My post a few weeks ago on Sarah Palin acting as Barack Obama’s psychological shadow triggered a lot of people. I thought it would be worthwhile to talk about how one deals with the shadow once it breaks out and begins to disrupt things. But first a short recap: The emergence of Gov. Palin wasn’t simply startling — it was inexplicable. How could 20% of women voters suddenly turn toward her when Palin stands for erasing forty years of feminism? How could the mentality of a small-town mayor morph into a potential President making global decisions? To explain her meteoric rise, I offered the idea that each of us harbors a shadow, a place where our hidden impulses live. By appealing to fear, resentment, hostility to change, suspicion of “the other,” and similar dark impulses, the Republicans have been the shadow’s party for a long time. Sarah Palin put a smiling face on feelings that normally we feel ashamed of.
The shadow is irrational; it thrives on gut emotions. (A recent Fox News poll ran with the headline, “In their gut, independents choose McCain.”) Bringing the 2008 campaign down to the gut level means bringing it down to the level of the shadow. Instead of listening to an intelligent, persuasive, charismatic man with one African-American parent, people get to say, “I just don’t like blacks. They’re scary; they’re not like me. It’s a gut thing.” Only it’s not. It’s a shadow thing that each of us, not just the right wing, must deal with. Reacting to Palin with fear, confusion, panic, and lashing out also comes from the shadow.
People who were shocked and dismayed by the Palin effect generally don’t know how to handle shadow energies. Here are a few salient points:
1. Don’t panic — The shadow is built into your psyche, and when it brings fear, hostility, and resentment to the surface, those feelings want to get out. They cause disruption, but your panic only makes them stick around longer.
2. Try not to be overwhelmed — Eruptions from the shadow are transitory. If you don’t encourage them, these energies dissipate naturally. If you are overwhelmed, however, the net result is exhaustion and loss of energy.
3. Remind yourself who you really are — You are much more than your shadow, because your aspirations, hopes, and dreams keep advancing despite the shadow’s apparent power. Pay the least attention to these disruptions as you need to calm down and no more.
4. Keep a clear focus — The shadow creates disorder and runaway emotions. If you focus on your purpose and remain rational, you will anchor yourself to a more stable reality.
5. Don’t fight fire with fire — If you sink to the level of dark energies, you will be fighting on their terms, and the likelihood is that you will lose.
If we translate these points into current politics, they are clearly applicable. The Democrats were triggered by Palin because they fear losing and that fear runs deep. The bogeymen that frighten us the most come from a primitive level; they stir a sense of childish helplessness. But your mature self, like Obama’s campaign organization, is coherent and knows how to carry out its purpose. Realize that American politics has been dominated by shadow issues for decades, so it’s only natural they still have claws and teeth. But their game has gotten old and tired. If you are able to see past the appeal to fear and resentment, have trust that other people can, too.
The bottom line is that the 2008 election isn’t about change versus experience or a noble candidate who may lose to one who plays dirty. This election is about consciousness. Since the Reagan revolution, consciousness has been sleepy and dull in politics; ideals have been tarnished by cynicism; inner decay has sapped the party in power of its original purpose, leaving only a pointless morass of defensiveness that expresses itself in negativity. If the majority of the electorate wakes up and feels inspired to turn the page, that will happen. Obama has sounded the call; few people missed the message. Now it’s a matter of dealing with a phase of fear and resistance before we discover if stuck consciousness is ready to move ahead.
I couldn’t be happier than to read my same thoughts from someone I admire. Thank you,
kacia
There you go again, manipulating the truth with clever phrases. I find it curious that you are quick to characterize Palin as nothing but a small town mayor, conveniently skipping over the “detail” of her current responsibilities as the Governor of the State of Alaska.
And since you brought it up, let’s talk about morphing and meteoric rise to popularity and notoriety: When Obama declared himself ready to run for the PRESIDENCY, he had logged a mere 133 more days of experience as a senator than Palin had logged as governor when she was asked to be McCain’s running mate. Certainly we must not scoff at the depth of experience Obama must have gained in those 133 days. Each of those extra days should make us BRAVE and FEARLESS that Obama is indeed ready to make global decisions.
