Illuminating The Shadow

Transmuting the Dark Side of the Psyche

Illuminating the Shadow explores dynamic new ways of understanding the world we inhabit both individually as well as collectively. Our ‘shadow’, a term first coined by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, contains all the unconscious aspects of our psyches. It holds the potential of all that we might become as well as the hidden patterns that are, so often, the main drivers of our life, by either limiting our self-expression, or propelling us along paths that we would not willingly tread. Because these patterns sit below the level of the conscious mind, we are not normally aware of their subtle yet profound influence upon us. This book will show you how to realise your full potential by bringing these self-limiting shadow elements into the light of consciousness, thereby allowing you to take control of your life and to heal the traumas they hold. Through this process, you will liberate yourself in a most profound way. Divided into three sections, complete with many exercises and activities, the book first looks at the shadow within literature, films, myths and fairy tales. The second section considers the concept of a ‘Cosmic Shadow’, before exploring the ‘personal shadow’ and then its manifestation within ‘the collective’, with its insights into extremism. The final section provides many different techniques for exploring and balancing our own hidden shadow nature. Illuminating the Shadow, in challenging orthodoxy, whether scientific or religious, presents new insights into the fundamental patterns that imbue all aspects of life, such as the evolution of consciousness, the balance of opposites and the relationship between the material and spiritual dimension. As such it will appeal to those with an interest in new ways of thinking.