Shadow Self Test

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?

Image of an eclipse which symbolises the shadow self and inner light

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

Image of a woman in a dark shadow self ceremony surrounded by candles

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)

Image of a blue skull mandala symbolic of toxic core beliefs and the shadow self

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.