By the way, the race is still between Obama and McCain, not Obama and Palin.
I think that what Deepak says is correct in terms that a shadow is not only personal, but also collective, and seeing the characteristics of the part of us who is the creative by definition, and the one who is inertia, then it would be very obvious who is running for inertia and who is running for a creative response.
I think that it would be a nice thing that Deepak would put the whole process of releasing dark energies out of our body, the one that says more or less like these:
First: Be in silent, laying down, with your head up in the floor, and your palms toching the ground, and put your attention in a place of your body where you can feel a stuck energy in it.
Second: Ask your higher self to get rid of this toxic emotion, that you do not want it in your body anymore.
Third: Start by making a deep sound and let whatever feeling comes from your body, no matter how uncomfortable it is, and keep your attention to the message it is bringing with it…
Fourth: Let it calm down, if all the energy did not came out, it is the only energy that was allowded to come out, repeat the proces whenever you are ready to clean out all the toxic emotion that it is in there.
Fifht: Thank the Universe and your whole being that this energy has dispelled out of your body.
Sixth: Seek if it is only a toxic emotion, because it might be not only a toxic emotion, but a toxic relationship, and if it is a toxic relationship, then it might be continiously trigering shadow energies in to your system, so if this is the case, do not waste time…get rid of the toxic relationship.
Seventh: Celebrate!!! You are whole and complete again…
The fact that we are individuals, is that we are complete!!! Not dividuals, who can divide and be two persons at the time…That would be the case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide, the novel from Stevenson. To be divided is a very dangeorus thing.
The decisions that now are being done and the one that is about to be done with the elections this November are going to affect a lot of generations in the future…It is not necessary to go to the deephts of the fall to know that you can get up and do things different…To realize a better and brilliant future for the American people…Americans have gone enough down, they do not need to go lower…You not only have the facts of what is functioning and what it is not, but also have complete literature and history, to know where a path of inertia could be leading Americans…
Finnaly I would like to reccomend a book called: LETHAL LOVERS AND POISONOUS PEOPLE; “How to protect your health from relationships that make you sick” It is from Dr. Harriett B. Braiker…See in it the relationships that people have with their mates, bosses, sons, daughters, parents, and this could also apply to your government, because I do think that it is not only not healthy the way that Americans have been emotionnaly treated by their governed, but also posisonous at a collective level…
Love and Strenght
Live Brave…
Deepak –
I am a voracious reader (actually listener of your books and wisdom). I have had real world results from your words that have benefited my life, my marriage and my view of life. One of the most important things I’ve learned from you is detachment, which is why I’m confused as to how you have become such an ardent supporter of a political candidate. As an independent voter in this election, I feel your initiative for Barak is undermining your teachings.
Questions in point:
A) “How could 20% of women voters suddenly turn toward her when Palin stands for erasing forty years of feminism?”
My Question: What is the net benefit of this comment with respect of increasing the level of consciousness of those who read it? It is a blanket statement with no examples of why you believe it to be true. You don’t provide your definition of feminism either, which makes me wonder why you are trying to create same emotions you are critical of (with respect to the “shadow”) on the readers of this article.
B) “How could the mentality of a small-town mayor morph into a potential President making global decisions?”
My Question: Why is Sarah Palin called a “small town mayor” in this article? She is the governor of Alaska.
C) “Sarah Palin put a smiling face on feelings that normally we feel ashamed of.”
My Question: What are those feelings that we are feeling ashamed of? As an independent voter, who is carefully considering both the Obama and the McCain tickets, I would like to know your explanation of this. I truthfully haven’t felt ashamed of anything while hearing either campaign speak.
D) “But your mature self, like Obama’s campaign organization…”
My Question: I feel like I’m just rambling at this point, but why is Obama’s campaign mature and McCain/Palin immature? It seems to me that both the Democratic and Republican parties are immature at times. Don’t you think so?
Those are my main questions. I don’t really feel you’ve been emotionally detached in your views. It seems to me you are an “attached” Obama supporter. I have nothing against you for that. But this is also the net of my frustration. Your lessons on detachment have been so helpful in my life and your words (with respect to the material world of politics) seem very attached, and arguably irresponsibly coercive.
