C G Jung, good mother myth, IFS, Mothering, reflections, Shadow work, therapy

Encounters with the Shadow (Monster: the Ed Gein story)

aleksandrastaneva

Lately I have been immersed in an advanced depth psychology studies on Jungian Shadow work, the deep, disciplined kind that asks us to face what we would rather not see. As part of this work, I watched the Netflix series ’Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ as a case study through a Jungian lens.

The show tells the story of Ed Gein, a real-life criminal whose actions shocked the world, and explores the psychological and familial dynamics behind his crimes (Content Warning: 18+, graphic violence, highly disturbing themes) as well as the impact it had on people’s psyche. People were fascinated by his story, and in many ways that fascination perpetuated violence by turning horror into spectacle. 

What struck me most was not Ed Gein himself (although his story is incredibly disturbing and he represents Evil in its most profound way), but his Mother, the true architect of horror. She represents a powerful archetypal force, the negative Mother complex, the devouring, shaming, morally rigid mother who attacks instinct and autonomy. When this complex fuses with a vulnerable psyche, the result is not just psychological damage but a loss of humanity. This is what happens when the Shadow is never met, never held, never integrated. The show exposes this in its extreme and invites many questions about our own encounters with Shadow.

What is the Shadow?

In Jungian psychology, the Shadow holds everything we repress or deny, our rage, shame, fear, envy, taboo desire, but also our buried vitality, erotic truth, and creative force. When we refuse to see our Shadow, it acts without our permission through reactions, projections, addictions, cruelty, moral superiority, or self-sabotage.

There is also the collective Shadow, the darkness not just in individuals, but in our culture. We see it today in war, racism, dehumanisation, propaganda, gender violence, and the weaponisation of morality. Jung warned that when society refuses to face its collective Shadow, it becomes capable of repeating the worst chapters of history and calling it necessity.

The Shadow does not disappear when ignored. It waits and it leaks.

Shadow work is not trendy. It is not positive psychology. It is ethical work, the lifelong task of becoming whole.

It asks of us:

Can I face the truth of my own psyche without collapsing? Can I hold instinct without becoming destructive? Can I integrate power without abusing it? Can I stay human when the world is pulling toward inhumanity?

This is the depth of work I am committed to in myself and with the people I work with. If you are curious about exploring your own Shadow safely and deeply, or want to understand how hidden parts of yourself influence your life and relationships, I invite you to begin the journey. This is not only a curious personal question to explore, but an invitation to our own humanity and a moral and ethical obligation I believe we all need to be accountable for, given the state of our world today.

What were your thoughts and reactions to the show?

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Published by aleksandrastaneva

Aleksandra She, who remembers. I work at the threshold, where psyche speaks in symbols, and the soul remembers. Rooted in Jungian depth psychology and Internal Family Systems, my work invites women and seekers into the quiet, often forgotten places within: the underworlds of grief, the wild terrain of desire, the sacred chambers of the inner child, inner mother, the Shadowlands, and Self. With a background in women’s heath research, in ritual, and in lived experience spaces, I do not offer diagnosis or treatment, I offer devotion to the unfolding Self. On the threshold of becoming- where we always are. Through dreams, parts work, myth, and the body, I walk beside those ready to meet themselves fully, fiercely, and tenderly. This is not fast work. It is sacred work. It is not about fixing, it is about remembering. I do not promise certainty. I promise presence, and a deep trust in the wisdom already within you. My work is rooted in the wild: in the seasons and the body, in the wisdom of the land, and in the deep ecology of the soul. I honour the personal as political, and the psychological as inseparable from the cultural. Feminism, ecopsychology, and embodied awareness are not add-ons here, they are the soil this work grows from. I offer one-on-one soulwork sessions, women’s circles, and immersive psychoeducational experiences that weave together depth psychology, parts work, and embodiment. Some of this work unfolds indoors, some in wild places—always with reverence for the wisdom of nature, the nervous system, and the feminine psyche. Welcome to the HORÓ nest. I think you might just be ready to re-member your Self.

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