What I’ve noticed is that 99% of the population doesn’t realize that “shadow work” is the actually a term used for self-therapy based on the very real practice of analytical psychology, otherwise known as Jungian therapy.

Carl Jung is the first person to coin the term “shadow work” during the his time inventing concepts for his school of psychology known as Analytical Psychology. He was a psychologist from Switzerland in the 20th century. He believed that we all had hidden parts of our being which can be referred to as our shadow.

How Did Carl Jung Invent Shadow Work?

Shadow is everything that is outside of a person’s awareness and consciousness. This includes any lack of self-awareness and awareness of Reality.

Since Carl Jung was interested in ideas of religion, spirituality, psychology, and occult knowledge—his Jungian school of thought is worded in a way that is inspired by ideas from each of these areas of knowledge.

When I say Jungian school of thought, I am referring to Analytical Psychology, “shadow work”, Jungian Therapy, Psychoanalysis, etc.

Since analytical psychology is inspired by eastern spiritual thought, this form of psychology demands that people do “inner work”. This is because Eastern thought has a “look within” approach to solving issues in regards to psychology and spirituality.

This is why you see me use the phrase “psycho-spirituality” a lot here on my blog.

It’s also why my definition, and realistically all definitions, of the word Spirituality is “one’s relationship with Reality”, because Reality, Truth, God, are all the same thing.

That said, Carl Jung had a strained relationship with his pastor father. Which is why the concepts are so heavily influenced by Christianity.

Carl Jung’s psychology school of thought is incredibly inclusive when it comes to ideas regarding psychology, spirituality, and various forms of religion. He has done a great work of finding all the similarities and uniting them as best he can.

The only people who wouldn’t agree with the prior passage would be those who never delved deeply enough into his material to begin with. A good example of someone who shouldn’t have claim to being knowledgeable in his school of thought would be if they completely dismiss MBTI for not seeing why it would have any real basis.

The reason why MBTI has some notable merit, is because it places emphasis on “inner” functions. This is a reflection of Jungian thought. This is important because it considers what can’t be quantified; inner experience.

Modern science likes hard data (who doesn’t?), but Jungian psychology reminds us that we are emotional beings as well. Jungian psychology is not built on logic but instead has a foundation built on intuition, or “Higher Truths”.

By “higher truths”, I mean that the Truth encapsulates both logic, emotion, and so on. If you believe the Truth is based only what is logical, you are a fool who is being deceived by their own lack of emotional self-awareness.

There are also pervasive patterns that ripple, permeate, and change, across in Reality. These patterns are based on what I call “The Principles of the World”. This is also known as “wisdom”, which you obtain thanks to your growing “discernment”.

Carl Jung understood these things, I just happen to want to shove it in your face in hopes that you can understand too. But there are levels of ego development (stage of consciousness), so you will only see this if you are meant to see this.

Shadow Work is essentially building a better relationship with Reality by adjusting your psychology to a proper “inner” point of reference. This is done by introspection, cultivating attitudes and behaviors, and genuine willingness to see things clearly.

Shadow work is integrating the entire spectrum of your being. It’s the intentional process of admitting the parts of yourself you’ve ignored or repressed.

The shadow can be risen to your awareness and assimilated. So instead of taking unseen control of you, it can lend you it’s energy and gifts.

Shadow work, as a practice, comes from an understanding that we must integrate the shadow side of our personality. So that we can live life to our full potential.

A Deeper Look At Jungian Therapy

Carl Jung forged Jungian Therapy in the first half of the 20th century. In addition to personal growth, it also explores the historical causes of psychological problems, this includes:

• Ancestral Trauma
• Mommy Issues
• Daddy Issues

In Jungian psychology, all beings have a natural urge to individuate and become oneself. When someone’s freedom is oppressed, their ability to individuate is blocked. This leads to mental health issues such as:

• Depression
• Compulsion / Impulsivity
• Addiction
• Anxiety
• Destructive Relationship Patterns

Healing yourself involves accepting your need for growth in areas such as assertiveness, humility, independence, relationship, meaning, and practicality.

Jung preferred to call his approach Analytical Psychology rather than Jungian therapy or analysis. He referred to his method as synthetic/prospective because it is a process of learning that looks both forward and backward.

He believed the unconscious mind, or shadow, has the potential to be an ally, a source of wisdom and guidance for your psychological development. It is not limited to being a storehouse for repressed memories.

This form of therapy is holistic in that is cultivates wellness in the entire personality, rather than targeting specific symptoms. Treatment is specialized and specific to the needs of an individual. It is not based on some robotic outline.

The Core Concepts of Jungian Therapy

Jung found that many psychological issues stem from the inability to move toward maturity due to life-endured traumas.

Essentially, these psychological blocks are frozen moments of time that have wounded a person’s psyche. Some traumas run so deep that they form shadow beliefs that infect the psyche’s view of life and existence.

Until the psyche is mended, an individual can’t build on their relationship with Reality (aka spirituality), further hindering the individuation and maturation process.

Archetypes, Complexes & Symbols

The ego is the part of our personality that we are aware of. However, it’s not alone in the psyche.

