Acknowledging that your unconscious mind as being A FAR GREATER a space within your psyche than your conscious one is the beginning - the first steps - of having a heightened self awareness.
Facing your demons' - The 'shadow' as Jung framed it - is the next step.
We all have a shadow, and we all repress memories and events from our younger years.
Some are completely 'forgotten' about if they are too traumatic to hold in the conscious mind.
They do not disappear however.
The live in the shadow part of your mind - the unconscious.
They are a part of you, not separate. The conscious mind however, would have you like to believe otherwise.
So what are these 'shadow' entities ?
THE PARTS OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN SILENCED BUT WANT A VOICE - WHO WANT TO BE HEARD.
The hurt and innocent infant who transforms over time, and becomes angry and ugly in their own prison of silence...
...or the victim of emotional physical abuse who's sounds of anguish and pain have been silenced by the conscious (ego), and the persona (mask) disassociates -ignores- the defenseless person inside - one that is STILL - and will always be until the day you die - part of the one same individual.
When these parts of you go ignored by the conscious part of your brain, they don't just surrender their sovereignty and disappear.
They grow unseen, and they get more insistent on being heard as time goes on.
So when you find yourself in times of stress, in some emotional turmoil for example, your conscious mind 'drops it's guard' so to speak - and this is when the pent up repressed emotions in your shadow see the chinks in your armour and push through to express themselves.
The persona/ego relationship loses control.
The mask slips, and the dark side of the shadow, shows itself.
Emotional outbursts, non nonsensical rants and anger, nastiness and negativity - are all expressions of different parts of your shadow.
'Shadow work' tries to engage these repressed emotions by approaching them first, head on.
For me, it's a confrontational engagement (as is my way as it saves time by getting down to 'nitty gritty' of things).
From that, a nice chat, and then acknowledgment of that part of me.
...And then - with a bit of luck - a bug hug, and a contract with myself to allow this part of me , it's expression - but under my conscious oversight and playing by my rules.
This process can take many years, or just months - before you see any results - but it's journey that is never ending as you learn more and more about yourself - and what it is that REALLY makes you 'tick'.
Lots of people find it difficult to start this journey- mostly because they are unaware of it's presence.
Once you DO become aware of it, however that may be - it's a fantastic opportunity in your life to really begin to understand yourself, and from that - thats where the real success of YOU, begins...
Good luck on your own personal journey.
It might be a painful to begin with and is not for the cowardly of heart - but it's SOoooooo worth it.
In a broader and more philosophical context and very much in relation to my 3 posts about 'master and Slave morality:
https://blurtlatam.intinte.org/blurtnews/@lucylin/master-and-slave-morality-the-green-shoots-of-a-new-world-part-1
.....You will remain a slave all your life if you do not get to work on your own shadow.
You will be slave to your own unconscious self first off, which will then makes you a slave to external world influences.
I can't fight your demons for you, but I can help you to sharpen your own 'psychic sword', with which to defeat them...
If you are not in the driving seat of your own mind (the unconscious hijacking the go) ....then how can you ever really expect it to be otherwise?
If you want any help finding your own shadow, there are lots of resource online to assist you - or if you're ready to face the work head on, contact me.
I can try to help you in this journey of self discovery through talking online - but it's not for the fainthearted.
Just as using my own methods with myself - the 'facing shit head on' philosophy - the 'psychological awareness boot camp' as it were - and it's one that I've used to help others numerous times, over the years - but it makes a high security prison look like a luxury holiday !
...No snowflakes in my dojo ! lol.
Peace and love.
The demon that bothered me the most is a little hurt scared boy , first noticed him when i was 6 to 7 ,. The little boy about 3 ,.. he gave me terrible nightmares of his memory's unknown to me and some terrifying realistic views on destruction by war or nature . Me , 7 years old didn't want this shit ,. told him to bugger of . Witch he did , and i finally had good nights of sleep again .
At 11 i got an life changing operation ,. to lower my blood pressure so i could live beyond 30 and on . It made me from living mostly in the subconscious world see and understand the conscious world a lot better , a whole lot better i must say . While staying aware of this subconscious world to .
So when the little demon returned at 12/13 and messed up my social skills by making me extremely shy and afraid of strangers , i had a good talk with him .
Told him to stop buggering around and grow up , that what happened to us had to be , and was not done by evil or hate , it where pure medical things that had to be done to keep us alive and grant us a longer life . Let's take that gift , and move on . Focus on your skills and loose the fear . Also told him that i was sorry for abandoning him some years back , my awareness was just not there yet , and that i loved him .
worked out great , for his skills are defensive reaction speed and focus on survival ( fended of 5 adults effectively at (me)age 6 when trying to take a blood sample ) . I agreed to let him train his skills by driving all kinds of products that need steering and control . Video-games included , all breaks off , just let the little boy go , to train his skills and keep them up , for in virtual reality damage is not real . Happy little boy and no harm done .
On the other side it's very good to have him hang around , watch a bit over you and make you jump in action to get in safety when accidents happen around you . I can say , my love for him saved my live many times .
By now the little bot grew up a lot , we stopped measuring in age , we respect each others skills and may one day become one .
Still those nightmare visions given and seen ,. about world destruction ?
The demon has no memory on those bit's , or knowledge that he produced them in me . It might be because he is not a demon anymore .
(I should fucking post this shit and earn some)
;-)
An excellent and insightful examination of 'the self', my friend !
Merely touching the surface my friend ,.. for i encountered demons that could devour ones soul in one breath , the just didn't bother me that long , they mostly fled after finding out my soul could assimilate them and use there skills for the good . Make them my servants .
Excellent post , deserves a matching comment .
;-)