Από τη σκιά στο φως

by Robert A. Johnson, Στέλιος Μεταξάς (Translator)

Η Σκιά είναι το σύνολο των τμημάτων εκείνων του εαυτού μας που απωθούμε ή αποφεύγουμε να εκδηλώσουμε, επειδή θεωρούμε ότι είναι «αρνητικά» -άρα συναισθητικά επώδυνα-ή, σε πολλές περιπτώσεις, η εκδήλωσή τους δεν επιτρέπεται σύμφωνα με τα ισχύοντα κοινωνικά πρότυπα.

Όμως την ίδια στιγμή όλα αυτά τα σκιερά μας κομμάτια, που συνήθως αγνοούμε, είναι εξαιρετικά πολύτιμα, γιατί σε αυτά βρίσκεται η πηγή της δημιουργικότητάς μας, αλλά και η μόνη μας ελπίδα για την πνευματική μας ολοκλήρωση.

Σε αυτό το βαθιά ενορατικό βιβλίο ο πολύ γνωστός ψυχολόγος και μαθητής του Γιουνγκ, Robert Johnson αναλύει το θέμα της Σκιάς και με ένα απλό και πρακτικό τρόπο μάς βοηθάει να εξερευνήσουμε τη σκοτεινή πλευρά της ψυχής μας, προτείνοντας μεθόδους αποκατάστασης και συμφιλίωσής με τα υπόγεια, αλλά εξαιρετικά πολύτιμα, «ψυχικά μας απόβλητα»...

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Philosophy, Spirituality, Personal Development, Psychoanalysis

122 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1991

About the author

Robert A. Johnson is a noted lecturer and Jungian analyst in private practice in San Diego, California. He has studied at the Jung Institute in Switzerland and at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in India.

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that's easier to describe by what it isn't than by what it is. It's not a how-to self-help book, and it's not a scholarly analysis of myth. There are no theraputic instructions or any data sets or graphs. It's religious but not a tract for any religion.

So what is it? This book is a winding conversation with a thoughtful, spiritual, aging Jungian. It's a mix of meditation, Jungian worldview and interpretation of myth, and gentle guidance.

Reading it again I felt like it has a great deal to offer, if I can internalize some of the seismic ideas presented so demurely. The central idea is (I think) that we all have a shadow-- all those parts of ourselves relegated to the dark because they are unacceptable in society. These can be our worst impulses or attributes but also our best-- all the gold that would make us more exposed, more creative, more kind. When the gulf between our "light" and our "shadow" becomes too wide, we experience depression or breakdowns. So in order to have a healthy psyche, we need to welcome our shadow-selves into our conscious lives.

The goal(?) is not to bring light and dark (or any other polarity) into contradiction (you are good or bad, male or female, right or wrong), but to bring them into paradox (you are good and bad, masculine and feminie, right and wrong). In the sacred space of paradox, in the mandorla-- the almond shaped overlap of two circles, like the center of a Venn diagram-- you touch the divinity of I Am, of It Is, frantic but static opposition is pulled into a still but dynamic unity. This is the liminal space-- the place where ritual can heal the rifts in reality.

How does one accomplish that? As Master Oogway says in Kung Fu Panda, "I donno!" But I think it has something to do with awareness, with openness, and forgiveness. And religion, meaning to re-unite things that have been separated.

Worth reading, worth mulling over.

[Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself writing down lots of quotes from this book. Here's one I liked at the end:

"People often asked Dr. Jung, 'Will we make it?' referring to the cataclysm of our time. He always replied, 'If enough people will do their inner work.'"

[M.Qaid · Rating 2 out of 5]

لم يعجبني الكتاب
الكتاب لم يرق لي
لم استسغ الكتاب
لم اجد الكتاب جيدًا
الكتاب لم يترك لدىّ انطباعاً حسناً


مارأيك؟ هل ستستمر في قراءة مراجعتي هذه لو أنني واصلت تكرار هذه العبار لصفحتين مثلاً؟ لا أعتقد ذلك، وأجد قرارك صائبًا لأنني للتو انتهيت من كتاب فعل هذه الفعلة دون تحرج. ألقى فكرته في مستهل الكتاب ثم أخذ يعيدها بطرق مختلفة، نفس الفكرة تصول وتجول دون تعمق كافٍ وبلا تفاصيل وافية تدعم الفكرة وتفسرها وتطورها.

