Let’s face it. In every story, there is a hero and a villain. In your narration, you are both; the bright and dark aspects orchestrate the melody of your life. It is a melody that many of us opt to listen to on one side only. See, most people opt to focus on their bright aspects and suppress the dark side of their personality. Yet, this dark side often referred to as the shadow, will always be there. Besides, it can look small or big depending on your perspective on life. Are you willing to meet your shadow archetype?

Origin of the Shadow Archetype

Carl Jung, an influential psychologist of the previous century, is one of the few people that tried to bridge the notion of psychology and spirituality. That way, he hoped to discover ways to transcend the human condition. Hence, Jung traveled severally to India and immersed himself in different spiritual practices. His work would constantly evolve to produce a comprehensive analysis of such concepts as the ego, the shadow, the archetypes, and the anima and the animus. 

Understanding the Shadow Archetype

The shadow archetype is one of the four main categories of the Jungian archetypes that influence human behavior. As popularized by Mark and Pearson, these are inborn personalities emanating from the collective unconscious. The other categories of the Jungian archetypes include the persona, the self or ego, and the animus.

In particular, the shadow archetype consists of life and sex instincts constantly challenging the ego-personality. It takes intentional moral effort to become conscious of your shadow. It is about recognizing the dark side of your personality as present and real. Only then can we begin to understand ourselves and experience a personal awakening and authenticity. 

Carl Jung and Shadow Symbolism

The shadow remained an intriguing topic amongst scholars. Carl Jung refers to it as a moral problem that challenges ego-personality. Further, he uses the symbolism of the shadow to portray this complex idea of the shadow archetype seamlessly and visually. Such visual imagery creates anchors with concepts already familiar to human cognition. 

Hence, Jung describes the shadow archetype as dark and elusive, impossible to catch, and alters its size depending on your current life circumstances. It forms darkness and distance from the body, something not many of us are eager to confront. Yet, the shadow becomes invisible when light appears. 

The Fear of Embracing Our Shadow Archetype

Now, most of us acknowledge the shadow archetype as an integral part of our existence. However, we remain willfully blind to it, conceal or camouflage it in a painful attempt to protect our self-image. It is an image that fits the narrative that we decide to expose. 

Further, social conditioning helps us construct a fallacy that we can keep the substrate of our constructed identity stable. We feel safe by ignoring the unknown aspects of our lives, hoping they will disappear. 

Still, how can we feel safe when what we are avoiding can invade our thought process and manifest in our actions without our control? Embracing the shadow archetype is inevitable. 

Implications of Denying Our Shadow Self

Note that we are as free as the mind allows. And when the mind creates barriers between individual reality and the rest of the world, illusions and neurosis may take over. Have you ever met someone operating in enforced ignorance? If so, you’ll notice such a person denying their shadow archetype in an attempt to preserve a certain status quo. But eventually, the enforced ignorance fuels the suppressed shadow to grow bigger. 

The dark side of their personality becomes more evident via projection in more aspects of their lives. Further, since the person is not even aware of the existence of the shadow, its effect can get out of control since we can only control what we understand. 

The Way Forward 

#1: Shadow Work

The best way to meet our shadow archetype is by undertaking shadow work. Shadow work is a lifelong process that entails intentional activities to discover the dark side of our personalities. Through it, we deal with our shadow elements like animalistic needs, sexual desires, primitive instincts, traumatic experiences, and even some positive aspects of our character that remain hidden for fear of being ridiculed. 

A typical shadow work approach may involve journaling our emotions and dreams to discover triggers of our shadow archetype. It also replaces our sense of guilt and anxiety with self-acceptance.  

#2: Seeking Professional Help

While facing the dark side of your personality can be scary, the ultimate results are rewarding. Still, the shadow has a challenging nature. That’s why shadow work may follow a sequence of assimilation through long hours or psychotherapy and introspection, often guided by a certified professional. Here, the therapist helps clients reevaluate and recalibrate their behaviors and beliefs. 

Ultimately, clients stay disciplined in asking themselves challenging questions about their lives. Like, how often do you question the nature of your reality?

#3: Dealing with Social Conditioning against Shadow Archetypes

Now, whereas shadow work is at an individual level, society has a significant influence in making the practice a success. Ideally, the world should be a platform for dialogue and constant experimentation. The shadow archetype ceases to be a moral problem and becomes a welcome part of our existence. If you find such ideas regrettable, it may mean that there are some shadow aspects of your life yet to be dealt with effectively.  

Conclusion

Anyone who wants full control of their life must be willing to embrace their shadow archetype. It revolves around accepting all aspects of our lives; tolerating what we are afraid of alongside what we want. Here, we face, analyze, and internalize our fears and darkness. Otherwise, denying the existence of the dark side of your personality will make you see it in others even more. 

Likewise, our society is packed with people whose actions are constantly at war with your intentions. That’s why; we should strive to define the moral imperatives that could alleviate our suffering. And, we should view everything beyond that with skepticism. 

