LOL

I love the article Trin and the video - a classic!

Humour aside, you raise an absolutely fascinating subject on the Journey of Enlightenment and Ascension. The Shadow Identity is something we encounter after Transfiguration - definitely not before - it is not the false self or the ego as some might think.

The shadow identity is something exceptionally challenging and difficult to deal with. At this point on our journey, we'll be coming from pure presence most of the time and expressing as the soul. We'll be trusting to a very high degree in our own absolute connection.

The shadow hides in amongst this dynamic. It knows exactly how the soul is likely to act and then copies these action. So the shadow is kind of like an echo of the soul. Some call it the 'imposter' of the soul. As you rightly say, it forms around our karma - an event that happened in a past life that we couldn't fully accept.

So for example, it might be that we've doubted the absolute benevolence of the universe, now perhaps, at critical moments, the shadow might subtly try to control events and circumstances. It might be easy for us to convince ourselves we're simply aligning with the flow and working to bring about the Right Action of the universe, but all the while, perhaps a subtle part of that impulse is really aligning with the action through lack of trust.

So we're mostly being the Seer - pure presence - acting with no intention, but the shadow is acting with intention. This inner dynamic causes our light to contract and limits our higher creative capability. It limits spontaneity and pure authentic action.

When the shadow arises, if we are to truly deal with it, we must surrender to the flow and allow benevolence to take us on the path to confront the shadow and expose it in the light. It will likely feel quite destructive, but totally necessary to move forwards into full Enlightenment.

Chris

Thanks for the courageous sharing, Trinity. I guess few of us can really comment on it for lack of personal experience but I do have a few questions around this theme.

First, I have been wondering why Chris calls this a shadow 'identity' rather than just using the usual Jungian term 'shadow'. From what I understand (I read the glossary entry as well) he uses them synonymously. The reason why I am confused is that I would associate identity issues more with earlier stages of the journey. E.g. I feel that often I remain attached to things as a desperate attempt to hold on to shreds of an identity - not the usual ones, nation, profession etc., but for example an identity as 'the person this happened to' etc. I feel this as something pretty solid whereas from your description, at stage 4 it seems so subtle that it is even difficult to grasp because it almost has the quality of an afterimage or a phantom pain that occurs after the limb has been removed. - Are ALL these shadow parts still parts of the ego or isn't this stage also about identification with a self (not the false one, but self as the AWARENESS of our being which is still separation – however subtle) which eventually needs to disappear, too?

[That part is left out in most spiritual books – again, as most people lack the relevant practical experience – but Bernadette Roberts describes it in quite some detail. In her book “What is self?” I have found the most concise and fascinating description of the spiritual path ever. She clearly talks about a) the disappearance of the ego and b) the disappearance of the self. There is an illustration which consists of 5 figures, 4 of which are doughnut-shaped circles, the fifth figure represents – nothing! Unfortunately I cannot depict them visually here, but the captions say: Fig. 1 – Ego (gray circle) experiences God at its center (black pinpoint). Fig. 2 – Ego disappears and is replaced by Divine center (Unitive Revelation). Fig. 3 & 4 – In a new life of fearless, selfless living, we experience less of self as the Divine increases. This is God’s creative act within us. Fig. 5 – Self is gone. (No-Self). If I understand it correctly, Fig. 3& 4 correspond to Gateway 4 and Fig. 5 represents the stage after Gateway 5.]

My second question concerns the observation that some people seem to ‘fall back’ on the spiritual path. – I have seen teachers who, when they started, were really inspired and embodying truth, but whose teaching over time became ‘calcified’, so to speak, and lost its power and immediacy. Is it really possible to ‘fall back’ or isn’t it perhaps more true that they stopped midway, precisely at stage 4, where, because they were not IDENTIFIED with their personalities anymore, didn’t see and didn’t care to see and deal with precisely what Trinity has been describing here?

Hope this does not sound too theoretical – I’m definitely the kind of person who likes to figure things out…
Love to everybody,
Tasneem

Hi Tasneem,

They are great questions indeed. And yes, it can seem quite semantic to anyone who hasn't experienced it yet. I still think a basic understanding of the phenomenon can be of great value however.

To me, the shadow is where a 'fragment' of soul identifies with the personality in some particular way. Yes it can be very fine. Yes it can be extremely difficult to 'see'. It copies what it knows are the 'right' behaviours of the soul. Except of course it will always be a program because the soul is completely without intention or plan. It arises spontaneously in the moment and acts according to a perceived multi-dimensional inner landscape (or at least that's what should happen).

One of the most deceptive shadow's I have come across would be the "dissolver". It occurs when there is the perception that there is only oneness; that there is no perceived duality. In other words no "this" and "that" (there is always "this" and "that" even if it is only a perceived illusion - it is still a real illusion!). So the shadow arises because there is an intellectual knowing (at a subtle level) that there is nothing outside of self. Therefore, if there is nothing outside of self, how can there be guidance from outside of self? So this shadow tends to want to dissolve the unique and individual story of the soul.

I observe this shadow very strongly in spiritual arenas - almost to the point of it being institutionalised. I see it in the way a good deal of Buddhism is practised and Zen and also in very prominent work like that of Eckhart Tolle (at least that's my personal view).

This shadow has become so good at copying the soul, to me, it is indeed an identity. It has it's own traits and characteristics very similar to a personality except quite subtle. To the uninformed seeker, expecting Enlightenment to look a certain way, it can seem very real.

I have observed in a number of spiritual teachers that this shadow identity then embeds itself and grows, just like bindweed in a garden. After a while, that person is no longer being totally authentic and their light begins to dim. This is probably what you too have been observing.

If the teacher is still able to be honest with themselves, eventually they'll see it, catch it and explode it, but it does seem to catch quite a few people - glamour and rapid success are key things to watch for.

