In Carl Jung's psychology, the shadow can be described as the power to embody the aspects of oneself that one could not live out. The shadow often carries a negative connotation, but it is necessary to integrate and develop oneself beyond this negativity. Jung claimed that integrating the shadow into the ego is the path of ego development and self-realization. This concept shares symbolic commonality with the religious notion of the shadow, and the growth and development of individuals involve experiencing the psychological death of an immature self and emerging as a new self.