Shadow Work Journal Prompts For Taking A Memory Inventory
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What do you remember, and what don’t you remember? And what can this tell you about your shadow self?
Shadow work for finding your memory gaps
While we commonly recall past experiences, it’s less common to consciously reflect on what we do and don’t remember from earlier times in our life. These journal prompts encourage you to take a step back and look at your memories with a big picture view. This is a good shadow work journaling exercise because these journal questions are designed to help you recognize gaps in your memory, or in other words, memories that may have moved into your subconscious mind.
I invite you to grab your journal and write about times in your life you remember clearly and moments and eras you have few or no memories from. If it feels helpful, use the journal questions below to start.
Shadow work journal prompts for a memory inventory
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What do you remember clearly from earlier times in your life?
What do you not remember clearly from earlier times in your life?
List out all of your grade school teachers. Were you able to list some teachers and not others?
What memories do you have of holidays from when you were a child?
Are there major events in your life that you would expect to have more memories of than you do?
Do you remember what it felt like to be a child?
Do your memories include feelings about your experiences?
Are there people from your earlier life you have clear memories of? Are there people you have no, or few, memories of who you would expect to remember more clearly?
What do you remember from age 5 and younger? What are your happiest and least happy memories from this time period? Who was important in your life? What did you enjoy doing?
What do you remember from age 6 to 12? What are your happiest and least happy memories from this time period? Who was important in your life? What did you enjoy doing?
What do you remember from age 13 to 14? What are your happiest and least happy memories from this time period? Who was important in your life? What did you enjoy doing?
What do you remember from age 15 to 18? What are your happiest and least happy memories from this time period? Who was important in your life? What did you enjoy doing?
Depending on how old you are, continue with this practice for the following eras of your life (age 19-22, age 23-25, age 26-35, age 35-44, age 45-64, and 65 and older).
Are there certain time periods that you have more memories from? Why do you think that is?
Are there time periods you have no memories, or few memories, from? Why do you think that is?
Why do you think we remember some things and not others?
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