Ken Wilber on True Self, Authentic Self, and Shadow

Good stuff on relative and absolute aspects of self:

media-news.s3.amazonaws.com/audio/Ken_on..._Self_and_Shadow.mp3

I liked (loose quote) ~"somebody that is integral, in the second tier, can still [psychologically] project... it's just going to be a very complex projection."

The warnings here about how various meditational activities -- such as Witnessing -- might unwittingly serve to block integration of the shadow are challenging to hear, but good food for thought. Jack Cornfield's warning that every practice has a shadow side resonates with this.

+1 on witness/shadow

This was pretty interesting. I think I've seen this in stark terms and in real-time. I remember being in the early stages of review, where True Self is exceedingly strong, and having authentic self/shadow issues arising just as strongly. I couldn't experience both of them at the same time, so there would be a violent transition from one to the other and back. I had this going on constantly for roughly 48 hrs. It was probably one of the most unpleasant, sustained experiences I've had - much worse than if I were simply having a relative self problem on its own. I don't understand all the concepts Wilber is using, but what little I understand helps me make sense of that experience.