Interestingly, in the documentary _Dirty Pictures_[0], and in the books PiHKAL and TiHKAL, Ann Shulgin (widow of Alexander Shulgin, the chemist that re-synthesised MDMA and re-introduced it to the world) talks a lot about the shadow and her work as a therapist whilst working with MDMA shortly after it's effects became known. MDMA was initially trialled by psychiatrists working with the shadow.
I've seen the documentary, but never realised her reference to the shadow was more than just explaining why we can get into dark thought loops whilst on psychedlics often times going over and over something (sometimes inconsequential things) that raises our paranoia to terror levels.
Seems like I have some reading material to put off working until this afternoon now :)
Interestingly, in the documentary _Dirty Pictures_[0], and in the books PiHKAL and TiHKAL, Ann Shulgin (widow of Alexander Shulgin, the chemist that re-synthesised MDMA and re-introduced it to the world) talks a lot about the shadow and her work as a therapist whilst working with MDMA shortly after it's effects became known. MDMA was initially trialled by psychiatrists working with the shadow.
[0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SxjCE0f9_4