فكرة الكتاب جيدة، لا أنكر ذلك. موضوع التعامل مع الجوانب السلبية في حياتك وشخصيتك بدلاُ من إنكارها أو كبتها أو النفور منها هو موضوع يستحق البحث. لكن الفكرة الجيدة لا تكفى لخلق كتاب كامل، أكتب مقالاً، فصلاً، ألق محاضرة...لكن كتاب؟؟

اخترت الكتاب على أساس أنه ينتمي إلى علم النفس ورجوت الله إلا يقع في نطاق تطوير الذات. ولكن عندما قرأته منه بضع صفحات تمنيت أن يصبح كتاب تنمية شخصية بدلاً من أن يكون ثرثرة لا جدوى منها. وهكذا فلم يستطع الكتاب أن يكون كتاب علم نفس ولا كتاب تطوير النفس، هو فقط مقال طويل يسد النفس.

هو قصير ولكن ذلك لا يشفع له، فقد قرأت هذا العام كتاباً ممتازاً وقصيراً ويناقش نظرية عملية في علم النفس وهو :بحث الإنسان عن المعنى. توقعت من هذا الكتاب شيئاً مماثلاً لكنه لم يأت على مستوى توقعاتي.

نجمتان للفكرة ولبعض أجزاء من المحتوى، ولأن الكاتب لم يطل أمد الثرثرة لأكثر من مائة وثمانية عشر صفحة.

[Margie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A worthy premise lacking an appropriate depth.

[Sherrie Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally posted this on a post looking at creativity & depression
There is a school of thought that says we ALL have a shadow side that we try to sublimate or push down. It often comes up when we are partying & do something really stupid that we normally would never do. Or if someone is attracted to children, they act on it when the urge becomes too strong.
I believe the original idea comes from Carl Jung, but Robert A Johnson writes about it in "Owning Your Own Shadow.
He says that we all need to find a creative way to let our dark side out. Otherwise, we will be either self-destructive OR destructive of others.
Even before reading Johnson's book I had a sense of this idea. (Honestly, I don't really understand Jung so I sat mutely through many conversations with grad students when I was younger.)
When I went to Iceland at around 25 years of age, I discovered a country where everyone is encouraged to express themselves creatively, whether it be dance, painting or photography. (I didn't meet any writers, but I did visit a farm house that was filled with books!) Sadly, it occurs to me now as I write that most countries don't want us to feel good so they convince us that only the chosen few are artists. That way, they have plenty of unhappy young men (& now women too) who are willing to express their dark side by going to war. Also, content people don't buy as many products to try to make themselves happy.
Later, I discovered the Popul Vu, which is the Mayan bible. The Mayans believed that we are all little creators. The Popul Vu was filled with little creators of art, whether it was clay dolls they made or paintings or houses. I was fascinated with this idea.
Later, I went to Agape in LA, the one with Michael Beckwith. I learned there that we could heal and in the process, make art that expressed that healing. Rev, Michael's wife was the chorus director, as well as the musical director for the Agape International Spiritual Center and not only did the chorus travel the country (and sometimes the world), but Ricki Byers Beckwith brought musical groups to Agape every Sunday, often more than one.
The lesson I learned was "Don't try to push down your 'shadow side' or act it out by getting drunk and going home with a stranger." "Instead use that dark side to make the world a better place through your art."
These ideas may have saved my life!
Peace, love & Art,
Sherrie
Sherrie Miranda's historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/P11Ch5c...?

[Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Owning Your Own Shadow, Robert Johnson takes the idea of the shadow, from Jungian psychology, and runs with it, providing guidelines for using the concept to develop ones psychological health and understand ones relationships.

According to these theories, the shadow is those aspects of the self that for personal or cultural reasons we have repressed. We either consciously deny our own expression of them or, more insidiously, they are unconscious. When they are unconscious, we are in danger of expressing them in an uncontrolled destructive way, or projecting them onto other people and seeing them as evil.

