The Shadow and Its Mask
A Discussion on the Dual Properties of Personal Relating — The Jungian Psyche #5
Introduction
Very few people confront life with their raw, vulnerable self. Those that do either live in a state of deluded fantasy, or have done tremendous work on themselves to be able to face reality in such a way. For the majority of people, there are layers of psychological buffers that exist between them and anyone or anything they come into contact with.
We exist in a sea of uncertainty. Any stranger could be a threat to our existence or the love of our life. There’s really no way to know unless we interact with said stranger. Before any interaction can take place, our minds decide for us how close we can get to someone. We make a quick judgment and place a label on them. This allows for our fear of uncertainty to be quelled, closing the space between us and the other.
This is projection. A piece of who we are—usually a part that is unacknowledged as being authentically us—is flung outwards onto an ample target. Something about how that person was presenting instigated an unconscious response within us.
Certainty is safety.
Whether we have condemned or fallen madly in love with this stranger, we now have something to latch onto. We now have an image of who we think that person is.
But where did this idea come from? Surely we can’t be that pompous as to believe our initial read was fully accurate. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. That would be missing the point. The point is that certain personality aspects were just dredged up into consciousness. Though the “other” triggered these responses, they still came up from you. They came from your shadow.
The concept of the shadow was one of Carl Jung’s most prominent discoveries—one that has had strong ripple effects throughout the psycho-analytic community. Everyone understands what a shadow is. It doesn’t take much mental acrobatics to understand that you, as a living personality, also have a “shadow.” It was perhaps a classic example of simply pointing out the obvious—with incredibly helpful results.
If we equate consciousness to light, unconsciousness is obviously darkness. If the ego is a ball of light—a locus of awareness—then it must cast a shadow somewhere. We all have egos, and we all cast shadows. These shadows show up through unconscious projections onto other people and objects external to us.
This process doesn’t happen sporadically (though it may feel like it). There is always some kind of “hook” that allows for the projection to take place. The person who you labeled as a potential serial killer was putting out some type of image that could justify that assessment. Maybe they had shaggy, unkempt facial hair and an expressionless stare. This doesn’t at all mean that they are actually a murderer, but just that they may carry a similar anti-social vibe.
This is a part of their persona. The aspect of themselves they present to the world. The persona and the shadow have a direct relationship. It is the relationship between what is presented and what is hidden.
Maybe that unkempt person was actually an extremely wealthy philanthropist who didn’t care to impress strangers with his looks. Maybe you enjoy watching horror movies and enjoy having a secretly morbid imagination. What is presented is not always what is true. And what springs from our own shadow is not always accurate about someone else.
In this installment of The Jungian Psyche, we will be taking a look at this concept of the shadow and the role it plays within the psyche. In addition, it will cover a few of the subpersonalities (such as the persona and ego) that directly play off of the shadow. As always, this article will be pulling primarily from Murray Stein’s book, Jung’s Map of the Soul, which is a brilliant introductory text on Jungian Psychology.
We can stop looking for the monsters under the bed now, we’re about to see how they’ve been inside us all along!
The Shadow
We begin life, more as less, as pure awareness. Since we don’t have any experience yet, there is nothing to build a basis of likes and dislikes around. There is nothing really to be attached to, save the basic survival needs and attachments to our caregivers. This is where the process of ego development begins.
Right away, we begin to filter what we prefer and don’t prefer. As we mature, our preferences become more intricate, and our attachments to certain ways of existing solidify. What is filtered through the lens of “us” is thrown out. It is exactly this “landfill” of being that forms our shadow.
The ego, identifying with certain traits, must leave some behind. If we say we are a certain way, then any ways differing can’t be sufficiently related to. The thing is, they don’t just go away. Within each of us lies the capacity to be any type of person we could imagine.
I’m not talking in a motivational way, like if you try hard you can be the person of your dreams, but that on a deep existential level, there exists the capacity to be literally every single personality that exists today. It’s all there, all inside you. We all have the same tendencies within us that drove Gandhi as did those that drove Hitler. Any human trait ever experienced by anyone can be experienced by you.
Due to the deep inherent drive to survive through socialization, a majority of people would consider themselves to be of a certain high moral quality. Many reject the idea that they have an inner Hitler and are capable of such monstrous genocide. This is understandable given the intensity of the example; it is a rather large shadow pill to try and swallow at first. Much more frequently, people would rather reject their innate tendencies towards selfishness, greed, or any other small scale self-centered activity.
What we resist, however, persists.