I just had some free time to write and thought I would give you my feedback.
Thanks,
Peter
Danville, CA
It is difficult to stay calm when the elections of 2000 and 2004 were clearly won by Gore and Kerry, but tampering and fraud handed them to Bush. When something that evil and corrupt can occur, it’s hard to keep anger and depression at bay…… But I am so grateful for your advice, Deepak, and I am doing my very best at staying hopeful and focused, praying for an Obama win in November. Namaste.
I am in complete agreement with your insightful comments and wish you would find a way to communicate with the wider population regarding their fears of difference and change. We must face up to the codes and language used by fearful, angry and frustrated persons who cannot openly express their underlying feelings about Black persons and others whom they fear threaten their security …. their way of life. Population changes, educational and economic advancements of minorities, and status improvements threaten many people, partly because they believe they may be treated the same way some of them treat others, if they were in positions of power. If the Obama campaign leaders could be alerted to the need to be aware of this truth and were cautioned to not dismiss certain behaviors as strictly racism, as it is commonly perceived, and were helped to focus in positive ways on what is actually underneath some of these behaviors, they could do a tremendous service to this country. As Deepak Chopra has stated, they would first have to develop the knowledge and insight to change their initial responses. It would require tremendous courage to do this, but the ability is there,if Mr. Chopra would provide the knowledge and direction. I pray he will. Joan Y. Harris
I hope “stuck consciousness is ready to move ahead.” I’ll be thinking about that.
I’ve been reading your book “Life After Death” and of course the part about mind consciousness and whether it is alive or not. I really think it is a record of information and somehow we communicate with it. I don’t know very much about it and I guess I really need to learn from a teacher, but when I started trying to meditate, etc., the first thing that happened was that just before sleep or right after I awoke, I could actually see my childish signature and little drawings of flowers that I made as a child. I’m in my seventies now. I can still see little strings which have color in them that I cannot make out, but I’m convinced the information is out there. It would be really great to access some of the good parts. It probably has good and bad parts since apparently information cannot be destroyed.
Anyway, I love your book.
Juanita Hawkins
thank you — I so appreciate your clarity and wisdom — whew… someone has remained sane through this. kh
I am so glad you make it so clear – thank you.
This is so on target. I really appreciate getting this perspective because we are all becoming absorbed in a very negative energy. It is good to be jolted back into consciousness.
Bless you for this beautiful reminder of union
Dear Mr. Chopra,
I highly respect you, many of your writings and your Oneness. I have not followed the campaign very well and I was pretty sure I was going to vote for McCain but only because I liked what Palin had to say, could you please share with me your reason for voting for Obama as a man and not a politician. I was not able to catch his acceptance speech so I don’t have much to go on. Thank you so much for your time. Ü
Thank you. I hear a lot of liberal friends sinking into shadow with fearful and even hateful sentiments toward the McCain campaigne. Though it is tempting to feel fearful or despairing I try to remind myself that I am sinking to the same level of shadow if I go there. I commit to myself, and to remind my friends to hold Obama in our minds as victorious and support consciousness not shadow.
Thank you, just thank you to all of you for keeping on showing us and caring.
It makes a difference to me all the time.
Blessings of joy to all of you.
with love
SHAME ON YOU
I AM VERY SAD THAT YOU HAVE PLACED YOURSELF IN THE POLITICS OF TODAY.
Curious that the backlash towards Hilary emerged onto the world stage right about the time the backlash towards Benazir Bhutto was expressing itself – speaking of coming out of shadow.
The shadow aspect of both the patriarchy and the matriarchy are emerging world-wide as a necessary step as our global consciousness gets a well-needed enema – what we say we believe vs what we do.
The emergence of S. Palin speaks to both a deep inner longing to see models of both male and female sharing power – and a wee bit of a backlash to Mr.Obama for treading a tired old path of appeasing the good ole power boys by choosing yet another male running mate. But the same consciousness that
chose George W. chose Sarah P.
Saying women can have the appearance of
power as long as they live the stereotype – keeping women from going
inside and learning what the true power
of the feminine is vs. the daughter
obeying and running interference for
father.
