Buddhism

The Shadow is the part of us made up of all that we hide from others: our shame, our fears, and our wounds, but also our divine spirit, our blinding beauty, and our hidden talents. The Shadow is not bad – in fact it is the source of our creativity and power – but until we bring it into the light this power will remain untapped and our full potential unreached.

In the early 1950s, Kerouac became fascinated with Buddhism, an interest that would have an impact on his ideas of spirituality.