“In adapting to and coping with the world, the ego, quite unwittingly, employs the shadow to carry out unsavory operations that it could not perform without falling into a moral conflict. Without the ego’s knowledge, these protective and self-serving activities are carried out in the dark. The shadow operates much like a nation’s secret espionage system—without the explicit knowledge of the head of state, who is therefore allowed to deny culpability” (Stein, pg. 107, 1998).
The shadow will always creep out in a multitude of ways that go completely unnoticed. When you begin to really take a look at your shadow, you may notice there is almost a willing blindness that occurs when the shadow is acting out. The ego knows on some level and ignores it.
Considering you’re someone who sees themselves as a good person, your shadow will likely have an immoral tint. It will likely include the savage, egotistical fiend who has such blatant disregard for other people. The shadow may manifest as subtly manipulating conversations, an affliction for gory movies, or a constant condemning and judgmental attitude towards complete strangers.
When a shadow personality has taken control, it is impossible to notice the shift in personality. This operates much like the complexes (which are unconscious subpersonalities that can take over ego awareness in a very similar way!).
The shadow can most often be noticed through projection onto others. As previously mentioned, the shadow requires a hook from someone which pulls out the shadow component, bringing it into awareness. Usually the ego defenses are strong enough to deny all that which is being projected is in any way a part of you. The ego will justify its superior stance towards that which is being perceived—fighting until the last breath.
At this point we now have a powerful choice: we can continue projecting and condemning, or shift into an expanded awareness where we recognize what we are angry at is something we ourselves do!
This is not always easy, but the rewards of reclaiming our severed, undesirable personality traits are tremendous. We are left with a sense of empowerment and sovereignty over our existence that greatly aids in creating a life we truly enjoy.
The Persona
The process of identifying one’s shadow becomes increasingly more difficult the more that the ego is identified with its persona.
The persona is the mask that is presented to the rest of the world. In many ways, it is inherently superego-centric, meaning that it is rooted in collective ideals and aims to integrate the personality into society. For adequate societal integration, the ego must assume a stance of community and cohesion. Any traits related to self-centeredness and individualism will be looked at with disgust.
There is, therefore, a direct relationship between the persona and the shadow. This can bring some confusion, as the shadow is also in relationship with the ego. To clarify this, let’s walk through a thought experiment.
At our core, our existence in reality is pure experience. It is pure observation. We are not the doer, or the thinker, but rather just the self that is observing everything happening. This state of pure awareness is rather difficult to maintain, and thus almost needs to latch onto something—to identify with certain aspects of reality to create meaning and certainty from the chaotic openness of pure observation.
As we experience more and more of reality, we begin crafting different tools for different jobs. It doesn’t make sense to respond to certain situations with the same character you would towards others. You know that yelling in a library isn’t appropriate, just as much as you know that whispering at a concert won’t get anyone to hear you. The situation itself brings forth certain character modes of operation.
This is where the distinction between the two shadows comes into play. One is the ego’s desire for certainty and existence, the other is the self’s need to respond to situations appropriately. On some level these are indeed the same. We can only see ourselves as being “real” when a positive version of who we are is reflected in the world and, most importantly, towards the people around us. Our ego identity is, thus, deeply consumed with our persona self, though it is important to note that they are two separate entities.
Because the persona is rooted in the external, and responds to situations outside of one’s self, it has a degree of alienation from the ego. It isn’t inherently a part of the self that feels like it’s a part of the self.
“The persona is the person that we become as a result of acculturation, education, and adaptation to our physical and social environments” (Stein, pg. 109, 1998).
Precisely because the persona is a sort of tool that is employed to fit into society, it is not an intrinsic part of who you are. It is a subpersonality that is separate from the ego-self. This separation produces two distinct shadows.
It can be said that all of our subpersonalities have their own shadows. Each aspect of your personality you identify with will have its own shadow. Think of the ego and persona as mentioned here less as subpersonalities and more as roles. They are positions with which different parts of the self are filled at different times.
For example, when at the grocery store, your persona is probably calibrated towards focusing on your shopping list, and playing an amicable role with the ability for small talk. It would be out of place for your persona self to be occupied with rage and picking fights with everyone you come into contact with.
Though this sounds like the persona is something that can be molded and swapped around at will, for a majority of people this is not the case. For most, the ego is so identified with the role it plays in society that the ego and persona are fused.
“The psychological term identification points to the ego’s ability to absorb and unite with external objects, attitudes, and persons. This is a more or less unconscious process. One simply finds oneself unintentionally imitating another person. Perhaps one does not even notice it oneself, but other people see the mimicry” (Stein, pg. 114, 1998).
When identified with the persona, there is a degree of only seeing the self through the lens of a concept—Some label, or idea about who one is, rather than pure being and awareness.
