The Shadow

There is a topical documentary on Netflix produced by Jonah Hill with his therapist, Dr. Phil Stutz, M.D., psychiatrist. The documentary was made to showcase Dr. Stutz’ life in an interview format revealing vulnerabilities of his pervasive disease, Parkinsons, along with his professional life, personal life, relationships, etc. The documentary starts with Dr. Stutz drawing and asking Jonah Hill questions in which he would need to be vulnerable disclosing that personal information for television. Essentially, performing therapy with his client of five years. You could see the angst on Jonah’s face. Visually, he was uncomfortable talking about himself for a movie documentary and suggests that they would discuss that particular topic in a confidential space later on when the camera’s aren’t rolling, adamant that the documentary was meant to be about Dr. Stutz. His therapist obliged, though, you could tell he was displeased by the inflexibility of his client. Regardless, and so I don’t spoil the whole movie for you, Jonah begins to open up more to his therapist in the context of cinematic development, which, in turn, allows Dr. Stutz to reveal more about his life and experiences. Through this, they create comfort and establish a recursive relationship in front of the cameras. It exhibits how disclosure of self could manifest where we designate. It allows the viewer to actively participate through empathy what it means to share those private aspects of ourselves.

Dr. Stutz begins discussing skill development in-depth, illustrating and captivating not only his client but the audience. Skills; that which he calls ‘tools’. These tools act as guidelines as well as safeguards for his clients to 1). Leave each session with something tangential. 2). Identify an objective to orient to and pragmatically apply. As he discusses the type of tool, the intended application, and how to identify or procure said tool, Dr. Stutz then shakily draws an image that is directly related. One of the tools he spoke on – which resonated with me and the core of my group members at the time – correlated to a Jungian theory (Dr. Carl Jung); The Shadow.

The shadow, as explained by Dr. Stutz, is the part of you that is characterized as a weaker, fickle, emotional aspect of your past that is shame-ridden and one that is posthumously humiliated and scrutinized by your current self. Effectively, a prisoner of who you once were, shackled to the compartmentalized area of your brain, analogous to J.K. Rowling’s restricted section of the library that Harry and Ron were so keen on traversing as often as possible. Dr. Stutz encourages the tool for use of introspection and entering a dialogue your shadow (not so dissimilar from Brene Brown’s ‘Speaking To Your Shame’) and recognizing that although a perceived “ugly” participant of your current identity, one that inevitably remains a component of self. By speaking to this part of you, you utilize self-affirmation and gain control over that piece of your past. Instead of treating it as a prisoner, you release it as a welcomed guest, recognizing that without that shadow, you wouldn’t have developed into the person you are at current.

Dr. Carl Jung has a different way of identifying the shadow. He considers it to be one of the archetypes which represent elements innately prescribed for all of us. His other identified archetypes certainly worth mentioning are the persona, the anima/animus, and the self. All equal components of the collective unconscious. The shadow, he laments, is an unconscious contributor to the individual, one that personifies everything that a person refuses to acknowledge about themselves. Ever heard of a blind spot? Maybe a friend has mentioned you walk with your palms facing the sky, or you subconsciously blink three times before you lie. A fun exercise called the Johari window is a great way to identify how others see you, what information you divulge, and our “blind spots”. Dr. Carl Jung’s shadow suggests that individuation from the collective consciousness (Maslow has a similar theory called self-actualization in his hierarchy of needs) is only possible by recognizing, confronting, and integrating the shadow. His version of the shadow is the repressed feelings we have defended against for long stints of our life, unbeknownst to us, waiting for the lingering trepidation to turn into a fierce undertaker. The shadow has a tendency to require sustenance in the form of minimizing (avoiding accountability), which in turn grows the internal monster. Dr. Jung, after identifying this archetype, suggests that the only way we can become our true selves is through assimilation with our shadow.

To put in less clinical words, or before my reader jumps to conclusions about a dark encompassing monster trolling about in the void of our subconscious, take a deep breath. The presupposition of either Dr. Stutz’s or Dr. Carl Jung’s identification of the shadow is simple; recognition. There are aspects of ourselves that if we allow them to continuously be our downtrodden self (according to Stutz) or our ravenous and deserving subconscious (according to Jung) we will never be able to heal our minds and perspective holistically. This is the part of the read in which I want you to identify: what is a piece of my life that I have buried in the crevices of my brain never to be unlocked or thought of again? One that potentially shows itself as an intrusive topic, or is triggered and quickly sealed back to its dungeon. Have one in mind? Stutz gave us a good option, to recognize what it is and accept it. Jung suggests we have to integrate with it for our true selves. My advice, having done this multiple times with myself and my clients, is to begin with gratitude. Visualize your shadow, and allow the flood of thoughts, the lability of your emotions, the vacillation of rapidly shifting between uncomfortable to content. Grounding oneself and being mindful, as well as applying some aspects of acceptance and commitment can allow us to interpret some of these events and begin the process of integration, forgiveness/recognition, and acceptance.