Enantiodromia: How to Nurture a Balanced Mind
Like all things in the universe, the human mind thrives in a state of equilibrium.
Have you ever felt that your mind is an utter mess? Like it has two conflicting sides within it, constantly fighting each other for the right of control? No side ever wins — the balance keeps shifting back and forth in a recurrent cycle of usurpation. A battle with no end in sight.
When thoughts like these surface, it doesn't necessarily mean that you’re going crazy. Chances are, your mind is hovering in a state of imbalance, and it simply needs some recalibration.
To that end, there’s a psychological phenomenon that we can harness to recalibrate our mind and keep it in a healthy balance.
It’s called enantiodromia. We’ll explore it in this short writing.
First, let’s meet Carl Jung and his shadow.
The Jungian Shadow
If you’re even the least bit familiar with psychology, at one point you must have encountered the works of Carl Jung, including the “shadow.”
Simply put, the shadow is the subconscious part of our personality — the opposite of the conscious “ego.” Sometimes, it’s referred to as “the unknown side.” The shadow is commonly considered…