There are other unconscious aspects of the personality that exert huge influence on our feelings and behaviors. Uncovering these parts of ourselves, building awareness, and creating harmony with these aspects of ourselves constitutes a large part of Jungian therapy.

Archetypes are symbols of ancient and universal experience that are often represented with mythology, tarot arcana, chakras, etc. Common archetypes include:

• Shadow, that which we unconsciously hide from ourselves and others
• Persona, the personality which we show the world
• Hero, the personality we summon from within in the face of challenge, that we gradually integrate into our being and awareness of Reality
• Mentor, the personality we summon from within when we recognize and help a “Hero-in-the-making”, or the personality we encounter that helps us progress in our own Hero’s Journey

These archetypes are well-known in psychology and resonate with many on an experiential level. This is helpful in our efforts to understanding and improving ourselves.

Understand that different cultures at different points in time will use different representations of archetypes. This archetypal characters are what resonate most in society today.

Complexes are conceptualizations that help us recognize of psychic structures. The practical use of the word “complex” is to help people identify problematic behaviors and associations. This makes it easier to concentrate on specific aspects and themes you can’t necessarily see, but that you definitely experience and want to address.

Symbols are imagery that carry bundles of meaning. Symbols have the ability to transform and redirect instinctive energy.

• Archetypes are collective symbols recognized by societies/cultures
  • Ex. Religion, Mythology, etc.
• Complexes are personal symbols that are on an individual basis
  • Ex. Inferiority Complex, God Complex, etc.

Symbols have the power to control and contort our energies.

There is a reason we stop at red lights, despite our urge to drive through the empty intersection. We understand that disobeying red lights is associated to cops, and many times police officers are associated with underserved pain and suffering.

Realistically, we know if the intersection is empty, we can run the red light. We also know that police officers can comprise of both good people and bad people.

It makes sense that our relationship with Reality leans towards caution because symbolism is a human animal instinct meant to help us survive.

This is only an issue when trauma destroys our relationship with Reality, causing us to have broken instincts. Broken instincts are not rational, instead they are irrational.

There is a difference between fear of running a red light because of a possible encounter with law enforcement, as opposed to not running a red light for fear of a bear attack or being struck by your mom.

The Role of Dreams in Jungian Therapy

Dreams exist to help communication between the unconscious and conscious minds. They also serve as symbolic means to help process feelings and experiences.

It helps to know that everything in a dream is you.

While some of the dream material is meant to be taken literally, there is a symbolic meaning underlying all dreams that is meant to drive the person towards growth, healing, and maturity.

Daydreaming, where you lose grasp of reality for a moment and your subconscious mind comes to the forefront, is also full of symbolic dream material.

You can also take control of dream material by demanding that your mind, aka your ego, go away and you visualize a form for your unconscious mind to embody, puppeteer, and speak to you with. This is Active Imagination meditation and allows you to engage with your shadow directly.

You can learn everything you need to know about “dream work” and how to interpret dreams here.

What’s the Goal of Jungian Therapy?

Individuation is an ongoing process where different aspects of our personality and psyche are cultivating harmony for authentic living. This process involves individuals to form appropriate relationships with themselves and others for fulfilling interdependence.

Individuation aims to balance the collaboration between the conscious and unconscious aspects of the psyche. This personal growth has an inherent healing effect that is sustainable after getting treated by a therapist.

Jungian Therapy Examples

An example of a Jungian approach could be someone dealing with depression.

Is the client’s current life approach sustainable? If not, then depression calls for a period of stillness and reflection in order to reorient one’s life in a better direction.

Some may need to invest themselves in more interpersonal, creative, or community endeavors to balance out the professional lives they’ve taken to their end. On the other hand, some people may need to shift gears from the life of an artist so they can take a more practical approach to life.

Another example would be exploring unhealthy relationship patterns. Where you have couples who use each other to relive-and-rework broken relationships from their past. Or where couples use their partners to cultivate and call forward qualities within themselves.

NEXT READ: Everything About Shadow Work (Comprehensive In-Depth Guide)

Here are some resources I recommend:

A Light Among Shadows is a guide to self-love and being that helps you overcome negative self-talk, instill genuine self-acceptance, and overcome self-hate and resentment by making sense of people’s level of consciousness and your spirituality.

Shadow Work for Beginners Series helps you beat negative patterns and beliefs, integrate your shadow, heal your inner child, reclaim your projections, build emotional maturity, and take back your life by becoming whole.

Shadow Work for Relationship Series helps you heal your attachment style, navigate relationship issues, and build a healthy, mature relationship.

Advanced Shadow Work is an ongoing publication with continued in-depth insight and practical advice you won’t find anywhere else on the internet for practicing shadow work, self-awareness, inner healing, spiritual development, and more!

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Book of Shadows (incl. Shadow Work Journal) is your own special journal that you fill up with your energetic intentions as you scribe your own inner practices to be passed down to others.

Subliminal Bundle uses different hypnosis tracks to subconsciously improve your health, love life, motivation, self-love and much more.

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Sensual Shadow Play is practiced through BDSM experiences. If you are 18+ and are interested, go here.