Why do shadow work? I'll tell you why. Because an unintegrated life is harder than it needs to be.

A fragmented sense of self, one in which some parts of you are allowed and some parts are not allowed, a place in your life and your identity means that

there will be unnecessary suffering. And I am not claiming that doing shadow work will free you

of suffering. Suffering is part of life. But I am saying that shadow work has the potential to

gradually, over time and with sincere dedication, free you from the kind of suffering that

is unnecessary. The kind that is the product of self-rejection or self-abandonment, being divided

against yourself, projecting your own gifts and challenges onto other people, calling in

that which you actively hate, harming others or embarrassing yourself through emotional

outbursts, and even some say physical illness.

It's like some secret unknown part of you just likes to screw things up, especially your relationships or

professional aspirations. It seems to have a mind of its own. And when something sets it off or you feel

triggered in a certain way, it takes over. And its willpower is stronger than you.

Your conscious self, even though it is you, your shadow is you, it can feel a bit like

you have been possessed.

If you're really into personal development, spirituality, self actualization, it might be the part of you that you have been trying to get rid of, the part of you that you have been trying to overcome.

And you may even think that you have gotten rid of it or overcome it because it hasn't made an appearance in a very long time.

You did such and such modality and you got rid of that thing.

It's over now.

That was your past.

But then years later, when life hits you with a major loss or some kind of security threatening challenge,

something that threatens your sense of security, it pops back up.

Like, surprise, remember me?

...