfavorable conditions. For instance, the acorn itself might be damaged, or the conditions from which it thrives are too harsh for growth. These conditions do not permit the acorn to grow into an oak tree. Just like the acorn, human beings have the potentiality to ​achieve self-actualization. As each person is free and rational, with own talents and preferences developed overtime, he/she may flourish. But certain experiences in life deny some or even most people to become the best version of themselves. A ​traumatic childhood experience of simply being treated unfairly by family members can lead a person to become selfish. A child that is unloved will find it difficult to give love for one cannot give what he/she doesn’t have. For Horney, these unfavorable conditions develop certain problems during childhood for a child will be unable to process them. More likely than not, it will contribute to certain neurotic trends which can hinder one’s growth. By failing to see that security from one’s parents, a child may develop certain basic anxieties that which will tarnish the way he/she perceives life. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

34. 33 So, in order to understand more about Horney’s theory, we will briefly talk about two things: Neurotic Trends and Neurotic Needs. As a context, neurotic trends and needs arise as a response of the individual to basic anxieties. Such anxieties are a result of a troubled childhood, with unresolved issues as mentioned above. Compared to Freud, these anxieties do not stem from one’s internal urges and drives. Horney’s theory, although psychoanalytic, has a social factor into it. For Horney, similar in the example of the acorn, social factors are essential in the development of the individual. The younger the child is, the more prone he/she becomes with these social factors. Thus, when children are not given proper attention and guidance, they may feel that the world is an unsafe place. An example that I can give is when we see children who are playing. One common misconception about children is that when they are behaved when they are not playful. From a psychological standpoint, the nature of children is to interact and to play with others. Yet, some children remain silent as if they were adults. The common misconception there is that some parents think that it is a good thing. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

35. 34 Rather, in reality, this occurrence signifies that the child is bothered and views the world as an unsafe place. Thus, possibly, the child may lack the self-confidence to engage with other children. The same example also applies when the child asks permission from parents. Parents who have raised their children well are constantly reassuring their child that “it is okay, you may proceed.” Thus, the constant asking of permission. The failure to know and value these instances may lead the child to conclude that the world is an unsafe place, creating that basic anxiety within him/her. With that basic anxiety, children are prone to develop certain neurotics. Given these neurotics, Horney talks about two main aspects: the neurotic needs and neurotic trends. Neurotic needs are common problems of individuals which they commonly deal with a multitude of strategies. Neurotics, however, repeat the same strategy over and over again despite is ineffectiveness. Much like the shadow, the same problems recur overtime. First, some have the neurotic need for affection and approval. Lack in this level may lead an individual to try and please everyone else. Second, the neurotic need for a powerful partner may be a result or lead to a state of low self-confidence or giving too much value for love. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

36. 35 Third, restricting one’s self within narrow boarders is a neurotic need. While this can be perfectly normal just as all other needs, this may be a result to viewing one’s abilities as inferior or underestimating them. Fourth, there is a neurotic need for power, which affects one’s self image and avoids to be perceived as weak. Fifth, another neurotic need is to exploit others. Some people fear of being exploited so they do it to others before it is done unto them. Sixth, over-aspiring for social recognition and needs is an example of a neurotic need. No matter how good it sounds, over-competitiveness can result to one always being wanted or perceived as important. Seventh, some people have this neurotic need for self-admiration. This constantly requires that their self-esteem be fed. Eight, the neurotic need for ambition and self-development may lead to over-perfectionism. Ninth, the neurotic need for self-sufficiency and independence can make one have this strong need to distance from others. Lastly, tenth, the neurotic need for perfection can leave a person wanting nothing less. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

