Shadow
The “Shadow” is the name the psychologist Carl Jung gave to those aspects of ourselves that—from a very early age—we learn to suppress, hide and deny in order to be accepted and loved— first by our parents and family and later by our friends, classmates, and society in general. In order to fit in, we learn to suppress our anger, our aggressiveness, our selfishness —and other qualities we are taught are “negative”.
separation
We learn to hide them from others— and from ourselves. As a result, without understanding why, we end up feeling divided within ourselves, in conflict with ourselves, fragmented rather than whole. The image we create to look good is designed to hide from others— and ourselves—the shadow we don’t want anyone to see.
wholeness
In shadow theory, wholeness refers to integrating the unconscious parts of ourselves—our "shadow"—into consciousness. Embracing these repressed traits promotes self-awareness and healing. By acknowledging both light and dark aspects, we achieve psychological balance, fostering personal growth, authenticity, and a deeper connection to our true selves.
