Higher Self and Shadow Self
Psychological Concepts
Higher Self and Shadow Self
The concepts of the higher self and shadow self are typically used as spiritual concepts to describe the best and worst version of who you are on a soul level. While this interpretation can be beneficial, there are more beneficial ways of understanding the interplay between the two.
The higher self is nearly always regarded as the aspect of the self to strive for and the part of the self that is beneficial rather than harmful.
The shadow self is nearly always regarded as the aspect of oneself to overcome and that is working against the higher self, being more harmful than beneficial.
The problem with this perspective is that it not only denies a part of the self, but it indicates a misunderstanding of the purpose of the shadow self. Both have different roles and both are meant to help you, just in different ways.
The Higher Self:
The higher self represents some of the best aspects of yourself and is the wiser, confident, more emotionally mature version of yourself. While it has many good qualities, it lacks some good qualities that the shadow self provides. The higher self's role is to guide and direct you by offering wisdom and stable, slow growth to help you become the best version of you.
The Shadow Self:
The shadow self represents some of the worst aspects of yourself and is the impulsive, reactive, and fearful version of yourself. While it has many bad qualities, it contains good qualities that may currently be seen in a negative light or are obscured by your current fears and insecurities. The shadow self's role is to guide and direct you by pointing out what you still need to work on (often aggressively and uncomfortably) and provide fast, leaping growth (often through hard lessons) to help you become the best version of yourself.
Balancing the Higher Self and Shadow Self:
Making an enemy of your shadow self, which is denying an aspect of who you are and rejecting it, is not helpful, it is harmful. The shadow self is extremely effective at what it does and its efforts in helping you recognize what you still need to work on should be appreciated, not dismissed. Think of the shadow self like a check engine light turning on. If you take that information and use it to fix the car, you will avoid larger scale problems in the future. If you ignore it, however, you may really come to regret it as the problems start building up.
The subconscious is always there to help you, never harm you but sometimes help comes in the ways we least expect or appreciate. Learning to see the advantages and disadvantages of both will help you develop faster and find balance with yourself.