What is the Golden Shadow? The Light Side of Shadow Work
When most people think of “shadow work,” they tend to focus on the darker stuff - trauma, shame, rage, grief, and all the hidden or repressed parts of the self. But shadow work isn’t just about confronting the parts of ourselves we’ve hidden because they’re too painful or unacceptable. It’s also about reclaiming the parts of ourselves that are too beautiful, too radiant, or too powerful for us to fully accept and share with the world.
This is the territory of the golden shadow.
The term “golden shadow” comes out of Neo-Jungian psychology, and I was first introduced to it in depth through my work with Dr. Ido Cohen. We’ve been exploring these themes since 2019, and I’ve noticed again and again how relevant the golden shadow is and how it constantly shows up in the work, from psychotherapy, breathwork, psychedelic experiences, and in the integration process.
“The golden shadow is the hidden, unclaimed brilliance of positive qualities within us, our light, our gifts, our potential, that we have difficulty feeling or embracing. We unconsciously project it onto others because we feel unworthy, afraid, or unprepared to embody them.”
What Is the Golden Shadow?
The golden shadow includes the traits we fear because they challenge our existing self-image: joy, confidence, creativity, sensuality, power, visibility. While we usually associate the shadow with the parts of ourselves that we reject because they’re “bad,” the golden shadow shows us the parts of ourselves we’ve exiled because they shine too brightly.
Sometimes, those golden parts had to be hidden for survival. If we grew up in homes where joy wasn’t safe, or where creativity or boldness was met with ridicule or punishment, it makes sense that these qualities would be repressed. And yet, they’re still there, waiting to be reclaimed and expressed.
“Sometimes it's easier to hang out in the darkness than to embrace the light.”
Working with the Golden Shadow
Golden shadow work, like any form of innerwork, requires patience and somatic care. Here are a few ways I approach it:
1. Titrate the Good
Sometimes healing sensations, pleasure, joy, and trust can be dysregulating. You can ask yourself: “What would it feel like to let in just a little bit of goodness?” You don’t need to flood the system and feel all of it right away. Pendulation and titration from somatic experiencing can help clients slowly expand their window of tolerance for positive emotions. Take the goodness in small doses - microdoses of goodness.
2. Notice Your Projections
When you admire someone like a public speaker, an artist, a celebrity, or an influencer, you’re often seeing a golden shadow projection. Ask yourself: “What qualities do I see in that person?” Then: “Where might that live in me, even if it feels unreachable right now?”
“What we admire in others is often what we’re afraid to see in ourselves.”
3. Reclaim Joy and Power in Small Steps
Golden shadow integration doesn’t have to be dramatic. Again, you can take small steps. For example, if you struggle with creative expression, what would it be like to act on that creative process in a small way? Make a post, share the thought or expression with a friend, journal your experience, start a blog or podcast, or just create for you and no one else. Celebrate each micro-action along the way.
“Small, local adjustments can create big shifts.”
4. Watch for Bypassing
Spiritual bypassing often masks golden shadow work. When someone feels “dazzled by the ineffable,” but doesn’t integrate the insights into their life, they may be avoiding the discomfort of embodying their power or purpose.
As I’ve shared in classes, when you get the message, hang up the phone. But don’t forget, you can call your teacher again when needed.
5. Ask Reflective Questions
Here are a few prompts I like to use, whether in journaling, integration sessions, or group work:
What part of you is trying to protect you from being seen or celebrated?
Whose voice is saying you’re not enough?
What might happen if you fully owned the light you see in yourself?
What’s one small, safe way you can begin to express a golden quality today?
Why This Work Matters
Reclaiming the golden shadow is not about ego inflation. It’s about becoming whole. As Jung said:
“The shadow does not consist only of morally reprehensible tendencies, but also displays a number of good qualities… The truth of the matter is that the shadow is 90% pure gold.”
The world doesn’t just need your healing. It needs your radiance and gifts.
“Don’t dim your light to make others feel comfortable.”
So let’s keep the light shining. Slowly. Steadily. With care. The golden shadow invites us not only to look within, but to live outwardly—with creativity, purpose, and courage.