OUR DARK SIDE

As an avid reader, I often totally immerse myself in a book. I rarely read a book that touches me so profoundly that my heart races a little faster as the author's words and pages fly past at breakneck speed. If the writer doesn't appeal to me intellectually or emotionally, I'll set it aside for a day that never seems to come.

I recently finished reading The Line Becomes a River by Francisco Cantu. Cantu wrote about his experiences as a former border agent. I witnessed activity at the border a few months ago and will again in a few weeks. Still, my perspective is entirely different from someone who worked in an official capacity for the United States government. 

Cantu references Carl Jung in his book to explain his behavior as a border agent and his colleagues' actions while performing their duties. Jung was quoted as describing the political climate during the cold war. "It has become a political and social duty to perceive the other as the very devil, to fascinate the outward eye and prevent it from looking at the individual within," Jung wrote. And so, it continues. 

I was a member of the Center of Jungian Studies of South Florida a few years ago. As a former psychotherapist, I've studied the works of great minds in psychology for many years. Carl Jung is one of my favorites. Jung, who began his research as a colleague of Sigmund Freud, eventually split from him and developed his own theories of human behavior. He developed personality patterns that are still used today. Jung theorized that we all share a collective unconscious. We are unaware of memories and impulses that are not our own experiences but are genetically based and inherited at birth. Jung further explained that our "shadow selves," or the darkest part of our impulses, are frequently used when referring to other people's motivations. It's much easier to call someone's behavior or beliefs "evil" rather than look in the mirror. Even if we're aware of our own shadow, we might push dark thoughts into the deepest recesses of our minds. In my practice, I listened as many individuals described their beliefs as being "all messed up." They often suffered from various addictions to fill the dark spaces and numb themselves from anguish. Pushing through pain is how we get to the other side and heal. Jung suggested that we accept our dark side and embrace it.

In a deviation from Jung's theory of the collective subconscious, current researchers have found that trauma experienced by our ancestors can be passed down in our DNA through how we respond to stress. The researchers discovered that descendants of people who suffered from trauma are more susceptible to post-traumatic stress syndrome and anxiety, while others are more resilient. ("Trauma's epigenetic fingerprint observed in children of Holocaust survivors," Science Daily, September 1, 2016)

Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan friar and an ecumenical teacher is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in New Mexico. He has written volumes on the "false self" and the "true self." Father Rohr has integrated teachings from the Bible, Thomas Merton, Rumi, and The Buddha. Many of us project an image of not who we really are but what we want others to think we are: the false self. The "true self" is who we really are. Often, the two are entirely different because it's tough to accept unpleasant parts of us. We want to hide them or, worse yet, deny those traits altogether. If we can integrate all the elements of our true selves...the good, the bad, and the ugly, then we are well on the road to being authentic. (Immortal Diamond: The Search for our True Self by Richard Rohr)

Cantu suffered from nightmares and sleepless nights due to his experiences as a border agent. He learned that before he passed harsh judgment on his colleagues, he needed to first look at himself. Cantu had to accept that he was, at the very least, complicit in what happened to people who crossed the border. His beautifully written book served as a catharsis for him to deal with his demons, both acquired through his own experiences along with some that were inherited, and make amends by acknowledging his behavior. More importantly, Cantu realized that to be authentic, he had to accept the darkness that lurks within...even when it was painful.