Know Thyself

By Christina Lavers | Contributing writer for Wake Up World

“Know thyself and thou shalt know all the mysteries of the gods and of the universe” — Inscription on the Greek temple at Delphi

‘Who am I?’ is one of the most fundamental questions of existence, yet most of us are so preoccupied with what is going on in our external reality that we don’t bother to take the time to really explore our own vast internal world. Painting deep self-examination as a form of navel gazing, society tends to persuade us to look outside ourselves for meaning and clarity. But when we neglect our own inner workings we miss the opportunity to delve into the mysterious inner realm and uncover the treasures of our deep self and the universal truths that we, as fractals of the entire universe, all contain within.

Mainstream society is renowned for being stifling. Using social acceptance as a means of control, from a young age we are corralled into a socially sanctioned mould. We learn very early on in our development that the best way to avoid being shunned and ostracized is by following external directives. Conformity and standardisation are hallmarks of our education system. The media, through carefully selected icons, dictates and reinforces societal ideals of what is and isn’t desirable. Socially, our friends and families might use shame, ridicule and sometimes even punishment to ensure that we don’t stray too far from the flock.

However, sacrificing our authenticity for acceptance generally doesn’t lead to happiness and wellbeing. It is not surprising that so many of us feel dissatisfied, anxious and depleted, even when our lives are the epitome of social desirability. Often it is this yearning to break out of the oppressive mainstream framework that acts as a catalyst, propelling us to go beyond the shallow surface distractions in search of something more real and meaningful.

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” ~ C.G. Jung

In order to access our inner gold, we need to be willing face those darker aspects of self that we have buried away. When I turned my attention away from all the external theatrics and began looking within, what I initially discovered wasn’t pretty. I found parts of me that were broken, parts that were wicked and enraged, parts that wallowed in shame, and parts that were paralysed with fear; in short, I found my shadow.

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