The ability to separate persona and ego largely comes down to a degree of self-awareness. When we are able to notice these unconscious identifications, we can take a step back into pure I-amness. This is the default state of the ego.
Being without identification.
Sources of Persona
When Jung was first observing this phenomenon, he discovered two main sources that created the personas. These were a directing force from both the expectations and demands of society, as well as the aims and goals of the individual.
“In order for society to be able to influence one’s attitudes and behavior, one must want to belong to society. The ego must be motivated to accept the persona features and the roles that society requires and offers, or else they will simply be avoided. There will be no identification at all. An agreement must be struck between the individual and society in order for persona formation to take hold” (Stein, pg. 115, 1998).
Thus, a cycle is incurred whereby the ego wants to be a functioning member of society, and so begins to identify with roles. These roles are then removed from their motivational origin, and instead become the desire for ambition and social prestige. We instinctively assign high value to high level roles within society, and they become highly desirable positions to be in.
This creates an interesting split within the psyche. The desire to be liked and accepted is but one fraction of all the needs of the self. While important, it is not everything. Due to it being so easy to over identify with this need and therefore the persona, there is an increasing crisis of identity as many are realizing the superficiality of such ambition.
Intrinsically, the ego and persona have two different agendas. This is a large factor for this inherent splitting so common today. The persona wants to integrate and be accepted. The ego wants to separate and establish itself as an autonomous identity.
“The ego’s radical desire for separation/individuation is often rooted in the shadow because it is so threatening both to group life and to the individual’s well-being … The ego’s movement toward relationship and adaptation to the present milieu, which seeks to insure survival, provides the opportunity for the persona to take hold. And this then becomes a person’s self-presentation to the world” (Stein, pg. 117, 1998).
It really all comes down to survival. We lean into our persona out of fear. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to step out of the persona and onto the path of individuation. We are at a time, though, where this is becoming increasingly necessary.
Cult mindset and persona pampering is reaching a sickening high, paired with just enough collective self awareness to notice the negative trends in adhering to the herd. As more people begin to do the inner work, a stronger pathway of ego-development over persona development will begin to take hold and it will be more “socially acceptable” to focus on one’s own development over their societal role.
Of course this will create its own category of persona and the process will begin all over again. Growth is, after all, a continuing process of disidentification and reintegration.
Development of Personas
It is a fact of life that we have to struggle. Even if we are blessed with abundance, surviving still takes effort. Luckily, much of Jungian psychology is just rephrasing the struggle to give it meaning. This is what forms the basis of the individuation process.
A large part of the struggle is driven by the differences in our ego’s drive for separateness and our persona’s drive for social conformity. This is indeed one of the fundamental splits we all must contend with when embarking on our own individuation journey.
The issue stems largely from which personas the ego becomes identified with and the fact that these weren't consciously chosen. They are simply a reflection of our earliest cultural environments. Sometimes the ego feels at home within their subculture, but often it does not.
Other issues include over-identifying with the persona, or conversely being completely unaware of the external social world.
On the first, Stein writes:
“The individual becomes unduly concerned with pleasing and adapting to the social world and comes to believe that this constructed image is all there is to the personality” (Stein, pg. 118, 1998).
And to the other he adds:
“The other problem lies in not paying enough attention to the external world and being too exclusively involved with the inner world (a condition that Jung will describe as anima or animus possession). Such a person attends to impulses, wishes, desires, and fantasies, and is so taken up with that world and identified with it that not enough attention is paid to other people. Consequently, such a person tends to be inconsiderate, blind, and unrelated to others, and gives up these characteristics only when forced to do so by the harshest blows of fate” (Stein, pg. 118, 1998).
At its core, a persona’s sole goal is to create a buffer between the individual and external “objects.” They allow someone to relate effectively to the world around them, as well as protect the more vulnerable aspect of themselves. The persona can both express the self, while simultaneously hiding it.
As one matures, the persona that is most identified with often changes. The archetypal core of the ego stays the same—the core I-am that permeates what the ego is—but the way the ego expresses itself to the external world does change quite a bit throughout one’s lifetime.
Though the personas can be swapped out, they too have an archetypal core. Often these personas follow familiar roles, such as the eldest child, jokester, people-pleaser, etc.
Most often however, we stick with the personas obtained during Childhood.
“People are assigned such roles by unconscious dynamics within families and groups, and when they accept them in childhood they often carry some version of the role with them throughout life” (Stein, pg. 121, 1998).
Childhood offers a very likely chance that a particular persona will be forced upon you, leading to you unconsciously accepting it, even if it is in no way reflective of your most authentic self.
Thankfully, though, we are never stuck with our initial personas. There’s always a way to reidentify with parts of ourself that are more authentically who we are.