I believe this is a wise explanation of exactly what is happening in the U.S.Thanks Deepak. I’m from Canada and we have an election coming up, too. Hardly any campaigning time, but just as crazy.
We love Obama. In Canada, I feel the Green Party is the answer, and I’m hoping each one will vote their conscious and pull for Mother Earth.
All I can say is: From my heart, THANK YOU!
Dear Deepak, I heard you speak in Nashville a few years ago and I thought you were a gentle person, a little strange, but a gentle soul. Having read your remarks above, your political ineptitude is surpassed only by your inability to understand that would it not be for those who founded our country, who created a solid Constitution and even died while building America with a strong foundation of religious liberty and freedom of speech, you would not be the multi-millionaire you are today. You are living a rich life, an ultimate dream really, publishing your books and other media and moving about freely as you please in the safety of our democratic society. The very government you mock has allowed you and your family to thrive and accumulate unbelieveable amounts of wealth and fame. Shame on you Mr. Chopra. Shame on you.
You are certainly free to take your Socialism and Marxism back to your home country at any time. In fact, why don’t you go to your own country and try to do what you’re doing here? We don’t need your kind of passive-aggressive elitest tone. Please feel free to leave the U.S. to those who truly love its heritage and capacity to grow and evolve as humans, and we shall continue being the most generous nation in the world. See ya-bye!
Dear Deepak:
Thank you for this series. You are right on!
I will be walking for Peace tomorrow: peace in our hearts and minds and for the support of our inner guidance for this election.
Your wise and supportive words will help millions.
Vikki Ashley, PhD, CCHt
And here I thought I was the only one who felt panicked, afraid, hostile, resentful, overwhelmed, etc. about the Palin effect. You’ve put your finger on how the collective psyche, just like the individual psyche, responds to an imminent awakening with a “last hurrah” from the so-called shadow forces. 2 kudos!
Well said, thank you
Thank you Deepak for this clarification. It is a challenge sometimes to walk the path of non-violence and non-discrimination, and still stand up for injustice. I have confronted this in my family, and am writing about it, about my peaceful recovery from sexual child abuse. How to love the person who abused me while holding him accountable for his actions, without shaming or blaming.
Thank you again.
Ive never been so interested in politics and this election changed that. In the back of my head I hope everyone else who has not involved themselves is waking up.It is a bit scary when Palin talks. When the people in the audience are in such engagement. It wrenches my heart knowing what she stands for. Thank you for making things clear.
Although I’m a stiff Obama supporter, I also want to make the point, the shadow doesn’t just effect white people afraid of blacks. I’ve seen many of my fellow supporters be completely ignorant to issues just because Obama could bring us a black president. I know the race issue is a difficult one to bring to the forefront, but I feel your argument was missing this vital fact. Thank you for the great article though, it was thoroughly enjoyed!
The shadow might one plausible explanation and one that I’d certainly put my money on were it a share traded on the stock market. It’s value would certainly increase in the coming weeks. However, beyond the Shadow or better beneath it, in my opinion, anyone inclined to vote for McCain is driven by an irresistible death wish. It’s clear that the republican orgy of the past eight has driven this Country to ground and it’s transforming it into a colossal Third World Nation; socially and economically. Before long (under the Republicans) like most Nations in the Third World, only 1 percent of the population will have and control 99 percent of its resources and the rest…
Start calling the funeral services because the death of the America as we know is at hand. You get the government you deserve.
This is a very insightful message to the world on many levels, and should be deeply heeded. Bravo! It’s about time that humans looked at their condition for what it really is, and realize that moving forward, without a knowing consciousness is futile, “like dog chasing it’s tail”!
First of all, I would like to thank Dr. Chopra for discussing these issues in the light of the “shadow” (pun intended). It’s really quite helpful in understanding my own reactions to the the intensity I’ve experienced in Palin supporters. Dr. Chopra’s perspective that reacting to shadow with our own isn’t really the best long-term choice, is refreshing.