37. 36 We won’t be discussing them in detail but these brief introductions can somehow give us an idea of how shadows are present in us using Horney’s lens. Because of certain neuroticisms, we choose and react in a specific way. Tendencies as a result of childhood trauma can result to our own shadows. Following the same principle used in Freud, we can see here that shadows are formed even outside our own volition. But how do individuals react using Horney’s theory? Horney suggests that there are three main neurotic trends: Moving away from other people, moving against other people, and moving towards other people. In a neurotic level, these natural defenses can become problematic. They become core tendencies of individuals. First, moving towards other people may sound good, but doing it in an excess can lead to social problems of dependency, with neurotic needs of affection, a powerful partner, and narrower limits. As an example, we can see this in a case of teenagers who grew up lacking the attention that they needed. As they become bonded with other teenagers, they may have the tendency of being too dependent on a partner even when both are merely teenagers. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

38. 37 In their own teenage relationship, the dependent partner will demand too much from the other which naturally causes a breakdown. From here on, shadows can be formed as a result of how the troubled teenager sees other people. He/she may even further doubt if the world can ever be a safe place despite moving towards it. Even when interacting is good, the demands created by these neuroticisms can be too much for the other, especially when he/she is not ready. In the same way, moving against other people can be seen in rebellious actions. Demand for power, admiration, prestige and the like can lead to exploitation of others. Oftentimes, people who conclude that the world is an unsafe place may have the neurotic reaction of overly protecting themselves first. This may result to manipulating the feelings and reactions of other people – and thus the classic representation of domestic violence. Lastly, moving away from people can be a neurotic trend, given that individuals experiencing these symptoms strive too much to become self-sufficient and perfectionists. This naturally sets them apart from others, in more of a negative way given that they don’t really trust or cooperate well. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

39. 38 People who display such can become dictators in their own households, distancing themselves even from family members. All these neurotic trends and needs has a complex interplay with each other, resulting into unrecognized shadows along the way. Before we know it, we are already distancing from people we love or being overfamiliar with people we know. These are tendencies which form part in our decision-making process, ultimately leading us to problems that we are unaware of. So how do we actually deal with them? While Freud suggests ​psychoanalysis with a therapist​, it is often cited in his anecdotes that “the chief person that I am concerned with is myself.” Freud admitted in constantly undergoing himself in the same process of psychoanalysis. He analyzed himself, his dreams, his tendencies, and his behavior, which led some to theorize that this was perhaps the reason why he remained unhappy. In line with this notion, Horney suggests that we engage in self-analysis. The method of self-analysis dates back to the idea of the ancient Greeks, particularly the inscription associated to Socrates – ​Know Thyself​. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

40. 39 In this classic story, the oracle of Delphi proclaimed that no one was wiser than Socrates. In search of understanding this wisdom, Socrates began his endless inquisitions of people of different statures during his time. In the end, it can be concluded that Socrates was indeed the wisest for he was the only one who had the courage to admit that he was not. From Horney’s perspective, self-analysis can be likened to this notion of knowing thyself. By engaging in a constant conversation and awareness with one’s consciousness, a person is able to have a better grasp on his shadows. The more that we try to wrestle these shadows, the wiser we become, given that we obtain greater understanding of ourselves. In the same way, as we move forward, we also realize that what we understand about it is very much limited and dynamic, exposing our own ignorance even about ourselves. It is clear from here on that both Freud and Horney agree that a person must undergo psychoanalysis. The difference between them lies in how the method is executed. Freud proposes that it should be done with the help of a trained professional. In Horney’s perspective, doing psychoanalysis with a trained professional may not be the best option. Horney tells us that while the psychologist is trained, it takes months, years (if not, a lifetime) for another person to understand us. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

