The Shadow Side of Lightwork
I believe it’s important for us to know the signs of spiritual bypassing, in ourselves and others. I’m going to discuss the 5 most common ways we bypass the real inner work, and the 5 steps to achieve the healing and wholeness we’re looking for.
What IS spiritual bypassing?
I want to start with a definition. The term was first coined by the psychologist, John Wellwood, in 1984, and he defined it as “using spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing uncomfortable life issues unresolved emotional wounds or psychological developmental stages.”
Really, it is an ego defense response. It’s the ways that we’ll avoid feeling uncomfortable. The ego will avoid feeling uncomfortable at all costs. In the spiritual community, especially, we see this escapism to use ideas and concepts to avoid and bypass the difficult but necessary emotional healing, or what’s also called Shadow healing, and those important psychological developmental stages.
WATCH my 30 minute video talk to learn the 5 most common spiritual bypasses, and 5 ways we can repattern this tendency in ourselves.
Very interesting! I’ll have to reflect on this some more.
Such a great topic and something some fall into more than others. For me, having empathy for where someone is at, rather than immediately jumping into “look at the bright side” is a shadowy bypass pattern. Me not comfortable with another’s pain, thinking it’s something that needs fixing, instead of trusting the soul’s path and evolutionary journey. thanks for the reminders!
Flora thank you for this video. I would say my number one bypass is probably the Love and Light. I have been recognizing when I am hurting and then acknowledging that, feeling it and letting it go. Yay!!!
I think the step that most resonates with me is both collective healing and paint/write/dance it out. I love that idea of a signal boost. Of course I try to focus on love and light. Lol!! “The gift is in the shadow.”
thank you Flora. this article really clarified this issue for me.