Connie Zweig, a retired Jungian therapist and author, engages in a thought-provoking discussion about the Shadow—our unconscious selves that influence behavior. She explores how shadow work can lead to personal and collective healing, especially in midlife. Zweig addresses the significance of repression, projection in relationships, and the role of shadow work in modern society. The conversation highlights the importance of self-awareness and how confronting our shadows can foster deeper connections and empathy amidst societal challenges.
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Connie Zweig's Shadow Journey
Connie Zweig's shadow work journey began unexpectedly through meditation and disillusionment with the TM movement.
Her first dream in Jungian analysis revealed spiritual shadow, which guided her lifelong focus.
insights INSIGHT
Ego and Shadow Formation
The ego forms by accepting traits that earn love and approval in childhood.
The shadow hosts repressed feelings and traits deemed unacceptable, stored throughout the body-mind.
insights INSIGHT
Shadow's Nature To Hide
The shadow naturally hides and is met with denial when it emerges into awareness.
This repression causes eruptive behaviors that sabotage our intentions and relationships.
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Connie Zweig's "Romancing the Shadow" explores the dynamics of shadow work within the context of relationships. It examines how unconscious patterns and projections can sabotage love, commitment, and intimacy. The book offers practical strategies for transforming these patterns into opportunities for deeper connection and understanding. Zweig emphasizes the importance of conscious communication and empathy in fostering healthy relationships. The book's insights are valuable for individuals seeking to improve their relationships and deepen their self-awareness.
Meeting the shadow
Connie Zweig
Jeremiah Abrams
Connie Zweig's "Meeting the Shadow" offers a comprehensive exploration of the shadow self in Jungian psychology. It delves into how the shadow manifests in various life areas, including relationships, work, and societal structures. The book provides practical tools and techniques for integrating the shadow, fostering self-awareness and personal growth. Zweig emphasizes the importance of understanding and accepting the shadow as a crucial step towards wholeness and psychological well-being. The book's insights are relevant to both personal development and understanding collective dynamics.
The Holy Longing
Ronald Rolheiser
As a new generation joins the search for understanding and meaning in our ambiguous and uncertain world, there’s a growing resurgence of interest in the Shadow—Carl Jung’s famous term for the aspects of ourselves that hide in our unconscious yet often drive behaviors we’d rather not repeat. In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with acclaimed Jungian therapist and author Dr. Connie Zweig about her life’s mission to help us grow in self-awareness and move toward personal and collective healing by learning how to work with the Shadow.
This aha-moment-filled conversation explores: meeting the Shadow on the spiritual path; ego formation during childhood; the concept of repression and the problem with the closet metaphor; why the Shadow hides—and when it erupts; “romancing the Shadow”; three cues to explore with respect to compulsive behaviors; “Shadow characters” and the practice of personifying aspects of the Shadow; the intergenerational aspect; engaging Shadow work at midlife; the superego; projection in relationships; sharing our secrets; money, sex, and power; shifting from a persona marriage to a Shadow marriage; the Vedanta tradition and the teaching on leshavidya, “the remains of ignorance”; the moral development missing in many spiritually advanced practitioners; illusions, idealizations, and archetypal projections; why the first reaction to meeting the Shadow is denial; Shadow projection in the politics of our times; step one: self-examination; bridging inner work and outer work wisely; how to practice “holding the tension of opposites”; cultivating nonduality in your own psychology; the “third thing” and the transcendent function; and more.
Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.
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