What people askbefore they start.
Everything here is answered plainly. If your question is not on the list, email oliver@shadowjournaling.com and it probably will be.
What is shadow journaling?
Shadow journaling is a writing practice for meeting the parts of yourself you have kept out of sight: the traits, memories, reactions and desires you have hidden, denied or judged. Instead of analysing yourself from a distance, you write towards what is uncomfortable, stay with it long enough to see it clearly, and let that change how you live. The practice in this book follows three phases: Reveal, Reclaim, Rewrite.
What is the Reveal, Reclaim, Rewrite method?
Reveal is the willingness to really look, with curiosity, honesty and kindness, and to accept that not everything you believed about yourself is true or useful. Reclaim is acknowledging what you find and saying, this is here, without punishing yourself for it. Reclaiming is not endorsing. Rewrite is where the energy that went into hiding is released and a more helpful path forward becomes visible, again and again as you grow.
Who is Oliver Mann?
Oliver Mann is a writer and journaling guide with around thirty years of journaling and inner work behind him. He is the author of Shadow Journaling: A Field Guide to Personal Alchemy, hosts conversations on shadow work and self-acceptance, and works with people one to one and in small groups. He is based in Barcelona and can be reached at oliver@shadowjournaling.com.
What is the book Shadow Journaling: A Field Guide to Personal Alchemy about?
It is a field guide for people who have read the books, done the work, followed the roadmaps and still feel stuck in overthinking and intellectualising. Those are symptoms of strong self-awareness that is missing its next step: self-acceptance. The book walks you through building your own roadmap to change through a slow, disciplined journaling practice.
Where can I buy the book?
Shadow Journaling is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H9LD6Z89 and on Barnes & Noble at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-journaling-oliver-mann/1150874498.
Can I read part of the book first?
Yes. A free sample chapter is available at https://shadowjournaling.com/chapter. Sign up with your email and you are taken straight to the download.
Do I need journaling experience to start?
No. You need a notebook, a pen and a willingness to be honest on the page. The book gives you the prompts and the structure. Experienced journalers usually find the method deepens what they already do rather than replacing it.
Is shadow journaling the same as therapy?
No. It is a self-directed reflective practice, not treatment, diagnosis or a replacement for mental health care. Many people use it alongside therapy. If you are dealing with trauma or acute distress, work with a qualified professional and treat the journaling as a companion, not a substitute.
How often should I practise?
Short and regular beats long and rare. Most people work in sessions of fifteen to thirty minutes, a few times a week, staying with one prompt rather than rushing through many. The practice is designed to be returned to over years, not finished in a weekend.
What is shadow work in Jungian terms?
In Jung's work the shadow is the part of the psyche that holds what the conscious personality does not accept about itself. Shadow work is the process of making that material conscious so it stops running you from underneath. Journaling is one of the most accessible ways to do it, because the page is patient, it does not argue and it does not interrupt.
Can I work with Oliver directly?
Yes. Oliver runs a six week group programme and takes a small number of one to one clients. Details are at https://shadowjournaling.com/work-with-oliver, and you can book a conversation at https://shadowjournaling.com/letstalk.
How do I contact Oliver Mann?
Email oliver@shadowjournaling.com. There is no contact form on the site, so email goes straight to him.