Happy Sunday!
As you wind up Halloween this weekend, this issue of Mindset Matters brings you a deeper look into the ghostly spirits and hair raising goosebumps of Halloween. Join as we discover how monsters represent our fears, the fight or flight stimulation Halloween activates and this spooky festival’s help in reframing our negative emotions.

Halloween Monsters : Externalizing Internal fears

Halloween is not Halloween without it’s spooky elements. But do you know that all these spooky little components of Halloween have a deeper psychological meaning behind them? They are representation of our darker and deeper fears. Carved Pumpkins, Vampires, Zombies, Skeletons you name it, all these monsters and demons serve as a potent of our internal struggles and fears. Here are a few revelations about these Halloween ghosts which you might find interesting.

Jack- O’- Lanterns - are the most iconic symbol of Halloween. Scary faces carved into pumpkins are symbolic protectors against evil spirit but these lanterns also represent our internal fears. The ritual of carving and illuminating this is a symbol which teaches us to “shine a light” on our inner anxieties and reflects our ability to overcome darkness and find light, even in the darkest of times.

Monsters (Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies, etc.) - Monsters often represent the darker aspects of human nature—those we fear, repress, or find hard to accept. Vampires represent seduction, loss of control, or parasitic relationships. Werewolves symbolize our “animalistic” instincts and the fear of losing control or becoming dangerous. Zombies on the other hand can represent the fear of loss of identity and the feeling of being mindlessly swept away by the crowd. Halloween gives people a chance to "face" these monsters, lessening the hold these fears may have over them.

Spiders and Webs- Spiders embody the “creepy-crawly” fear that something unknown or threatening is lurking nearby. This fear is tied to broader anxieties about things beyond our control—symbolizing the unpredictability and vulnerability in life. Webs on the other hand evoke a sense of unease . They also bring attention to hidden or neglected areas, metaphorically linking to repressed thoughts or past issues we’d rather avoid.

Ghosts - Boo! Ghosts represent the ultimate unknown—what happens after death. a. From a psychological perspective, ghosts can symbolize our deepest fears , fear of death and the unknown. For many, the concept of ghosts taps into existential fears about mortality, the afterlife, and the mysteries that lie beyond our control.

Embracing the Shadows: How Halloween Helps Us Face Our Dark Sides

Carl Jung, an evolutionary theorist who has made great contributions to psychology, gave the theory of shadow self. In in his article, Tobias Weaver explains

Jung explained that the shadow is a cognitive blind spot of our psyche, it’s an element of our own nature that exists in our unconscious and is made from our repressed desire, ideas, instincts, weaknesses, and shortcomings. Jung described the shadow as “the thing a person has no wish to be.” These are often qualities you dislike in yourself and push down or avoid.

However within its chaos and impulse, the shadow may also contain a number of qualities and potentials that can help round out our character and personality. Our shadow can help us understand others; when we know our own shadow and see hints of it in other people, we can be more compassionate about what they’re feeling.

Halloween traditions like dressing up as ghosts, witches, or even exaggerated versions of ourselves symbolize confronting the shadow. When we put on costumes, we're engaging with aspects of human nature that often remain suppressed—power, fear, mystery, and impulse. Dressing up as villains or creatures of the night, allows people to express traits they might usually reject in their daily lives, embodying the chaos and instinct that Jung said resides in the unconscious. It's a ritualistic way of bringing the shadow to light.

So, as you put away the costumes and decorations, remember to keep a little bit of Halloween’s wisdom with you: face your fears, embrace your shadows, and shine a light on the unknown. The journey doesn’t end on Halloween—it’s just a reminder that growth and transformation are possible every day of the year.

Happy Halloween, and here’s to the ongoing journey of self-discovery!