Johnson recommends expressing the dark side of ones psychology in a non-dangerous way. For example, he believes that many religious ceremonies exist to allow expression of the shadow. Bring bringing the shadow to consciousness, we are able to deal with it more constructively.

Why would we want to bring out and express our shadow? Because there is "gold in the shadow." Some of our best qualities, or truest sources of energy, may be in parts of ourselves that we keep hidden.

Johnson has many interesting things to say about romantic love, which he believes is the projection of "the gold in our shadow" onto another human being. So, we see in another that which we see as most valuable or divine. (We do not see this "gold" in ourselves only because it is in shadow. A premise of Jungian psychology is that we have the potential to express any aspect of Self.) Johnson believes that this kind of romantic love--which is psychologically equivalent to contact with the divine--is unsustainable and maybe even unnatural when not contained in a religious ceremony because "it is something like connecting the house wiring to a 10,000-volt power line." Johnson believes that this has important implications for marriage. "When marriages survive, it is because both partners have moved down to the 110-volt human level and learned the art of loving."

I find this depressing but relatable.

How do we reconcile ourselves with our shadow? Johnson believes the answer is to embrace 'paradox' rather than lean into 'contradiction'. By 'paradox', Johnson means that we should accept the value of both sides of a moral dichotomy, and work or wait for a synthesis. So, for example, one should be open to the value of BOTH action and passivity, BOTH possessing and poverty, BOTH sex and celibacy, BOTH freedom and obedience, BOTH sobriety and ecstasy, and so on. If we accept both ends, we have a chance of discovering a middle way that esteems both. This is healing.

Love and power are another of these dichotomies, for Johnson.

"Power without love becomes brutal; love without power is weak. Yet when two people get close to each other, there is generally an explosion in their lives. Most of the recrimination between quarreling lovers or spouses involves the collision of love and power. To give each its due and endure the paradoxical tension is the noblest of all tasks. It is only too easy to embrace one at the expense of the other; but this precludes the synthesis that is the only real answer." p.89

"The high energy of fanaticism is a frantic effort to keep one half of the truth at bay while the other half takes control. This always yields a brittle and unreliable personality. This kind of righteousness depends on 'being right.' We may want to hear what the other is saying, but be afraid when the balance of power starts to shift. The old equation is collapsing and you are sure you will lose yourself if you 'give in.'" p.90

The way out of this is courageous encounter with ones own shadow, deliberate exploration and acceptance of the dark side of personality.

In the weakest and third chapter of the book, Johnson rambles about the "mandorla", a tool for working with ones shadow. A mandorla is the almond shaped intersection of two circles, and for Johnson it is a powerful metaphor for the synthesis of opposites. He believes that many works of art and religious ceremonies can function as mandorlas for us, teaching us the value of unity and bringing wholeness and healing.

This is a powerful book if approached with an open mind; I am healthier for it.

[Jigar Brahmbhatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One tends to project one's complexes on people, situations, things. What Jung calls shadow is that aspect of one's unconscious which contains the debris of one's inherent characteristics that gets repressed while adjusting to immediate social needs, in creating an amiable persona in other words. It is inevitable, and many a therapists today belonging to different schools may explain it less dramatically but the idea remains the same at the core. Freud may not have approved of Jung's terminology, and so do many recent analysts, but as a metaphor, as an idea of a stranger lurking within us, the symbolism intrigues me, as does many of Jung's ideas. The challenge of depth psychology is to release the gold that hides in the shadow, the creative energy that remains trapped in hazy clouds of repressions and associations. Neglect the shadow, run away from that which bothers you, and your true potential remains unrealized. Simple.

What Johnson argues, via Jung, is that:

The civilizing process, which is the brightest achievement of humankind, consists of culling out those characteristics that are dangerous to the smooth functioning of our ideals. Anyone who does not go through this process remains a "primitive" and can have no place in a cultivated society. We all are born whole but somehow the culture demands that we live out only part of our nature and refuse other parts of our inheritance. We divide the self into an ego and a shadow because our culture insists that we behave in a particular manner. Culture takes away the simple human in us, but gives us more complex and sophisticated power.

The only way shadow can manifest, unless you are conscious of it, is through projection. That is, it is neatly laid on someone or something else so we do not have to take responsibility for it. Hermann Hesse, ever a Jungian, wrote:

If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us.

