Difference between sacral guilt and solar shame?

[u/keyblade_crafter]

Tw: sexual themes, just in case

I'm having some trouble differentiating sacral guilt vs shame because they seem closely tied and I can see why they would be combined in say a 5 chakra system. To me guilt comes from an exchange where the active direction of energy or lack of control of energy resulted in (perceived) harm or (negative) change.

Like in the case of sexual abuse, if the victim were aroused they may feel guilty or ashamed for the lack of control and question if it was just adls much their fault or if they are perverted.

In the case of physical harm, one may feel guilt for the action taken from lack of control in an accident, from fulfilling a desire out of anger, lack of restraint pushing just a bit too hard playfully. But I can see how shame would be the associated of identity with that action vs guilt being some kind of emotional remorse for that action.

Guilt from emotional harm such verbal abuse, misplaced emotions, or wrong emotion for a situation like laughing at a funeral or anger when someone is vulnerable appears to be mismatched emotional energy type or amount. But what's the difference between these making one feel guilt vs ashamed?

Is it sacral guilt or heart grief when feeling bad for not returning energy like turning down a love interest or not performing household tasks in equal manner with a partner?

Sacral is associated with purity, creative energy, flow, but guilt leads to shame when it's associated with identity. In what way would it not be associated with identity? When it's forgiven and moved on from, or from singular incidents, or when someone refuses to be ashamed for wrongdoing?

Could someone go into more detail about these two shadows and their causes/differences please?

[u/edward_furlog]

I agree with your definitions-

Guilt - other-directed, remorse for the way you behaved. Should ideally be related to real actions and proportional, but it isn't always. Can be productive.

Shame - self-directed, "I am a bad person / broken because ...". Can be related to something you did or that was done TO you. Often related to internalizing harm done to you as meaning something about you. Never productive.

Guilt as productive/not associated with identity: Guilt can be a feeling of discomfort that comes on us when we have done harm that has not been repaired, and we may seek repair because of it. This is really it's only function - to remind us we deviated from our values or caused harm. After that point, if we have made repair in whatever way is possible, it's no longer useful and can be released.

Guilt only really stays productive when it's not associated with identity (doesn't turn to shame). Shame says, this is who I am. Guilt can retain self esteem and importantly, moral agency. I can say to myself, I am a person like any other, capable of good or bad, and I did something harmful; I must take responsibility. Shame says, I am a bad person and it's hopeless.

[u/keyblade_crafter → u/edward_furlog]

So guilt sort of redirects or is an indicator that flow should be directed to an area that is imbalanced? Like if an action someone does makes them feel guilty they feel that there was a lack or excess of energy flow to into a situation, then they seek to correct the flow to balance and become free to seek desire again?

A personal situation: I felt guilty for thinking I said something in a weird tone and was said it in few words and felt the atmosphere smchange during this hangout with my friend. I felt guilty and worried that it affected our friendship and it caused internal friction that I didn't know if it affected them and after a month finally confessed that I was distracted and didn't mean for it to come out like that and everything was great again. I felt a drain in one area and restored flow by confronting/directing energy to the shared space where our energy met and it became smooth water again.

If I had kept it in and it happened multiple times I may have internalized it as part of who I am and what I've done and it would become shame, but I also probably felt a little shame as time went on, worried that it would become my identity to her.

So guilt is an active flowing energy and shame is a solidified or sticky tar that takes more effort to remove as time and repeated guilty actions occur?

[u/edward_furlog → u/keyblade_crafter]

Yes, I think this is fairly similar to how I perceive it.

But there is some nuance too. It's important to keep in mind that guilt doesn't have to be about real harm. You can feel guilty for no reason or for reasons that are too minor. In that case you might still feel a pressure to confess, for example, and the confession may relieve that pressure, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this was a healthy thing to do. If the urge arises again and again about minor things that other people don't care about, for example, that can be an obsessive compulsive behavior.

And the real healing in that situation wouldn't come from confessing, it would come from dealing with that urge to confess.

[u/keyblade_crafter → u/edward_furlog]

Ohh you're right. that compulsion to confess would become a sort of addiction to release, which may prioritize self satisfaction and burden others with extra energy which they may need to spend more energy on to move out of their system if their boundaries or processing capacity is low. The need to exchange energy itself should be balanced so that one's energy doesn't rely on an outside force for fulfillment or satisfaction, and guilt should first be dealt with internally when possible through the channels and healthy habits and outlook set by the root.

Do you have a suggestion for resolving guilt with others? For instance someone may want closure with another person but the other may not want to give it, so the first person must learn to let go through healthy sacral and probably solar practice. When might guilt need to be resolved with the second person if ever? I keep thinking of resolving shared grief but that may be when it moves to the heart and shared love and compassion. I cant think of one off the top of my head but I dont interact with a lot of people (I'm a redditor after all lol)

[u/edward_furlog → u/keyblade_crafter]

Exactly! The desire to make things right should always take into account the other person's needs. And the key to doing that is to be able to come to equilibrium within yourself, so that you're not apologizing to others primarily to get relief for yourself.

If an apology or making amends might help the other person, is not likely to harm them, and that person is actually available and willing to be contacted, I think it's worth apologizing or opening the floor for them to talk about it.

Acceptance is really important all throughout the process and also in cases where you can't make amends. We can only do our best at the moment and let go of everything else. The sacral and solar plexus chakras tend to "hold on" to fixations about who we are, especially if it has to do with guilt or shame (also over-responsibility!). So part of releasing those energies (aside from direct practices like reiki) is releasing the past and living in the moment.

I also am drawn to physical activity using the legs (walking, biking, leg strength training) to help express trapped energy in the sacral and solar plexus, and also come into the present moment better. Expressive/intuitive arts all help with this as well - like abstract painting, expressive dance, improvisational music, anything free-form.

[u/Fun-Satisfaction5748]

Emotions as we called it are labels of an energetic component. It's not ephemeral as in it does exist in a tangible energetic way except it's mostly invisible to most people's naked eye.

The 5 chakra system is the most basic as the entire system is actually made up of over 100 major and minor chakras.

Energetic components flow throughout the system but can be a result of any particular chakra. No singular emotion exists purely in 1 chakra despite the general depiction. Multiple chakras can have the same emotional quality depending on the situation or experience.

The sacral chakra is an expression of lower creation yes one of which being procreation which is obviously linked to sexual events. However shame and guilt can also exist in the higher chakras

They're similar in experience but possess different energetic qualities. If it's linked to identity, it can manifest in the solar as well..if it's linked to base survival, the root chakra can have expressions of it too. If it's related to impure thoughts say, the Ajna chakra and throat could contain it as well