Our shadow selves are those dark and mysterious places within us that we have refused to shine the “light” on, for one reason or another.
The human shadow contains every thought, feeling, desire, and personality trait that we have rejected or suppressed.
Consider this test an initiation into the shadow work path if you haven’t entered it already. No matter what result you get, it’s always crucial to incorporate some level of shadow work into your life and spiritual awakening journey.
What is Shadow Work?
Shadow work is the practice of finding, befriending, and transmuting the wounded, suppressed, and buried parts of yourself (i.e., your shadows) so that you can regain access to your inner Light.
Our Dark Side & Carl Jung Shadow Self Quotes
Where does this idea of having a dark side come from in modern times? The concept of the shadow originated in the work of Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung.
Here are a few of the most famous Carl Jung shadow self quotes to contemplate:
Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is.
(Psychology and Religion)
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognising the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
(Aion)
People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.
(Psychology and Alchemy)
The shadow is a tight passage, a narrow door, whose painful constriction no one is spared who goes down to the deep well. But one must learn to know oneself in order to know who one is.
(The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious)
Shadow Self Test
So, how dominant is your shadow self and what effect does it have on your life?
Find out by taking our free Shadow Self Test.
What result did you get in this shadow self test?
Share your results!
Want to take another test? Try our Shadow Archetype Test.
Need more shadow work guidance? See our Shadow Work Journal, Mindful Shadow Work book, or Shadow & Light Membership for more ongoing support with working to embrace and transmute your Shadow Self.
I think you guys are incredibly amazing and have shined your light on me in the most darkest moments. Even if I dont always read through everything sent to, the simple presence of your emails alone resonate with my soul and i am ever so blessed to have you guys in my life. Thank you and namaste!
Thank you Jami Lee, that means a lot to hear :)
Some of the answer I gave are from how I think and feel at this present moment, previous to the last few months my answer would of been different. The reason being after suffering trauma through loss and suffering I have started to awaken and have been able to start dissolving my conceptual identity and memories from my past. I feel like im starting life again at 39. I have overcome the loneliness I felt all my life is dissolving and at points had glimpses of feeling an aliveness within I have not felt before. Im medium but think it would of high before. I have just released my inner child is hurting deeply and im stuck in a cycle of self sabotage, addiction. I cannot get past this and the pain im causing is intensifying to levels of hurt which are starting to become unbareable as there is shame attached through self sabotage as im doing what father was and told myself I would never do as I had to live that through childhood. Compulsive Gambling. However after 24 hours It subsides through the precense I can get too. I know my inner child is hurting from not having the love and compassion from a female. I have no idea exactly what the child inside is hiding I can assume from what I know. Something drastically change in my personality as a child before my parents divorced. I think the child its at fault for what happened. Also 1 of the pictures in the test was similar to a dream as a child which woke me with an intense feeling of fear and panic but I couldnt explain what it looked like at the time and still cant exactly. I’m confused with How to help the inner child when I cant find what is hidden?
Thank you for sharing all of that Aaron. I would explain to my inner child that of course it is not his fault for his parents divorce. If I was in your shoes. Parents reasons for separation have nothing to do with not loving their children. Often it can actually hurt more if the parents stay together only for the child’s sake. The conflicts that can arise from such situations can hurt even worse. Much Love
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Truthfully after reading and taking the test.
I can relate to some .. but… My childhood
while was okay was not terrible .
Is basically gone because a walk in event.
While I can understand some of it..
I know my darkside as I’m writer it comes out
on writing and I appease it with dark music at times.
So in short what I suppose do I have less dark thoughts
I don’t have much anger..
Not long ago a co worker with a challenging personality confided in me that her beloved 10 yr old step daughter was talking about cutting herself, a troubling behavior I’d heard of. I thought about it over days while observing this woman and I noticed that her communications are often very “cutting”. Her choice is often sarcasm and criticism and to demean. I felt perhaps the child was physically processing what the woman expresses. Where would the bully fit in the 13 shadows mentioned, controlling?
I have a large shadow self and it feels like he can physically show
Himself to me… how do you not fear that when he talks to you and mocks you…
Because when I stop seeing my shadow as a threat and instead see him as a holder of wisdom, a messenger trying to tell me something about my self and help me accept myself in new ways, you stop being afraid and become interested in what he has to say. Eventually, you learn even to be grateful to our shadows, for it’s just another part of ourselves.
I find this particular test result to be very interesting yet confusing. I like to take the test over to see if I have changed at all. The first time I did this test was awhile ago and the result is still the same today. Medium Shadow Self. Today, I am in a better space then before, but maybe this is just another life lesson I must try to learn to overcome. I don’t really hide myself when it comes to my anger from anyone and I don’t harbor any other disturbed or angry thoughts. So I’m not sure exactly what I’m hiding if anything. I’m a pretty open book. (What you see is what you get) Any thoughts?
Thanks Kimberley for the question. Our Shadow’s can be more than just our anger, they’re linked to all kinds of sources of shame we may carry from sexuality to violence and everything in between. There could be some other source of guilt or shame that may be linked to the result.
This site (which I found yesterday) is tied in to my own development. My shadow and I are grateful…look forward to talking soon.
Toby Tylor
Love it