41. 40 But we, as individuals, are constantly connected to ourselves – that which we intimately and deeply know about. In relation to shadow work, this can be shown in moments wherein we already know our tendencies and we continue to allow them to take control. A self-righteous person, for instance, may quickly judge a person coming from a different culture. While presumably problematic, this self-righteous person already knows this tendency and still continues to do it. While the shadow can be at play here, we also cannot deny that the individual himself has stronger access to the shadow. As the shadow manifests this self-righteousness through projection on other people, it hopes to reconcile and integrate with the individual. The problem is that not all individuals recognize these signals for they don’t even know that they have shadows! And without knowing the existence of one’s shadow, how does one perform shadow work? In other words, the shadow, as it works itself, doesn’t really need a therapist. Rather, it needs awareness and acknowledgement from the individual himself so that it can be integrated to one’s consciousness. It is, however, not an easy path. Doing self-analysis can be quite challenging given that even the mere fact of facing one’s shadows is already a big task. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

42. 41 Should it have been easy, people would have already controlled their shadows most of the time. But as we know it, most of us are not even aware of these shadows. To add further, when we become aware of them, it even makes things more challenging for we cannot handle them. Thus we repress or suppress these shadows further. For instance, in the movie the great Gatsby, we can see that J. Gatsby, a dirt-poor individual only had his dreams with him. Following this desire for greatness, he eventually became a mystery millionaire. Despite such, the repressed traits due to his past constantly manifest in him – like his lack of Oxfordian manners. In the movie he continued to suppress and repress them as if they never existed, for he himself was not ready to face them. The question then is that – in doing self-analysis and shadow work, can we even handle it? Horney believes that yes, we will be able to do so. She tells us that when we become aware of our repressed traits or shadows, while we become problematic and fearful about it, it doesn’t necessarily follow that we can’t deal with them. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

43. 42 Rather, the mere fact that they surface means that we can deal with them. Just as the shadows project itself on how we view others, its communication mechanism is asking us to recognize instead of repress them. For Horney, much can be gained by doing this method of self-analysis. Just as when we learn how to ride a bike on our own instead of someone teaching us, self- analysis can bring more self-confidence and mastery. For Horney, doing self-analysis will bear more fruits for us and will restore us back to the path of growth, from acorn to oak tree. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

44. 43 FOURTH WAY: JUNGIAN DREAM ANALYSIS In the previous ways we have seen a common method that was applied – self-introspection. When an individual examines his consciousness and how it operates, one is able to introspect, leading to self-knowledge. As we distanciate ourselves from ourselves, we get to have a gap as presented in the first way. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

45. 44 Given this gap, we gain access to certain childhood problems which can be portrayed from both Freudian and Horneyian lens. While Freud believed in the psychosexual theory as the main basis, Horney presents the perspective from a psychosocial sense. Their difference in method also manifests as Freud believes this unresolved trauma can be resolved with the help of a trained professional while Horney shows that it can be done alone. In all these methods, it points to understanding oneself and one’s shadows, any of which can help contribute the way we perceive our lives. In this last shadow work exercise, we will explore another perspective from Carl Jung, the man who coined the term “shadows” himself. SHADOW WORK EXERCISE: DREAM ANALYSIS So what are dreams? Most of the time, we usually don’t mind them. When we dream of something, we have the tendency to think that “oh maybe that’s just something irrelevant” or “maybe that’s because I saw that pizza ad yesterday.” <<CLICK HERE TO>>

46. 45 But what are they really? Can we simply dismiss dreams as wishy washy thoughts in our mind? Or do they actually say something about us? Is it possible that we get to understand more about our shadow archetypes by looking into these dreams? For starters, it is scientifically proven that each night, we do have ​dreams occurring. Even when we don’t really remember anything the moment we wake up, they were there. The scientific proof behind this is brain image scanning. In Japan, researchers have found ways to access the images present in one’s dream as they fall asleep. Using this method, researchers, doctors, and psychologists have gained more understanding about our dreams. But even when we know that they exist, what do these random images really mean? If they even mean something, can they make sense? The first point in this question is the idea of randomness. Are dreams really simply random ideas? Or can they be manifestations of our repressions? Following Freud’s psychosocial theory, he tells us that dreams are a way to reconcile with our childhood milestones that we were unable to meet. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

