Shadows are intriguing, enigmatic and necessary. They have a lot to say. They enhance our understanding of light and nowhere is that more evident than in photography. They cannot exist without light, yet in photography light is nothing without shadows because they reveal the depth, shape and texture of an object, making a photograph truly striking. The darker the shadows, the more iridescent is the light causing them.  

A good photographer knows how to read light as well as shadows. And so does a psychologist. In psychology, they are the dark masses that border personalities. According to Jung, the shadow, in being instinctive and irrational, is prone to psychological projection, in which a perceived personal inferiority is recognized as a perceived moral deficiency in someone else. Interesting! It means we project on others the flaws we bury in ourselves. In other words, when we often see only paucity of character in others, it portrays some lack or inferiority deep within us that we are unconscious of. These inner projections distort reality, creating a fissure between how we view ourselves and how we actually behave.

To confront a person with their own shadow is to show them their own light, says Carl Jung.

Our shadow side is that part of the self that we can’t see or refuse to see. Whatever we perceive as inferior, negative, evil or unacceptable in ourselves becomes the dark side, the shadow self; even the denial of what is positive in us can lurk in dark corners, if we constantly live in the echo chambers of other voices telling us who we are or should be. People-pleasing diminishes us, makes us small in our own perception and we are challenged with a disowned self. These disowned parts can demoralise us, destabilize our relationships and undermine our capability for good work. We are divorced from our purpose which is to be whole, living life with grace and integrity. Wholeness is a choice, a demanding journey we must undertake. To be whole, we need a discerning mind carried on the beam of awareness to light up the darkest side of ourselves.

We need to work on it consciously. Daily practice of mindfulness, centering one’s self puts us on the path to self-discovery. Cultivating self-compassion, (the Buddhist concept of Maitri —unconditional friendliness with self) means suspending judgement and accepting the murkiness along with our intrinsic brightness, forging towards equilibrium. As we stop being fixated on the parameters of only good or only bad to identify ourselves, our integrated Self sheaths the prickly sword of judgment we so often wield on others.

By tackling the shadow self honestly, we can bridge the divides within and this slow but sure recognition of our dark and bright sides makes us more effective, improves relationships and our attitude towards others. The ego can certainly trip us up here too keeping bits of the shadow out of our view. So a big step forward to keep these elusive pieces from slipping out of consciousness, is journaling our self discoveries. Reviewing these insights at some later date impresses them deeper into our awareness. By espousing our brokenness we emerge out of our mental trench, freeing ourselves from the oppressive clasp of perfectionism. We stop buying into punishing inner schisms and begin to see the interconnectedness of all things.