Owning Your Own Shadow: A Jungian Approach to Transformative Self-Acceptance, Exploring the Unlit Part of the Ego and Finding Balance Through Spiritual Self-Discovery Paperback – February 17, 1994

I just wrapped up this book. It's a pretty short read at approximately 120 pages, and you can easily finish it in one day. I read the reviews before purchasing, but I decided to buy it anyway I had just Robert Johnson's other book on active imagination and dream work, which is phenomenal. It completely changed my life, and I highly recommend it.When I saw comments complaining that this book focuses on Christianity or that Robert Johnson is trying to push his Christianity on you, I thought, "Okay, that seems strange, but let's read it anyway." I'm super happy I did. I'm not a religious person, but I know there's a lot of symbolism in Christianity and the Bible. Even Carl Jung references God often in his works. Robert Johnson makes these references not to push religion on you, but to help you understand the shadow through a different lens. He uses symbolism in the Bible to explain and emphasize the concepts.If you're really turned off by the Bible and religion, I highly recommend Jordan Peterson's YouTube series on the Bible. It serves as a perfect primer to this book, with approximately 17 hours of lectures explaining the psychological significance of the Bible and its stories.Overall, this book is another amazing work by Robert Johnson, and I highly recommend it. It feels like a gem that many haven't discovered yet, and quite frankly, I'm surprised there are negative reviews for this book at all.

This book was a random purchase because it stood out to me in the bookcase. I didn't expect much, but what I got was an eye-opening, life-changing experience. This author is phenomenal, his writing is such so that anyone can read it with ease. The way he flows his words and thoughts together are an art form. The subject matter is admittedly a overly saturated genre, mostly everyone saying the same thing with their little spin on it.Not with this writer. His views on the shadow self, human nature and the universe itself are unlike any I've ever read or heard. Yet he doesn't try to force it down your throat, he's not trying to convince you that his theory is right above all others. He just lays it out for you to make up your own mind. I'm not going to spoil the story for anyone, it's an experience that will be different for everyone I'm sure.I don't ever leave reviews about books. But I have given this book to probably 10 different people since I've read it. Given my own copy to people and ordered another one many times. He is in a league all his own..

"Owning Your Own Shadow" discusses the negative and positive aspects of the Shadow (essentially, psychologist Carl Jung's concept of the negative side of one's personality). This book was the first I have read by Robert A. Johnson. His writing flows fairly well and has a conversational tone. Use of jargon is fairly minimal so even if you have just a passing familiarity with Jungian psychology you will have few problems reading and understanding the book.At 118 pages, "Owning Your Own Shadow" is a quick read - though you may find yourself laying it aside at times to mull over what you've read. I've read several of Jung's works and have to admit this book was not what I expected - mostly in a good way. After briefly discussing the concept of the Shadow, most of the book covers the ways in which a self-aware individual can explore their Shadow and begin to channel its energy in a positive way in their life. The book is not in a self-help workbook format, more its discussion is intended to impart some insights which will help one explore their own Shadow and recognize its workings in others.There are a few downsides to the book. Though effective, Johnson's sometimes breezy conversational writing can lack focus and at times left me wondering "where are we going here?". He also approaches the topic from a heavily Christian (specifically Roman Catholic) viewpoint, which some readers may find annoying. The book was written in 1991 and is thus approaching 20 years old as of this writing, but it seemed to me that it could benefit from broadening its perspective. I'd be very interested in seeing how some of the ideas played out here apply in a non-Western context, though that'd probably be better suited to an academic conference paper.All in all, a very satisfying book. If you have any interest in the Shadow, or have realized that in your life or those around you there have been recurring themes of someone (perhaps inexplicably) acting against what seem to be their best interests, you will find reading "Owning Your Own Shadow" a worthwhile read.

I highly recommend this short but potent book. Johnson writes succinctly and with great clarity. In the book he talks about recognizing and owning one's own shadow, and that it's the MOST important thing a human can learn to do. The ending on paradox is especially enlightening.

This is a small book with a stream-of-consciousness writing style. Some people may find it more relatable, but I found it disorganized and hard to follow the author’s thoughts and sometimes disconnected examples.

At first sight, this book is unimpressive. It seems outdated, and looks too short to contain anything useful. But in its 100+ short pages you will find some of the "gold" in psychology; profound insight into Carl Jung's work and superior observations into interpersonal and emotional intelligence. This allows you to objectivity see yourself and others in a new way, previously obstructed by modern conditioning and perceptions. Perfect for students looking for a grain of alternative schools of thought.