Integration and Individuation
We carry these personas with us until the day we can take a step back and look at how they have been leading us astray. For many, especially those who find themselves doing the “inner-work,” their collection of personas were at such odds with the real self that they experienced a crisis of identity, feeling the pain of having betrayed who they really are.
This realization is the beginning of the individuation process. It is the recognition of the persona’s shadow—that developing the ego and moving away from social conformity has a much higher priority in the psyche than one realizes.
Personally, I believe this persona game is exactly the same as the “veil of maya,” that is spoken about in Eastern philosophy. It is the world of “form” that is an illusion. Much of the societal level of consciousness isn’t “real” in any sense. Social rules are simply ideas, and ideas are inherently formless. We all collectively agree or disagree to follow these rules, even though there is nothing tangible in nature that says we must.
Breaking away from the persona-identification is intrinsically terrifying. It is akin to “leaving the nest,” to fully breaking away from the protective womb of the collective mindset. At its core, social conformity offers protection. Stemming from our early tribal days as a species, identification with the tribe meant survival. If you dared go against the tribe, you would be cast out into the wilderness where you most likely wouldn’t survive.
Because of this, our persona identification is deeply rooted in shame. Under no circumstances do we want to become the outcast. Deep in our primal brain this is equated to death. This is why severing oneself from the need to please others, the need to conform to the group is one of the most frightening things we can experience. It is akin to a conscious experience of actual death.
Scary as it may be, it is also the beginning of the hero’s journey. It is the beginning of us living out our own true myth, of writing our story in its unique and individual way. Shifting our identity from external cohesion to internal individuation begins the stronger development of our ego and the ability to live as our most authentic self.
Though the initial disidentification experience of the personas may feel like death—or at the very least an existential reckoning—it is really only the death of the false self. It is the removal of being someone you are not, only to be replaced by someone you actually are—which is always a rewarding experience.
Allowing our false identifications to die is quite an underrated skill. When on the inner path, it’s best not to fear the reaper.
Behind every death lies an even greater rebirth.
Conclusion
At this point in the series, we now have a very solid idea of the personal spheres of the psyche. Understanding this core aspect of self is quintessential to understand before beginning to interpret the more abstract layers. We have to know who we are currently before understanding who we really are.
To summarize, the ego is the center of our personal experience. It is the locus of our essential I-amness that is integral to our sentience. This center exists in the middle space between the external and internal worlds. It is a mediator of the two.
On each side we have a veneer that acts as a buffer zone between the external world and the unconscious, internal one. The persona is the mask that allows us to exist in the external world, expressing ourselves and manipulating the environment around us. The shadow is the “basement” of the psyche where our rejected personality traits lie, waiting to be discovered. The shadow also acts as a barrier to the rest of the unconscious, and must be reconciled before digging deeper into the rest of the psyche.
Because personas help us navigate and survive, they carry a more intrinsic level of worth to the ego. The ego readily identifies with the persona, allowing the undesirable traits to be banished to the shadow.
When this identification with the persona can be re-evaluated, the shadow can be integrated and one can begin becoming more whole. When development is shifted from needing to be accepted by others to learning self-acceptance, the individuation process begins and one can show up in the world as they were meant to.
To the individuated person, the persona is a tool that can be utilized when appropriate. It is not something that must be unconsciously activated, but something that can channel greater authenticity and more accurate self-expression. There are no longer any unconscious shadow mechanisms creeping in and sabotaging one’s life.
Accountability for the self and all its parts—both pleasant and not—is held at the highest regard.
Reconciling the shadow-self always brings with it a great deal of energy. The shadow (though you may not want to believe it) contains parts that are still you! Denying aspects of yourself is like cutting off circulation in your arm and trying to lift weights. You are really only castrating yourself in the end.
Integrating the shadow is daunting, but I personally believe it is the gift of the modern world we live in. Particularly in first world countries, we are living in such a state of isolation, narcissism, individualism, and grandiosity. These shadow traits are right on the surface. There has never been a better time to take a look at them consciously and integrate them.
Of course, it is the complete denial of the shadow that has led to these traits being propagated so dramatically in today’s society. A majority of people have no concept of inner work, and are thus easily swayed by the monsters that lurk beneath the surface of awareness.
There is always hope, though, and undertaking the individuation process has tremendous rewards like it never has before. It mostly comes down to having the courage to face the fact that the monsters under the bed were inside you all along.
— Recommended Reading —
Jung’s Map of the Soul by Murray Stein
Previous Installments of the Jungian Psyche:
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That- is fekin’ spectacular and ty for that. I haven’t finished reading it yet bc… I have a very limited attention span but… I will.
Thank you for your work