Plant Medicine: A Powerful Ally in Shadow Work

Introduction to Shadow Work and Plant Medicine

Shadow work is the deliberate effort to explore the uncharted territory of your unconscious self. The areas of ourselves that we have repressed or denied is referred to as the ‘shadow’. They are usually the areas of ourselves that we repressed because they are not socially acceptable or desirable.

The grandfather of psycho-analysis, Carl Jung, first mentioned the shadow in 1912 and was responsible for making the shadow self popular. In his infamous book, “The Red Book” Jung has a “conversation with his soul” referring to it as the “spirit of the depths”. Jung discovered that integrating the shadow self led to greater self awareness and wholeness.

Shadow work allows individuals to tap into their unconscious and hidden fears, desires and tramas. Having access to these hidden aspects of our otherwise repressed selves gives us the space to create healing and personal growth.

Traditional methods for shadow work encompasses various healing modalities. A few common shadow work practices include:

Plant Medicine for Shadow Work

• Mindfulness meditation
  
  • Practising mindfulness to become aware of your unconscious thoughts and feelings
    
  • Use of guided meditation specifically aimed at tapping into the shadow self
    
  • Using visualisation to imagine meeting, soothing and healing the shadow self
    
• Therapy and counselling
  
  • Working with a certified therapist to identify your shadow self
    
  • Explore deep-seated issues while a safe therapeutic relationship holds space for you
  • Using the strategies given to you by a trained therapist and receiving professional guidance
    
• Affirmations and positive self talk
  
  • Identifying negative self talk and replacing it with positive self talk via regular, consistent affirmations
    
  • Learning to give yourself compassion and grace through self forgiveness
    Making a conscious decision to reinforce self worth and inherent value
    
• Inner child work
  
  • Recognising and becoming aware of the inner child
    
  • Writing a letter to the inner child
    
  • Re-experiencing and addressing trauma, pains and wounds
    
• Projection identification
  
  • Becoming aware of where you are projecting your wounds onto others by being cognizant of when something triggers a strong reaction in you
    
  • Checking in with yourself to see where your strong reaction towards somebody’s behaviour could be mirroring an unacknowledged part of yourself
    
  • Being conscious of why you are having a strong reaction by becoming aware of the underlying reason
    
• Dream analysis
  
  • Keeping a dream journal to be able to become conscious of your dreams
    
  • Reflecting on recurring themes and spotting symbols
    
  • Reflecting on what the subconscious mind is trying to communicate to you
    
• Art therapy
  
  • Through use of art, painting and creative expression tapping into your inner world
    
  • Using art to consciously illustrate and connect with the shadow self
    
  • Afterwards reflecting on the art and what the subconscious self is trying to communicate to you
    
• Body awareness
  
  • Scanning the body to tune into where the body is holding subconscious blocks
    
  • Tuning into the physical sensations to see what the is trying to explore the emotional state
    
  • Using movement, yoga, dance or mindful meditation to express and release it
    
• Shadow dialogue
  
  • Have a conversation with the shadow self through writing or visualisation
    
  • Asking it questions like you would a separate person and wait for its replies and responses
    
  • When you receive responses, aim to integrate the response without judgement. Non judgement encouraging the shadow fragmented self to integrate back into the whole self
    
• Journaling
  
  • Automatic writing of your thought and feelings in a journal with no filtering
    
  • Let the thoughts and emotions flow organically so that the conscious self doesn’t have a chance to repress the shadow
    
  • Become cognizant of your blind spots by noticing recurring themes and triggers

A lesser known yet powerful tool that people are using to address the shadow self is plant medicine.

• Taking plant medicine
  
  • Exploring the shadow self through an immersive experience
    
  • Discovering and addressing the shadow by way of the spiritual plane
    
  • Receiving guidance through plant teachers and ethereal guides and beings
    
  • Having space held for you by trained shamans, facilitators and helpers

What is Plant Medicine?

Plant medicine is the use of natural entheogenic plant substances, such as ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, iboga and various other plant medicines that bring on a trance-like state and lead to healing and spiritual growth.

Users believe ayahuasca is the vine that lets the spirit leave the body and enter the spiritual world, which is banned for humans.

Historical significance

Indigenous cultures across the globe such as the Bwiti tribes of Gabon, Africa or the Huni Kuin, Shipibo and various tribes of the amazon basin, have used plant medicine for centuries in rituals, healing ceremonies and spiritual practices.

Common Plants

Ayahuasca: A brew made of Banisteriopsis caapi vine and Chacruna leaves. The vine and chacruna leaves are the most tradition combination but often the Chacruna leaves are swapped for Mimosa Hostilis or another dmt containing plant.