47. 46 For instance, problems during the phallic stage can manifest itself in dream state, hoping that the conscious mind will reconcile with the unconscious issues. By showing our consciousness these ideas, it hopes to make us aware of our inner issues. Thus, Freud believed that the things we see in our dreams are symbolisms that are unique for us. Each person has his/her own issues in life in which should they repress it, they become stored in the unconscious. Eventually, these stored ideas of the self, memories, or traits, will make itself manifest through dreams. Thus, through it, we might have a chance of hitting milestones in the development of our psyche, eventually dealing with our neurosis. While Jung was practically a student of Freud, they eventually had to split ways because Jung pursued something more than this individualistic and psychosexual theory of Freud. Jung believed that dreams contain more than our repressed sexual desires for the driving force in man is not only the libido. Freud wanted to create an integrated interpretation using his psychosexual theory, thus, making his theory unified. Jung, on the other hand, thought that dreams gave us access to something beyond ourselves – the collective unconscious. He believed that Freud’s <<CLICK HERE TO>>

48. 47 understanding of dreams and its symbols is too limited. He thought that symbols of one’s dreams are not limited to personal interpretation. Simply put, the collective unconscious is the holistic compilation of all the symbols, ideas, signs, and concepts in humankind. These symbols are experienced in everyday life, even when they are not necessarily registered in the consciousness of individuals. A deeper insight into the human mind and consciousness will lead us to this understanding that everything we empirically sense in this world becomes converted to data that is registered in our mind. However, not all of these data are consciously stored. Rather, some of them are absorbed but not really consciously focused given the limited nature of the way humans dedicate their attention. These data can be stored in the ​personal unconscious. Thus, the theory that the conscious mind only accounts for the small amount of the data that we actually absorb every day. In the movie Focus by Will Smith and Margot Robbie, we can see this classic example of psychological priming. As BD Wong (the rich gambler) was in the Superbowl game, Will Smith and his team was priming him by constantly showing him the number 55 in subconscious/unconscious ways. They even played Symphony of the devil which had “woo-woos”(chinese for 55) in its lyrics. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

49. 48 Eventually they made a bet with BD Wong to pick a football player from a pool of almost 100 players. Wong eventually picked number 55 and was guessed by Margot Robbie. Now it seems impossible but such things are happening to us and are registering in our minds. While we perceive from an observer’s perspective that there are far too many numbers for one number (55) to be picked, what we fail to see is that it was the same for Wong. The sea of players made it difficult for Wong to pick a player, especially when his rational consciousness was trying to make sense of the number to be selected. As he picked a number, he was trying to make sense of everything. He looked for something familiar, which in this case was 55. Eventually, he resonated with the number thinking that it was fate. In reality, it was his absorbed personal unconscious that influenced this decision. It doesn’t end there. As these symbols have universal meanings, they can be linked to universal concepts as well. Thus, it taps on the ​collective unconscious. In the same way, how we receive and interpret our dreams can also appear random and irrelevant. However, if we try to dig deeper, we realize that it is not entirely composed of elements from our own reality. <<CLICK HERE TO>>

50. 49 For instance, it is very common that a lot of absurd things happen during dream state. We are in unusual situations which are not necessarily something that we have experienced or even watched in the movies. Jung thought that dreams opened the doors to this collective unconscious. Symbols from the collective unconscious are believed to be passed on not only by unconscious registrations in the mind, but also through birth. The evidence presented by Jung is the striking significance in mythological motifs among different peoples, in a cross-cultural sense. Meaning, Jung’s studies of different cultures has led him to conclude that despite having different beliefs, common imagery and symbols existed. The strongest proof presented for this belief is the mystical symbol of the Mandala. The mandala originally referred to a spiritual and ritual symbol of Buddhism and Hinduism which represented perfection. It was often an artwork based on perfect balance between squares and circles. The significance of the mandala is that it was also present in western civilizations such as the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. Both the Mayans and Aztecs utilized it as a calendar of some sort. <<CLICK HERE TO>>