Private Investigation

Identify the fear

During the day I ask myself "How do I feel?" this has two benefits - first it acts as a "reality check" for my Lucid dreaming practice and secondly it helps identifying a potential "malaise" related to a deep issue ; very often something I'm not even consciously aware of - then I get very quiet and contemplate what it is that is bothering me. When I'm ready then I write down these thoughts, one by one, on a piece of paper, until all this discomfort has dissolved itself, until I feel I've been to the bottom of the issue.
Then comes the time to question these thoughts or beliefs, one by one, I turn them around, and even try to visualize myself in various scenarios -- this is something I've learned from Byron Katie "The Work" or through Teal Scott's "shadow house" videos on Livestream.

Identify the belief

More often than not when a thought hurts me, I question it, and watch it let go of me.
I follow the series of questions from "The Work" : "it is true or not", I ask myself how I react when I believe it, and so on, and really listen to my emotions.
I noticed that if all thoughts I have are variations of : "This should be different ..." or "I want, need, should or shouldn't ..." -- it's usually that I'm on a dead end ; because I'm starting to argue with the reality of things. And that leads nowhere - but then usually after some visualizations exercises I find another "turn-around" and a lifting emotions then settle in.
Then I have usually identified a "hidden belief" something that usually comes from my childhood, and it's time for clearing it, again using the Work - it's a very recursive method ; and I always find wonderful how when I start, I had any ideas of where this "Inquiry" is going to lead me!

The benefits of Shadow work, is to raise awareness of what you currently allow taking place in your brain - not to be fooled or passive regarding to what software you're running in your head.

Kind of in the Dire Straits song "Private Investigation" - except you don't settle with "the new set of lies..." you work on it with Shadow work!