How many times have you heard the term “Love and Light” in the spiritual community? Click on any spiritual video on YouTube and I’ll be willing to bet that they close out the video with a similar phrase. Look anywhere and you’ll see that spirituality is often portrayed as a journey of love and light-a path of peace, positivity, all roses and enlightenment. It’s almost as if spiritual practitioners avoid ‘the darkness’ like the plague. Waiting with their garlic, crystals, bibles and crosses to denounce anything that resembles darkness. While these ideals can be helpful and inspiring, they can also create a dangerous illusion for those seeking the ultimate truth. True raw spirituality isn’t just about basking in the light; it requires delving deep into the shadows, confronting very uncomfortable truths, and embracing the full spectrum of human emotions. The “love and light” gig ultimately causes seekers to bypass deeper work, enforcing the facade that most people wear causing them more harm. We call this deeper work, shadow work, which can’t be done with just love and light. It requires darkness.
Shadow work is often avoided in mainstream spirituality because it challenges the comfort zone and requires individuals to confront aspects of themselves that are painful, uncomfortable, or socially stigmatized. Doing this work threatens the ego because it requires acknowledging flaws, mistakes, and unresolved pain. As Carl Jung quoted, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular”. To put that into laymen’s terms, you must walk through your own personal hell by acknowledging your own personal evils to get to the light and that requires delving in the darkness, the abyss of the soul.
So, we can see how this love and light paradigm is dangerous to one’s spiritual journey. In essence, a lot of these spiritual practitioners are encouraging spiritual bypassing. These mainstream spiritual teachers, or should I say influencers, only focus on the “feel good” aspect of spirituality to keep the ego safe. So these “spiritual” teachers use spirituality to not only elevate their own ego but their followers’ egos as well. It often involves adopting a “holier-than-thou” attitude to appear superior, gain validation, and avoid any accountability whatsoever. Instead of fostering one’s own inner darkness and authenticity, it essentially becomes a mask to hide deep unresolved issues, ultimately distorting the true essence of spiritual growth. I call this spiritual narcissism.
We live in a world of duality. Many people misunderstand the concept of duality, seeing light as “good” and dark as “bad”. This oversimplified view leads to the avoidance of anything perceived as negative, rather than recognizing darkness as an essential part of growth and healing. We are now coming out of an old paradigm in approaching spirituality. Former constructs in these matters are proving to be ineffectual. If you don’t believe me, just take a good look at what’s going on in the world and in your own community. Things can no longer be perceived through the lens of black or white, good versus evil, but must be processed through the reality of black AND white. You can’t have dark without light, and you can’t have light without dark. It’s a symbiotic dance, yin and yang. Anyone selling you a rose without thorns is most certainly peddling plastic and spiritual narcissism. As it is written in the scriptures, for many ravenous wolves will come in sheep’s clothing. Be ye careful.
My goal with this article is to encourage a deeper, more authentic exploration of spirituality. It’s important that we embrace both light and darkness so we can become whole. Afterall, light would not exist without darkness and darkness would not exist if there were no light.
Scriptural References
“Spiritual Narcissism”
2 Corinthians 11:14
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Isaiah 5:20-24
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
2 Timothy 4:3
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2 Timothy 3:1-17
3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