That is projection. A conscious attempt to act out the shadow is a primary thing that can keep one more aware of the inner filth. In an interview Slavoj Zizek mentioned that whenever he meets his friends, they talk crass, untoward things with one another, referencing each other's mothers and all sorts of intimate things. Once satisfied, they agree that they have given a tribute to the filth and move on to much richer and nicer conversations. I am sure he won't think of it as acting out the shadow, but in my mind I see the metaphor at work.

The book aims for a more spiritual purpose eventually. Going beyond the contradictions provided to us almost daily by the mere process of living, that which shadow feeds on, one can move towards learning to see the contradictions as paradox, as something one accepts as the fact of life without trying to choose either this or that, and an answer for an individual, if there is one, emerges from there. Think of a Zen Koan that tells you to listen to the sound of one hand clapping. Its a paradox. Jungian system of individuation has similar aims that any spiritual system has, and he is often discarded as a mystic, but there is a metaphorical richness in his ideas vis-a-vis the psyche that provides an explanatory framework for the religious way of life.

Call it wholeness, totality, union of opposites, or the world navel, it is paradox that paves the way. The fish symbolism of Christ (also known as ichthys) has two intersecting arcs, leading to an acceptance of opposites as a whole, not weighing one over the other, like yin-yang, or the Mandala representing the Self (the whole-making principle in the psyche). It is this territory which is at odds with the neurosciences and the Freudian therapy, and relies heavily on symbols (dreams, active imagination).

Off course, one learns to "not" project the shadow on their own (like paying tribute to the filth), to learn and transform from one state to another, to be more broad-minded than before, to be more accepting of the world, without knowing all the above. But it is a complete system Jung provides that keep the more imaginative ones on a path, folks who think of personality as something that can be made whole again, like alchemists looking for inner gold.

[Flan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of all the oversimplified, cherry-picked, idiotic explanations of the shadow, this book takes the discussion down a couple of pegs. His references are vague at best; there is no scholarship between these covers. Just a bunch of overused drivel and examples carved into the shape he needs to support his premise.
This is an excellent example of a patriarchal view of society and the psychic that does not include the feminine principle whatsoever. It twists and turns on itself to prove what the author decided before he sat down to write it rather than an exploration of the shadow. If there were only men in society and not women of equal stature we could find some merit. However, women exist without regard to who men think they are. This fellow is quite clueless.
The other idea an old tired cliche is that the highest form of human relationship is the love/marraige relationship, or the student/guru relationship which is the sacred vessel. If you say so, you surely give no support of this idea. The examples you give are only true if women are empty vessels just waiting for men to give them meaning. So very tired.
I know I can't read She written by the same author, because this book pissed me off so many times the cover is filled with folds and creased acquired from flying across the room numerous times.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick inspirational read although it might not be perceived as very "practical". It's a general reflection on duality, recognizing opposites and the need to acknowledge that we do in fact have both within us. AND...it's not always necessary to reconcile every contradiction. I like the idea that sitting with it is enough and that wisdom or the vision of God comes out of that patience. That kind of thing is where the book shines. We really can't ignore the shadow, we must do something to acknowledge it and recognize it as an equal and legitimate part of our whole self. We know this and you will find general inspiration to face the shadow but not detailed instructions here.

[Emmanuela · Rating 1 out of 5]

The initial idea of the book is very interesting and attracting to investigate.
However, I think this idea is not adequately discussed, but only furtherly presented from its religious (mainly Christian) aspect...
I felt that the book dind't actually come to a conclusion.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a reference book for me! I will never stop reading it! This book has helped me form lasting components of my life philosophy.

[Frahmani110 · Rating 5 out of 5]

دومین کتابی بود که از این نویسنده خوندم، زبان ساده و عاری از اصطلاحات تخصصی روانشناسی باعث میشه کتاب برای عموم مخاطبانش، قابل فهم و کاربردی باشه.
سایه در واقع آن بخش از وجود و شخصیت آدمی است که می کوشیم تا نهانش کنیم، تمام ویژگی ها و تکانش های منفی که از برملا شدن آنها (خودآگاه یا ناخودآگاه) هراس داریم.
نویسنده با بیان مدل الاکلنگ به خواننده یاد میده که چطور بصورت آیینی و تشریفاتی به سایه ی وجودش احترام بگذارد و سعی کند این بخش را به حیطه خودآگاه خود بیاورد تا بجای انرژی مخرب آن، از نیروی سازنده و خلاقش بهره گیرد.

