PATHWAY TO JOY AND HEALING

“Psychological projection, also known as blame shifting, is a theory in psychology in which humans defend themselves against unpleasant impulses by denying their existence in themselves, while attributing them to others. For example, a person who is rude may constantly accuse other people of being rude.  According to some research, the projection of one’s negative qualities onto others is a common process in everyday life.”

“Sigmund Freud considered that in projection thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings that cannot be accepted as one’s own are dealt with by being placed in the outside world and attributed to someone else. What the ego repudiates is split off and placed in another.Carl Jung considered that the unacceptable parts of the personality represented by the Shadow archetype were particularly likely to give rise to projection.” (Wikipedia definition)

Psychological projection is our ego’s way of dealing with our own thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings that we cannot accept.  This also is a form of denial that allows us to avoid our emotional problems as we are unable to recognize them within ourselves. Projection occurs automatically unless we have awareness that our minds are causing this.

For many, recognizing projections must occur before any true emotional healing may begin.  If we are unable to recognize that thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings are our own, we are unable to heal the emotional wounds that caused them.  May you recognize your psychological projections to find true emotional healing for your life. (Copyright 2015 Awakening Journey with All Rights Reserved)