Stutz
Ive been watching Jonah Hill’s documentary Stutz. As someone who has spent 15+ years in therapy, I find it fascinating. The images and tools that Phil Stutz is sharing are invaluable. One that has connected with me and I’ve watched over and over is Shadow. I’ve spent the last ten years studying the enneagram. So much of my personal enneagram journey has wrapped itself around getting to know my shadow self. Many people use their enneagram number as an excuse. “Im know I am an asshole but that just my 8-ness.” Through Suzanne Stabile I’ve come to understand that both my shadow self, self and true essence are all me. They make up everything that I am.
“Inside each of us is a second self, another being. The great Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, named this hidden part of us the Shadow. The Shadow is an archetype—a universal motif or image built in to all human beings. You can no more get rid of this inner Shadow than you can avoid casting an outer shadow when you’re in sunlight.” (Stutz)
Dealing with, talking too, engaging our shadow self is central to our wholeness and healing. Every event, moment, reality has something we can learn from. My 8-ness is the best of me and the worst of me. Its my armor that I've used to protect the essence God created me to be. There is this beautiful scene in the documentary where Stutz asks Jonah to talk to his shadow. Jonah hears his shadow self long for attention, to be aknowleded and appreciated. Its such a powerful technique of acceptance.
“The Shadow appears as the sum total of the weakest, most flawed, inferior, or even disgusting parts of yourself. It’s everything you don’t wish to be, but fear that you are. It doesn’t matter how rich, beautiful, or famous you are; as long as you fear that people can see your Shadow, you will be insecure.” (Stutz)
But here is the thing, we are also our shadow. “Jung believed you could integrate the Shadow into your personality by using dreams and active imagination.” Stutz shares that the key to transformation occurred when we recognize that our Shadow and our self are no longer two separate beings, they are a single unit, a part within a part, speaking with one voice. We become whole when we accept our Shadow with all its imperfections. The reward is a deeper sense of wholeness that all of you is valued. I would argue this is the power of vulnerability of self because when I know that God loves my shadow equally as he loves my self. God embraces the fullness of me so how can I learn to do so as well. Its a movement toward radical acceptance.
Here is the process that Phil takes Jonah through: (The Tools)
HOW TO BOND WITH YOUR SHADOW
You can’t bond with your Shadow unless you can see it. Try this:
Visualize yourself in front of any number of hypercritical people—it may even be a single person—who make you insecure and self-conscious.
Now, look at yourself from their point of view—see yourself as they see you. What do you look like? This version of yourself is your Shadow.
Once you’ve identified your Shadow, concentrate on its presence and imagine you’re forming an unbreakable bond with it.
Tell the Shadow, “You’re with me at all times,” while feeling a physical connection to it.