[Ruysan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Biased towards Christianity

The author cannot stop himself from preaching his view of Christianity. There is no clear method or technique here. He describes some ideas about joining light and dark, about using a state of paradox to resolve the shadow, but he doesn’t say how.

[Caryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and quick read. Brings to light the constant contradictions we live everyday and that trouble everyone on some level. The key to living a happy life is by living a balanced life and honoring all parts of yourself, not just the parts that society/religion have told us are worthy of attention. We've got to let out the animalistic parts of us in healthy ways or it will come out in a destructive way. It's OK to have them and a balance of both light and darkness is to be close to the universe/god/spirituality/infinity (whatever you want to call it).

I like how the author doesn't tell you step by step on how to do this in your personal life. It's going to be a different answer for everyone anyway.

I like any book that makes me analyze why i do the things I do. If a book does that it stimulates my brain more than anything, which is my goal these days, i only want to learn.

[Mahya Moq · Rating 2 out of 5]

خواب سایه م رو دیده بودم و وقتی توی کتاب فروشی چشمم به این کتاب افتاد، حس کردم یک نشانه ست و باید بخرمش. ولی الآن بعید می دونم که نشانۀ خاصّی بوده باشه ! حرف اصلیش این بود که آدم باید سعی کنه تضادهای درونیش رو تحمّل کنه و اونها رو در خودش به تعادل برسونه و اینطوریه که می تونه رشد کنه.

[Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very short book and disappointing. I'm interested in the idea of the Shadow but perhaps I should just be reading Jung.

[Bassmh · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 stars

Robert Johnson has the ability to render psychological concepts and processes into a simplified obtainable knowledge.

The topic of shadow work is very extensive, therefore I found the book doing a good job of providing a peek into the topic.

Would’ve loved if more discussion on integrating the shadow were there!

[Metta · Rating 4 out of 5]

"To stay loyal to paradox is to earn the right to unity.

One of Johnson's short booklets on some of the key issues of life, in a jungian perspective.
Clear and concise, still poetic and with that typical quality of some of the best jungian authors to leave room for the unspoken, to open windows, and doors to new/timeless perspectives of the soul, to tickle and appetite for more...
The last chapter entitled "The Mandorla" is such a gateway, a glimpse of the power in a symbolic act, where art - action - symbol - psyche - poetry are united.

"The shadow as entree to paradox
To own one's shadow is to prepare the ground for spiritual experience. (...) the pearl of great price is to be found in our everyday conflicts and tensions.(...) Conflict to paradox to revelation: that is the divine progression.

People come to the consulting room and lay out a collision of values with great embarrassment and agony. They want resolution but would have something even greater if they could ask for consciousness to bear the paradox.

Jung once said, "Find out what a person fears most and that is where he will develop next." The ego is fashioned like the metal between the hammer and the anvil.
This is for the brave and one does not easily find a moral or ethical nature strong enough for the process. Heroism could be redefined for our time as the ability to stand paradox.
So, in practicality, what do you do? Just to ask the question takes you off center, for it makes you choose between doing and being. (...)
Paradox is brought to its next stage of development by a highly conscious waiting.(...)
To consent to paradox is to consent to suffering that which is greater than the ego. The religious experience lies exactly where we feel we can proceed no further. THis is an invitation to that which is greater than one's self."

[Anima · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Many people fail to find their God-given living water because they are not prepared to search in unusual places.'
....'Anyone who does not go through this process remains a “primitive” and can have no place in a cultivated society. We all are born whole but somehow the culture demands that we live out only part of our nature and refuse other parts of our inheritance. We divide the self into an ego and a shadow because our culture insists that we behave in a particular manner.'

