I dream I'm at a big conference on dreams, listening to Shelley, my therapist and friend, who's lecturing on the Jungian Shadow. She says:

"The Shadow's NOT what the ego sees as evil or unacceptable, but simply what the ego denies being. If the ego names itself worthless and weak, than the Shadow will have strengths and a worth that the Ego admires readily--just considers unattainable. Admirable, but just not me."

This hits me like a religious revelation--I think "That's true, the ego may feel, not fear or revulsion, but SHAME or GRIEF that "I am not" the Shadow... when it really is, really does have those qualities. What makes a Shadow Shadowy is the aversion the ego feels toward it. And feeling sad or ashamed to see someone you think you can never be, works just as well as hate or disgust! You can actually ADMIRE your Shadow..."

And then I wake, and discover that once again, my dreams have assessed the dream-theories of waking-world schools of psychology... and found them over-simple.

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