Psilocybin Mushrooms or Truffles: These are mushrooms that have naturally occurring psychoactive properties. They are described as having the spirit of “plant teachers” (make this more clear) and have been used by various indigenous cultures

Peyote: A small cactus containing mescaline, used in native american spiritual ceremonies

Iboga: The bark of an iboga shrub with a naturally occurring chemical called ibogaine. Said to have hallucinogenic properties and has been known to cure hard addictions such as heroin addiction.

Modern Use

Increased interest in plant medicine has led to the scientific analysis for whether these plants can actually be responsible for healing anxieties, depression, trauma, PTSD and addictions.

The Intersection of Shadow Work and Plant Medicine

Enhanced introspection
Plant medicine has a profound effect on the brain’s neurological wiring making easier to access deeply introspective understandings. These introspective experiences make it easier to face the shadow, with the help of wise plant guides.

Deepend Self Awareness
Taking plant medicine can strengthen your connection with your authentic self because it makes it easier to access repressed and subconscious thoughts ad emotions. This altered state of consciousness induced by the plant can allow individuals to bypass their ego and access their shadows. The shift in consciousness can make it easier to confront the repressed part of themselves.

Emotional Release:The altered states can lead to emotional releases which are commonly referred to as a purge. The purge can happen through throwing up, crying, yawning or using the bathro

Spiritual Insights
People often report having spiritual awakenings during these induced states or report having a heightened consciousness which inevitably lends itself to greater shadow integration.For more insights, about how to recognise spiritual awakening read 11 Simple Signs You’re Having a Spiritual Awakening.

Supportive Environment
Ceremonial settings often provide a safe and supportive space for shadow work.

My Journey with Plant Medicine & Shadow Work

After many years of bypassing my own deeper healing, I decided to try ayahuasca, to delve into my shadows and work through past traumas.

I was told to follow a strict diet which was sent to me via email and I was advised to start the diet a couple of weeks prior to the ceremony.

The ceremony took place under the supervision of experienced shamans, facilitators and helpers.

I had read many testimonials about ayahuasca online and realised that the medicine only got scary for the people who were still resisting their shadows.
As the medicine took effect I made a conscious effort to go into a state of surrender i.e. no resistance.

For the next 6-8 hours I confronted my fears and traumas.
Insights and revelations
After the ceremony I felt a profound shift in my energy field, like I had been reborn. I felt lighter, clearer and had a warm sense of wellbeing and connection to other people in the room. Not only was I able to connect to my shadow self, I had also experienced a firsthand connection to the divine.

I have tried years of therapy in the form of counselling but this alternative method blew all of those years of therapy out of the water.
They don’t call it 10 years of therapy in one night for no reason!

From my own personal experience I have noticed that counselling works on the mental plane, which is a good method when you are already self aware and honest. However it’s very easy to bypass the things your ego doesn’t feel ready to confront.

Integration

In the next few weeks that follows the ceremony is where the real work takes place. It is more important to integrate the insights than the actual ceremony and this is when it becomes challenging. Entering back into society where we are encouraged to repress our true selves, is what strengthens our shadows.

Reflections and Advice

Plant medicine profoundly impacted my shadow work as you confront your shadows through a multidimensional experience. What I mean by this is that you actually feel where you are holding your repressed emotions and by having access to these blocked emotions, you are able to “purge” the emotions that have been repressed.

For others considering plant medicine to do your shadow work, I recommend thorough preparation, seeking experienced guidance, and focusing on integration practices. I also recommend complete surrender to whatever you are shown during the experience as your avoidance to your shadows is why others describe having scary plant medicine experiences.

Scientific Insights: Plant Medicine for Shadow Work

Recent research has provided valuable insights into the effects of plant medicine on the brain and psyche, supporting the process of shadow work in various ways.

Effects on the Brain:
Neuroplasticity: Studies have shown that substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca can enhance neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections. This can facilitate the process of shadow work by making it easier to break old patterns and adopt new, healthier ones.

Serotonin Receptors: Plant medicines often interact with serotonin receptors in the brain, which can lead to improved mood and emotional regulation. This interaction helps individuals confront and process difficult emotions that arise during shadow work.

Default Mode Network (DMN): Research indicates that plant medicines can temporarily suppress the DMN, which is associated with the ego and self-referential thinking. Reducing DMN activity can help individuals gain a new perspective on their behaviours and thought patterns, promoting self-awareness and insight.

Psychological Effects:
Enhanced Introspection: The altered states of consciousness induced by plant medicines can lead to heightened introspection, allowing individuals to explore deep-seated fears, traumas, and desires more effectively.

Emotional Release: Many users report intense emotional experiences during plant medicine journeys, leading to cathartic releases and a sense of emotional cleansing. This emotional release can be pivotal in the process of shadow work, helping to integrate repressed aspects of the psyche.

Spiritual Connection: Plant medicines often facilitate a sense of spiritual connection and unity, which can provide a broader context for understanding one’s shadow and fostering self-acceptance.