'It is interesting to travel about the world and see which characteristics various cultures affix to the ego and which to the shadow. It becomes clear that culture is an artificially imposed structure, but an absolutely necessary one.'
'Wherever we start and whatever culture we spring from, we will arrive at adulthood with a clearly defined ego and shadow, a system of right and wrong, a teeter-totter with two sides.* The religious process consists of restoring the wholeness of the personality. The word religion means to re-relate, to put back together again, to heal the wounds of separation. It is absolutely necessary to engage in the cultural process to redeem ourselves from our animal state; it is equally necessary to accomplish the spiritual task of putting our fractured, alienated world back together again.'

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explains the Jungian concept of The Shadow, what it is, how it conflicts with the Ego and how we project our shadows onto others and society. A good primer to start with if you are interested in Shadow work

[Ozan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

"Kendi gölgene sahip olmak: psişenin karanlık yanını anlamak" gibi beklenti yaratan bir isme sahip oluşu nedeniyle kitaba başladım, ancak içinde geçen birkaç ifadeyi göz ardı ettiğim taktirde kolayca "vakit kaybı" diye niteleyebileceğim bir kitaptı ve ince olmasaydı kitabı okumayı bırakırdım. Kitapta bazı ifadeler güzeldi ancak kitabın geneli için aynı şey söylenemez. İlk 3'te 1'lik kısmı fena değildi, ortalamaydı. Son kısımları ise benim için saçmalık diyeceğim türdendi.

Yazarın kitabın genelinde “Thank God”, “God-given”, “Sainthood”, Adam, Virgin Mary, St. Augustine, Western cross, the Church gibi dini ifadelerden ve Tree of knowledge, Garden of Eden, “Restoring the heavenly Jerusalem”, “The Bible tells us”, "Values of Christianity" diyerek dini içeriklerden bahsetmesi bana "Ben bu kitabı neden okuyorum?" diye sordurdu. Yazar arada "Our own Christian culture" falan da diyor zaten. Adam başka bir kültürden başka bir dine mensup ya da dinsiz birinin bu kitabı okumasına ihtimal bile vermemiş açıkça.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather disappointing. Repetitive, getting nowhere. Quality compared to a 20 minute YouTube video on Jung.

[Mary Overton]

loc. 315: “Jung used to say that we can be grateful for our enemies, for their darkness allows us to escape our own.
“Heaping abuse [on those who abuse us] does great damage - not only to others but to us as well, for as we project our shadow we give away an essential ingredient of our own psychology. We need to connect with this dark side for our own development, and we have no business flinging it at others, trying to palm off these awkward and unwanted feelings. The difficulty is that most of us live in an intricate web of shadow exchange that robs both parties of their potential wholeness. The shadow also contains a good deal of energy, and it is the cornerstone of our vitality. A very cultured individual with an equally strong shadow has a great deal of personal power. William Blake spoke about the need to reconcile these two parts of the self. He said we should go to heaven for form and to hell for energy - and marry the two. When we can face our inner heaven and our inner hell, this is the highest form of creativity.”

loc 333: “Goethe’s FAUST, perhaps the greatest example in literature of the meeting of ego and shadow, is about a pale, dried-up professor who has come to the point of suicide because of the unlivable distance between his ego and his shadow … Faust meets his equally impossible shadow, Mephistopheles, who appears as his lordship, the devil. The explosion of energy at the meeting is extreme. Yet they persevere and their long, vivid story is our best instruction in the reception of ego and shadow.”

