LIGHT IS NOTHING WITHOUT SHADOW.

 “Let us not look away from our shadows for it is our shadows that illuminate our light.”~~~Sasha Samy

I discovered Carl Jung, the renowned Swiss Psychologist, in my undergraduate days while studying Literature. My interest in his work deepened further while working on my graduate thesis and researching for my book, Shadow To Light.  I was fascinated with his writings on the potentiality of the human mind, especially on the topics of the shadow self and the soul.

Today, many know that our mind is like a computer that stores data in the form of beliefs in our memory cells that we receive from our world. The human psyche, to put it in simple terms, is the sum of the conscious (light) and the unconscious self (shadow). It is our subconscious mind that receives and accepts the messages and input about ourselves from our family, teachers, friends, colleagues, religion and social media as truths. These become our core-beliefs. Whether they are positive or negative, these beliefs become an integral part of who we think we are, the identity that we display to the world.

Unfortunately, the negative beliefs, which are our shadows, play an immeasurable part in influencing and shaping our perceptions, our behaviors, our actions, and how we relate to the world and to others without us being conscious of them.

The shadow self is a term coined by Carl Jung to describe the rejected or unacknowledged aspects of one’s self that are repressed in the subconscious mind.  Our shadows are part of our human foibles like anger, fear, resentment, jealousy, greed, shame, guilt, addictions and so forth that need to be embraced and brought into consciousness in order for us to dismantle the barriers to living a more conscious and peaceful life.

If we do not transcend them, what remains unconscious in our psyche (our shadows) will most often be projected on to others. The people and events in our life often mirror the state of our own internal life. If our internal life is in turmoil, our external world will reflect that turmoil in the form of chaotic events, crisis and challenges in our relationships, work, health and environment.

If we deny or  don’t acknowledge  our negative emotions and beliefs, we will more likely than not continue to indulge in self-sabotaging behaviours, attract dysfunctional or abusive relationships and work environments, behave in self-deprecating ways or invite people into our lives who reflect back to us our shadows. Life will not flow as easily and graceful as it could be if we were aligned with our essential self.

As someone who has been doing shadow and inner work for more than 17years, I cannot stress  how important the integration process is in helping us to uncover the hidden treasure that lies within all of us.  Accepting both our light and shadow self enables us to live an emotionally healthy and purposeful life that is in alignment with our soul.

As we awaken to our essential self, we become more conscious of how we treat ourselves, others and the planet. It is in our individual transformation and conscious living that will inevitably pave the way for global healing and transformation.

(c) Sasha Samy 30/9/2015

Excerpts taken from my book ‘Shadow To Light.