Romancing the Shadow

July 31, 1997
Replacing murky psychological language with easily understood stories and characters, Jungian psychotherapists Wolf and Zweig (Meeting the Shadow) offer a plethora of myth-based modern parables for reconnecting with our "dark" sides. In this version of Jung's theory of archetypes, "banished" aspects of individuals or families--"anything that is forbidden, shamed, or taboo"--comprise a "shadow" self that is inaccessible to the "persona" or mask-like public face we wear among others. The result can be a host of problems whose causes seem diffuse, such as addiction, depression or abuse. The authors assert that by "romancing" or bringing the shadow into the light of consciousness by identifying and giving voice to its demands, the true "third body" of intimate relationships and authentic "family soul" can replace false selves. A recurring metaphor is of King Arthur's round table. In chapters such as "Looking for the Beloved: Dating as Shadow Work" and "The Shadow at Work: The Search for Soul on the Job," real-life cases of people in common situations, such as having sex with one's ex- or enduring grinding boredom at work, are analyzed in terms of which mythic character (from a wide variety of world literatures) sits at the head of one's own round table, inappropriately controlling one's actions and reactions. Everything from keeping a journal to tracking physical sensations, the authors assert, can aid in the "shadow work" of identifying and integrating such voices into an authentic self.