loc 366: a lengthy quote from Jungian analyst and Episcopal priest Jack Sanford:
“The ego is … primarily engaged in its own defense and the furtherance of its own ambitions. Everything that interferes with it must be repressed. the [repressed] elements … become the shadow. Often these are basically positive qualities.
“There are, in my view, two ‘shadows”: (1) the dark side of the ego, which is careful hidden from itself and which the ego will not acknowledge unless forced to by life’s difficulties, and (2) that which has been repressed in us lest it interfere with our egocentricity and, however devilish it may seem, is basically connected to the Self.
“In a showdown God [Self] favors the shadow over the ego, for the shadow, with all of its dangerousness, is closer to the center and more genuine.”
Hence the maddening preference shown to the prodigal son while the dutiful son is sidelined … excellently expressed in Tennessee Williams’ play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another short and fantastic read on the ideas of the shadow and its related elements. Johnson's text is extremely accessible, and goes into a well-rounded understanding of the shadow, examining both the negative and positive aspects we bury into our shadow. Johnson discusses how religion, properly understood, and Christianity, in a full process of the mass, really embraces the light and dark and helps us access/understand that in ourselves. He discusses where we are at in culture right now, and how the collective shadow can certainly be destructive; if we all do our inner work though, as he quotes Jung, we aren't doomed.
I enjoyed this book on many levels. It further enriched and deepened my understanding of the shadow, which is preparing me for writing my Jungian Psych paper. It touched on ideas of the wounded healer, which I will set aside for my possible future dissertation topic. And it discussed embracing opposites and accepting paradoxes, something I am personally interested in. Actually, a lot of what he discussed, including the shadow in marriage, resonated on a real and personal level, beyond the realm of studies and in the realm of real applicable life-stuff. "To own one's shadow is to prepare the ground for spiritual experience" (91).
The final concept I want to mention is the mandorla that Johnson has introduced me to. Similar to the mandala, which I've grown to love through Jung's works, the mandorla (the overlap between two circles) offers "safety and sureness in our fractured world" (103). Johnson also discussed language as a mandorla, which really excited the English-teacher side of me! "To make any well formed sentence is to make unity out of duality. This is immensely healing and restorative. We are all poets and healers when we use language correctly" (104).
I have a feeling I will be rereading this little treasure many times!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, a Jungian analyst, reminds that we have not entered adequately into our consciousness, especially our own shadow. Let's face it, typically we do not integrate the shadow (unlit aspect) of our self as a pure and real unity. Help in reaching out to aspects of our true consciousness lies in the sign of the Christian mandorla. The union pictures two overlapping circles. The overlap looks like an almond (It. - mandorla) of the shadow and the individual persona (ego).

[Liam Malone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this today and remain as confused as when I started it. IMHO her never clearly defines the Shadow. He argues by comparison, and these often don't make sense or work. Even though it's a short book, 118 pages, I don't think it's worth rereading. Jungian studies do interest me, so that's why I bought this.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing to me, mainly because of its insistence that the way to God is to embrace paradox. In other words, one should not think in terms of exclusive contradictions, but rather in terms of the mandorla--the shared space between seemingly opposed principles.

[Haniyeh.Sdr · Rating 1 out of 5]

به نظر میرسید نویسنده نتونسته ایده ای که داشته رو به خوبی بیان کنه و مفهوم رو به صورت منسجم و منظم به خواننده انتقال بده.درکل خوندنش اتلاف وقت بود

[Sherif Nagib · Rating 2 out of 5]

كتاب بدأ بشكل لطيف في شرح مفهوم "الظل" في النفس الإنسانية عند كارل يونج، ثم هبط بعد ذلك في الشلاحات ولم يقدم أي شئ. كان بالإمكان تلخيصه في خمس ورقات. كتاب تائه بين علم النفس والتنمية الذاتية.

[Ebrahim Ahmed]

Note: the below review is not perfect!

I went quick on this book, but I think it is is not bad in describing the way of dealing with the shadow based on Jungian psychology. The shadow is the dark side of your unconsciousness. The self-element that is suppressed by your ego. The unwanted deeds, or the interests you want to focus less on, ashamed of etc..

Robert Johnson believes that the more the bright side is expanded, in self and community, the more the opposite of it, the dark shadow expands. as an example of this, the technological improvement the world had witnessed lead people to war and violence. Thus, individuals and communities should know how to bleed off the pressure induced by the expansion of there shadow. The author sees that art, music, writing, etc are good ways to project the shadow. If you're taking over in the domain of your work/career, for instance, and have been very dedicated and creative, you may have a large push of shadow that you should not project and let it free in the face of your partner, family, friends. The more good you become at something, the more evil tendency you have.

In later chapters the author states the one should not be biased in his character, he should embrace being paradoxical, he says, instead of being contradictory. I think what he meant is to balance what he called the religious and the secular traits and virtues.

Finally, he mentions the above paradoxical traits in the shape of the Mandorla, an almond shape in the intersection of two circles.

I think the such ideas are conveyed in other books/ideologies/philosophies with different terms.