Sometimes the shadow can be so fine and only appear in such very limited circumstances, that yes, you might not consider it an identity at all. You might consider it as a filter or an echo of the soul. That's why sometimes I just call it a shadow. I also like the word 'imposter' but it can tend to push buttons when used to confront someone running one!

I was guided to use 'shadow identity' and it seems to work fine.

Much love

Chris

Hi Chris,
I am really grateful for your comprehensive answer. The term
'shadow identity' just did not 'click with me', but if I see it as a spectrum and transpose it to a more subtle level than the one it is normally used on I am fine with it.

I was aware that there are many pitfalls and illusions on the path but when I look at what you describe as the 'dissolver', then I realise that the entire process is even more subtle and intricate than I ever thought possible. And collectively we are almost totally ignorant of it, even in theoy. But before I start getting gloomy about the long way ahead of me and us all, I will call it a day and save the more personal stuff for later.

Much love to you, too.
Tasneem

No need to be gloomy Tasneem - that might just be a shadow!
If so, just throw it out.

The key is to always come from presence and allow spontaneous action to simply happen. Then watch the unfolding events, feel any tightness and confront it. At this point, it matters not what happens in the outer, even if it could lead to one's death. Always go with the flow - what else is there to do? What is there to really fear?

If we keep doing this, the shadows will keep dissolving until there is only light.

Blessings

Chris

I felt to add an adjunct to my post about the shadow identity I've termed "The Dissolver".

Just to reiterate, the Dissolver can form from the mind led intention to let go of all attachment. This is of course a huge paradox: we're encouraged to let go of attachment to what happens in the outer movie of our lives. Yet if we approach all situations with the intention and attitude 'that the outcome doesn't matter', this is where we risk dissolving our own unique story.

You often hear it when spiritual teachers speak of 'clearing the mind' in meditation. Or it is perceived that 'being in the now' means only feeling and experiencing what is happening in this physical realm. They'll say 'don't live in your thoughts or ideas of reality'. I've seen Tolle talking about his in a video. Yet what if the thoughts you're having are a streaming download from higher consciousness? I frequently experience this - it becomes a telepathic knowing exchange that is then expressed through thoughts and ideas. This is our unique story, to dissolve it is to dissolve our very purpose for being - our unique destiny.

The key is not to dissolve the story, but to peel away the distortions of the story. It's about letting go of attachment to the outcome but not dissolving the outcome itself!

Every single action is inspired and initiated by the soul. So it has authenticity at its core. Even some of the greatest distortions such as obesity, alcoholism and suicidal tendencies for example have authenticity and truth at their core. With obesity, it could be trust in the universe that there is always enough, that there is infinite resource. This is indeed true, except that the soul requires only what it needs to fulfill a balanced and equitable exchange - we receive in one hand and give with equal measure with the other.

With suicide for example, the soul is bound to take us on a journey to confront our mortality as a physical being, yet immortality as a soul. However, it is highly unlikely, except in the event of extreme circumstances, that the soul would actually cause us to take our own life. That would be to deny the experience of life itself - whatever the circumstances of that are.

So all action contains truth and the key is to peel away the distortions to get to the truth. That's why we feel Openhand Approach is so powerful. Because it provides an insightful technique for peeling away distortions yet aligning with our truth.

To dissolve our unique story is like throwing the baby out with the bath water. And for all the dissolvers out there, remember, the last great attachment is to non-attachment!

Chris

Hi Chris,
I totally agree with you about not ignoring anything.

For exmaple, with years I realized that like you said, anything can serve my evolution. It's not the thoughts and the feelings and the "set" I'm in, but my interpretation that matters.

Sometimes there are such big surprises - when I hear, see or feel things I wouldn't even think I might in certain situations. Like feeling calmness and peace in the middle of loud and dense traffic, like feeling the perfection and pure joy and gratitude in the expensive fancy restaurant, someone is saying something really important for me, who has nothing to do with spirituality and doesn't know me at all and so on.

Especially after reading your articles and book, I became much more attentive and trying to see what's hiding behind all the "ordinary" and "not spiritual at all" feelings, thoughts, events. And it's just amazing!!! I can really say now that everything could serve my "spirituality", it's just not always that's what I'm looking for at the moment. And I know it may sound a bit "lunatic", but more and more I can see that conversation to me through all events, but will I hear the message? Will I decode it? Or will I ignore?...

So here I go back to the very old saying of mine: it all depends on what I want, what I seek, and what's important for me. If I look for the spirituality, I'll find it anywhere, anytime and in any set. And also once I ask from the universe by really wanting something, for 100% sure it is what I need, if it's aligned with the higher "plan" for me, I get it for sure.

So I don't think that erasing or ignoring anything develops any skills but maybe ignorant calmness,numbness, and the observer atrophy (doctor spirituality)

I also feel and learned from my experience that on the contrary, attention, sensitivity to what a certain feeling, thought, event is triggering and if it feels aligned or in dissonance with something else in me, this intuition, is really accelerating my proccess.

I try to feel if there is any kind of resistance or imposing and then I see if it's something to do physically or just to be aware that it is there and wait until there's a sign if there's something to be done with it or not.

But still, I always leave a place for respecting and accepting other points of view and techniques. Just like others' techniques don't work for me, maybe mine won't work for others and maybe this is their path, at least for some period.

If there's a real pull to evolve spiritualy and not running away from the suffering, then I'm sure anything will serve, including the "clearing mind meditation", as one of the stations on the path, I trust the universe knows better than me how this person should evolve and what to pass through.

And if it's not spirituality they want, then you know, my silence is more welcome there than my truth.

For example, why do you think these people got to this specific place with clearing mind, and I got to your site? ;D