Many movies reflect this theme of the shadow self.
Watching one of them might help clarify your thoughts as you
prepare to bring yours into the light of consciousness. I suggest
Mary Reilly (1996), a modern take on the Jekyll and Hyde
story. If you have experienced trauma through violence, this
might not be an appropriate film.
Movie Preview:Mary Reilly (1996)
Jekyll, the good doctor, has never married. But he is
attracted to the comely Mary, his live-in maid. One
evening, he spies several scars on Mary’s arms and neck.
He wants to examine her, but she declines, saying there
is nothing to worry about. Her real reason, however, is
that she does not want him to discover the shameful
truth: they are teeth scars caused by a rat. As a child her
father abused her, locking her into a dark closet with a
rat so he could listen to her screams.
One morning as she is changing the doctor’s sheets,
she finds them stained with blood. Sneaking down to
the laundry to secretly expunge the stains, she
experiences a vision of a creature that is covered in
blood and yet is clearly alive. As she emerges from her
trance, she realizes how safe she feels in the doctor’s
house. Nevertheless, she begins having regular
nightmares about her childhood.
Jekyll warns the staff that he has hired a new assistant,
Edward Hyde, who will be coming and going at odd
hours. No one is to be alarmed.
Mary and the doctor gradually grow closer, and finally,
much to his joy, she confides to him stories of her
abusive childhood. Jekyll is finally allowed to examine
her scars, and after doing so he says nothing.
The doctor then has Mary deliver a sealed note to the
madam of the local bordello. The madam reads the note
then tells her the answer is “yes.” As Mary is returning
with the mysterious answer, she spies Hyde limpingSelf-Discovery Through Film Characters — The Self Matrix 147