Understanding the Shadow
Loving the Self

What is the shadow? What we can't accept within ourselves, automatically becomes part of our personal shadow. Robert Bly talks about the shadow as being a bag of discarded parts that we drag behind us wherever we go.

Whoever loves us is forced to deal with our shadow again and again. Bly explains how somewhere along the way the bag gets too heavy and we must turn around and go into the bag and start pulling disowned stuff out. We are compelled to look at what is in the bag.

This can be a very energizing and liberating process. We find out that what was in the bag was only human after all. As we embrace these parts we reclaim the energy lost and diverted into shadow. We also become more tolerant and are easier to be with.

What we can't accept in ourselves will only build power. It feeds off the energy that is attempting to push it away. Think of some of your preachers. This tape is about shadow integration and it's vital role in personal growth. It is about reclaiming lost energy. This is the kind of lost energy that fuels compulsive thoughts and behaviors.

There will be several experiential exercises or imageries created for this set.

Issues discussed:

• -What is the personal shadow?
• -What does the word shadow imply?
• -How do we learn to bring light into dark places.
• -Group shadows
• -National shadows
• -Big picture damage wrought by national shadows
• -What emotions are in shadow for you?
• -The inner child is often a rejected aspect of the shadow
• -Positive traits as part of shadow
• -Shame and its connection to the shadow
• -Satan as an archetype fueled by negative personal shadows
• -Demonic thought forms attach to shadow elements of the personality
• -What we can't acknowledge in ourselves we will project.
• -Sexual addiction and shadow
• -Role of trauma in compulsivity-a compassionate approach to compulsivity
• -Shadow as trapped energy splintered from self-identity
• -Why preachers are so susceptible to shadow.
• -How to deal with other people's shadow
• -The role of fear in shadow formation
• -Role of culture in shadow formation
• -Deciding to approve of yourself/disconnecting from cultural norms
• -Discrimination of gays as an example of the culture amputating it's shadow elements
• _What is it like to find who you are is in the culture's shadow?
• -Real life shadow stories
• -Shadow as source of psychic energies
• -Shadow as creative impulse
• -Tools for shadow integration
• -Guided imageries