Ask anyone to mention the 12 Universal laws, and they will most likely mention the law of attraction. However, not everyone would mention the law of vibration if you ask for more. You being here today and searching for it is a great start. This article will help you understand the law of vibration and how to use it for your benefit. 

What is the Law of Vibration?

The law of vibration is one of the 12 universal laws. This law states that everything, every object, and living thing is in constant motion. And everything vibrates at a specific frequency. The speed at which the objects vibrate is called frequency.

Frequency or the energy of somebody or something is not an item you can touch and see. However, you can always feel the energy of the frequency. You can always sense and react to it, like how you sensed that someone’s energy was off before. This is what we are talking about.

The best part of the law of vibration is that you can do more than feel the strength of the vibration. You have the power to sense low vibrational frequency and adjust it or step away from it. In simpler terms, you have the power to live with things that you only vibe with. You can either adjust it to your benefit or drop it.

How To Use The Law Of Vibration To Your Advantage

It is not enough to understand how the law of vibration works. Let’s go a step further and discuss how we can use it in our favor. Below are the best ways to put the law of vibration into good use.

Manifest The Life You Want

If you increase your emotional vibration, you will wake up every day feeling enthusiastic, compassionate, and ready to conquer the world. Say, for example, you constantly feel stuck and bored. You may be experiencing a low vibration. One way to boost your emotional vibration is by meditating. Meditation can help relieve anxiety and stress and can help calm a mind that is all over. The more you are able to still your mind the faster your vibration will become.

Find a calm and soothing place for your meditation. Let go of everything and focus on your breathing for a few minutes. Your mind may wander and go elsewhere; that is normal, especially if you are new to meditation. When this happens, gently pull your attention back to your breath. Eventually, you will begin to witness your own thoughts arising and falling away. Meditating can also help you get into the right mindset to work towards what you have always wanted. And with the right vibration, you can concentrate and focus your attention to achieve your goals.

Practice Mindfulness to Be More Aware of Your Feelings and Emotions

Mindfulness helps you be more aware of the life around you. It is an excellent way to live more fully and not let life pass you by. By increasing your vibration you can rise above certain feelings and emotions and witness them from a more detached perspective. This creates a high degree of awareness around all aspects of your life. When you are mindful and aware of your feeling and emotions you can more easily release emotions that are negatively impacting your behavior.

Start by building awareness of yourself, the people around you, and your environment. This helps you be more considerate and thoughtful. Being more considerate and thoughtful will make you more compassionate and kind to yourself and others.

Use Vibration to Navigate Situations in Life

When you are more aware of your emotions and feelings, you can easily recognize high vibrational and low vibrational things in life. You can consciously choose what and who you would like to interact with. You want to be surrounded by things that are constructive and bring joy into your life. Most importantly, you will be able to remove yourself from situations, relationships, and environments that exist in a lower vibrational state.

Sticking to high vibration aspects of life can help you navigate every situation you need.

So How Can You Raise Your Vibration?

Your mood and emotions control your vibration. Keep in mind that your vibration affects the quality of your life. This is because it aligns and connects with things that vibrate simultaneously. So, you have to learn how to raise your vibration to connect with highly vibrating aspects of life. If you are operating at a vibration that is prone to negative and destructive behavior, this is what you will resonate with.

Here are the best tactics you can use to raise your vibration.

#1: Go Strong On Self-care

Practicing self-care does so much for your emotions and moods.

It makes you:

• Feel much better about yourself;
• Take a step back and review your progress with gratitude;
• More aware of your emotions and mental state;
• Relief from stress and anxiety.

With these, you come out with high vibrational energy, ready to connect with other high vibrational aspects of life. Remember that self-care looks different for everyone. It could be a spa day for you, yoga, going on a vacation, journaling, exercising, or even going out with friends. You need to find what makes you feel good and go for it!

#2: Nourish Your Body

Eating unhealthy food lowers your energy and your vibrational frequency. Bad eating habits leave you feeling heavy, tired, and bogged down. However, eating healthy leaves you stronger, lighter, and healthier. Check out our list of high-vibration foods.

Another way to nourish your body is to exercise frequently. It can be as simple as going out for a jog every day or practicing yoga. It leaves you fit and energetic to go after your goals.

#3: Surround Yourself With High Vibrational Things

Yes, it would help to cut off everything destructive. Surrounding yourself with people, things, and places that increase your vibration is the way to go. The external world has the power to influence your vibration. Surrounding yourself with toxic people or energy vampires will get you stuck in a negative cycle. It may be tough to completely cut some people off, but you can start by just limiting your exposure to them and setting healthy boundaries.

Also, remember that mass media and social media may lower your vibration. Filter the information you’re allowing into your energy field. Maybe it even makes sense to do a social media detox and spend some time away from any devices.

In Conclusion

The law of vibration makes it known that nothing is constant in the universe. Everything is in motion, and things with the same vibrational frequency connect. The takeaway from this is you should increase your vibration to connect with high-value aspects of life. With increased vibration, you can manifest all you want and work your way to achieve it.

