Beyond Light and Dark: Myth, Projection, and the Path of Shadow Integration

The Infinite Self

In a world that often values positivity over wholeness, what happens to the parts of ourselves we reject - our anger, shame, envy, or even forgotten strengths? This episode explores the Jungian concept of the shadow not as a simple "dark side," but as a living repository of unconscious material shaped by personal history, family dynamics, cultural norms, and inherited mythologies.

Drawing from rich symbolic narratives - including Faust and Mephistopheles , The Picture of Dorian Gray , and the archetypal figures of Artemis, Athena, and other mythic personas - we examine how the shadow reveals itself in everyday life through projection, emotional triggers, and repeating patterns that seem beyond our control.

We also explore why many mainstream therapeutic models - such as the recovery movement and the medical model of mental health -often fall short when it comes to deep psychological transformation. Rather than pathologizing or bypassing the unconscious, this episode proposes a return to soul-centered shadow work - a conscious engagement with the hidden parts of the self through dreamwork, active imagination, creative expression, and symbolic understanding.

True healing doesn’t come from eliminating the shadow, but from meeting it, understanding it, and integrating its wisdom . When we do, we move toward authenticity, emotional maturity, and a deeper relationship with our inner life.

This is not a surface-level self-help episode - it's an invitation to engage with the deeper layers of psyche and culture, and to reclaim the lost parts of ourselves that hold the key to becoming whole.

Perfect for therapists, coaches, artists, spiritual seekers, and anyone interested in Jungian psychology, mythology, and transformative inner work.