Lady Gaga, Carl Jung, the Shadow, and Self-Acceptance

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This isn’t the first time I’m writing about Lady Gaga, and it won’t be the last. I’ve been a “little monster” for as long as they’ve existed. I even took my mother and sister to a Lady Gaga concert. We dressed up and wore wigs. It was a whole thing.

So, I’m obviously excited about Gaga releasing a new album. I love the “Abracadabra” single and music video. Plus, hearing that she’s taken inspiration from Nine Inch Nails made my pouty, industrial, alternative, sulky teenage self shriek with joy. But like emo joy, I guess.

But what is the new Mayhem album all about?

Here’s what I know.

• So far, two of the three music videos feature an alter ego, some kind of mysterious, menacing version of Gaga.

• Gaga starts the “Abracadabra” video by saying, “The category is: Dance or die.” In the behind-the-scenes footage for the video (yes, I watched that, too), Gaga explains this dance-or-die battle as:

This tension between the dark side that makes all the bad decisions and the light side that is finding the positive and moving on.

• The dancers call this alter ego, dark-side Gaga “Miss Mayhem.”

This all leads me to the conclusion that Lady Gaga is invoking Carl Jung’s idea of the shadow self and that, ultimately, Mayhem is about self-acceptance.

Hear me out.

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Lady Gaga, Carl Jung, the Shadow, and Self-Acceptance

The Society of Analytical Psychology defines Carl Jung’s shadow self as:

the repressed, often unconscious, aspects of our personality that we deem unacceptable or undesirable, encompassing both negative and positive qualities.

The thing is, not all aspects of one’s shadow self are bad. We don't realize our full potential if we repress and deny all aspects of our shadow self.

Exploring one’s shadow self is a lifelong pursuit. Daydreaming, writing, and making art can all be ways to tap into our unconscious and integrate aspects of it into our day-to-day existence.

Improv and the Shadow Self

Improv has been a great way for me to commune with my shadow self. In one exercise I improvised a scene between Clay and Clay’s “naughty self.” This gave me permission to do things onstage that I normally wouldn’t do because I’d be concerned with what people would think of me.

This alter ego exercise was powerful because it allowed me to be open to what another, more repressed side of me brings to the table. Clay’s naughty self was brave and bold and outrageous. He wasn’t afraid to offend, and those aren’t all bad qualities.

Lady Gaga and Carl Jung seem to both be suggesting we explore our more menacing, unconscious sides. No running. No hiding or repressing. We all contain multitudes, and being open to some of your scarier thoughts and ideas can potentially lead you toward self-acceptance.

The Challenge

There’s a social media trend where people battle for attention between the light and dark sides of themselves. This is the challenge we should all be facing right now. Daydream, let your mind wander, dance, write, create, improvise, and be open and interested in what’s bubbling beneath the surface. Your shadow self isn’t all bad. Facing it and integrating it into your life might feel like mayhem, but ultimately, it can help us show up more fully and completely instead of projecting our insecurities onto others.

If the category is “dance or die,” I’m dancing every time. Bring on the Mayhem.