Spending time with people that exude negative vibes can be draining. Before you realize it, you could be absorbing the negative energies of your surroundings too. Unfortunately, most people notice when it is too late, wishing they could have taken steps to protect their aura much earlier. So, this guide presents eight ways to protect your energy, especially from negativity. That way, you can live a positive and productive lifestyle regardless of your surroundings. 

But first,

Why Should You Protect Your Energy?

A lot of people around us exude negative energy. And they suck the positive energy out of anyone they meet. We refer to such individuals as psychic or energy vampires. You can tell you are encountering an energy vampire when you feel drained or exhausted when around them. 

An energy vampire will turn your bubbly day into a gloomy one in seconds. You may even get a sudden anxiety attack or feel sick when around such persons. Most common energy vampires include the blamer, guilty trippers, narcissist, drama queen or king, the victim, and passive-aggressive persons. 

So How Do You Protect Your Energy?

#1: Screen and distance yourself from sources of negative emotions

Negative energies can emanate from us, people around us, or objects in our surroundings. By identifying where these negative emotions come from, you can distance yourself anytime you feel vulnerable. For example, when experiencing a sudden mood swing, find out what could have triggered your negative emotions. 

Negative energies from you are much easier to manage. However, if the negative feelings are from those near you, you must realize that it is not your burden to carry. Hence, you can protect your energy by physically leaving that toxic environment. Take a walk, distract yourself, or do anything else that will give you ample space away from the source of the negative energy. 

#2: Stick to your boundaries

What triggers negative emotions in you? Once you know this, set healthy boundaries that will keep such triggers at bay. For example, if a partner or family member treats you in ways that drain you, develop healthy boundaries in your relationship that allow you to interact without compromising your mental and emotional wellbeing. Plus, learn to say no to people who try to stretch your limits. 

#3: Practice deep breathing and meditation

Deep breathing and meditation techniques are great ways of combating negative emotions, especially when you feel overwhelmed. Take a few minutes of your spare time to regulate your breathing and reset your thinking. 

Alternatively, find a quiet spot at home or at the workplace where you can sit and meditate. Here, concentrate on something different to block any negative thoughts invading your mind. That way, you make room for positive views and energy in your life. 

#4: Use visualization techniques

Did you know that you can use imagination to see yourself as immune to negativity? You can block negative vibes by changing what you believe about yourself. Hence, if you imagine yourself not succumbing to negative energy, such vibrations will find it difficult to penetrate your mind. Still, using visualization techniques requires a lot of practice. But, once you master the techniques, they will be worth the effort. 

#5: Shake off the negative energies

When negative vibes succeed in penetrating your life, visualize this energy leaving your system and the remaining void filling up with positive energy. Likewise, take a quick shower or a long scented bath to freshen up and relax before getting into bed. You will have a restful sleep instead of tossing and turning as you struggle with the negative energy in your body. 

#6: Be mindful of who or what you accept in your life

What kind of people do you accept in your life? How do they impact you in the long term? Prevent getting involved with excessive negative energy by being conscious of what you welcome in your life. 

Still, some family members, friends, and colleagues exuding negativity may be impossible to keep off since they are necessary for your current phase of life. So, learn to manage such people and the negativities they bring in your life. Be clear with them on what you are willing to accept and what you will not tolerate. 

#7: Manage your reactions to negativity

How do you respond to negative people or thoughts? Remind yourself that you owe no one the duty of taking up their negative energies. Also, know that it is not your responsibility to change anyone with negativity. Hence, respond to their negativity in a way that serves you. For example, diffuse the negative vibes with a positive response from you. Such acts are enough to make the person think of their negativity. 

#8: Use grounding techniques to stay in control

When surrounded by persons with negativity, they always find a way to drain everyone around them. Take charge before they dampen your moods too. For example, change the topic of discussion to a positive one, suggest an activity that everyone can enjoy, or come up with ideas that shift the focus from the negativity. 

In addition, use grounding techniques to increase your awareness of the energy vampires around you. They include:

• Practice Prithvi Mudra
• Communicate with nature
• Drink water
• Include red and orange fruits and vegetables in your diet
• Describe your surrounding
• Practice mindful meditation
• Play a memory game
• Think of a silly joke
• Recite anchoring phrases
• Think of a task you do frequently
• Imagine talking or seeing someone you love
• Spend time with your pet
• Show yourself compassion
• List your favorite hobbies, meals, songs, movies, books, or holiday destinations
• Touch a furry blanket, soft carpet, socks, or anything comforting
• Listen to your favorite music playlist
• Recite your favorite song, movie phrase, or spiritual texts
• Use the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory method to notice things in your surrounding

Conclusion

As you find ways to protect your energy, never let the opinions of others weigh you down. Energy vampires, especially narcissists or judgmental vampires, will drain you through their biased sentiments. Remember, as the chief architect of your life, only you have a say in your life. Hence, you can always sieve out negative opinions from others and replace them with positive affirmations. Finally, strive to be the best version of yourself always.