The second post by Dr. Chopra, on how to best respond is a welcome relief and reminder. Thank you for that. He reminds me that while it’s fine to stand up and use our voices to express legitimate outrage, one’s energies for change may be best served in voicing and living what we stand for, not what we hate.
I find all this so very interesting. The psychological element is very present in this race. But there is one thing that I think is a also major factor — the superficial nature of physical beauty.
Palin looks great at almost any angle, in TV or press, and she’s got a real likeable face. This I think counts for more than anything in our image media dominated society. It appears as though the presidential race is just another beauty contest.
Well said. The environmental pollution- is that also a factor? If so, how to go about to change that? Perhaps we should talk more about this in the media!
Keep up your good work.
Peace and love.
Ole
I did not write this, it was written by Margaret. I was going to reply to the person who stated “Shame On YOU” as I agree with her. Why are you getting into the mudslinging of politics? I thought you were a man of peace, instead your showing your shadow, your dark side. This is not positive at all.
I really liked Part 1 of your essay on Palin. It brought forth some interesting ideas about shadow in government. But in part 2 you asked us to recognize our shadow and then repress it! This is not very “enlightened,” and it doesn’t lead to growth. It is important not to act irrationally on shadow impulses, but simply repressing them only leads them to build and finally explode into a maelstrom. There is a reason for negative feelings, and growth involves seeing them, exploring them, and eventually understanding them and finding a way to incorporate and integrate their insights into yourself, all without being overcome by them. Finally, I’ve lived under a predominantly black government, and something, Mr. Chopra, tells me you never have. If you haven’t experienced the reality of the idea you discuss, your discussion of black government is simply stereotype—liberal stereotype, instead of conservative stereotype. But isn’t any stereotype just another name for shadow?
I disagree with Chopra’s conceptualization of those he doesn’t agree with as representing “the shadow”. His thesis is another example of the dangerous polarization of American culture that Obama has been fighting against! It is a form of demonizing and actually dehumanizing those who we view as different than us. Kind of a weird argument for a spiritual teacher like Chopra to make…I think most Americans are much more alike than our leaders would have us believe. Creating division is a way to scare people.
I think you are very right about this stuff and I like hearing this perspective as it keeps me from despairing. You make the assumption, however, that we have free and fair elections in this country and sadly this is no longer the case. Any objective look at the system in this country (and there have been many) must conclude that electoral politics is badly broken, and much of it is a sham. We are moving toward fascism at a rapid pace under Bush/Cheney. It’s a very dangerous situation and americans are like frogs in gradually heated water, either unable or unwilling to see it.
This is another way of placing a wedge between the ideals of the two candidates and pushing those who believe in those ideals further into their respective corners. As deep a thinker as I had always felt Deepak Chopra is, this incursion into the political realm is a great disappointment. The choice we have here is really very simple. Do we all want to be ruled by the government or would we choose to collectively rule the government. The Palin Effect is just another smokescreen that effectively casts a “shadow” over us as free thinkers. I find it very amusing and sad at once when I read these affirmative comments like Deepak is so “right on”. Please start thinking for yourselves
I think people like Palin, if they do, because she was positive, fun etc, but then she turned negative, always with a smile though. lol I understand tha a gut reaction is fueled by emotions. Emotions always have an idea behind them so we can actually correct the thought and have a healthy gut reaction. Similar with intuition. We have to test them very thoroughly, as they can give us vital insights. So much so that Einstein got all his theories from them and said, “The only really valuable thing is intuition.” So many give it credit for their success. Even the sacred texts are said to be inspired. Bush said he went by his gut decisions. Another reason to really check them.
Obama appears to have the right idea. After thousands of years of top down government, I think it’s clear we need top down, bottom up, instead. That means balance and not radicalism. As little government as possible, but also less fraud at the same time.
Don’t just deal with the shadow self by waiting for it to calm down and slink back into the shadows. Accept it , cherish and embrace it ,b/c sometimes it make you whole. If you are in acceptance of your shadow side, then it doesn’t have to have a tantrum to get attention and you can harness it productively if you need that side.
You are projecting your own shadow with this piece.
Someone like you should know that what you see in others that you don’t like are aspects of yourself.
Buy the book to see what you look like.