Category: JungianTheory

“Projection occurs when we see an unconscious characteristic of our own in another person or object.”  From Jung: The Key Ideas by Ruth Snowden.

One of the most valuable commitments each of us can make is to try to be aware of when projection is occurring or may have occurred.  As the above quote by therapist and author Ruth Snowden says, projection involves seeing a characteristic in another person that is actually a characteristic of ourselves of which we are unaware.  Learning about psychological projection has helped me to better understand other people and to better understand myself as well.  It has helped me to be more accepting and less judgmental of people who are different from me.

Projection is an unconscious phenomenon; therefore, it’s not something we consciously cause to happen or over which we have control.  But we can become better at recognizing when it might have occurred.  One way to do that is to pay attention to those times when we feel strong emotions about a person or group of people, either positive or negative emotions.  And then to ask ourselves what might have caused that emotional reaction, what is it we’re thinking about that person or group of people and is there a factual basis for those thoughts.  Or are they instead ideas we learned as children passed on to us by parents and other authority figures, ideas that we naturally don’t question as children but should question as adults.

Projection is the basis of much that is wrong in our world.  It is the underlying cause of prejudice against people who are different from us, including differences of race, ethnicity, religious tradition, age, gender, and/or gender identity.  If more people would do the work of trying to become more conscious, far less injustice, inequity, and other forms of hurt would occur as a result of prejudice against others.  By exploring our biases and recognizing that they are based on characteristics we project onto others and neglect to see in ourselves, we live more genuine lives.  And we join with others who are doing similar inner work that is both personally beneficial and also helps to heal the divisions among people.

“The work is not easy, as Jung himself admitted, but it can have great rewards as it helps us to become more peaceful humans, better able to relate effectively to our fellow beings.”

I recently discovered the book Jung: The Key Ideas by Ruth Snowden.  Ms. Snowden is an author and artist who for many years had a private therapy practice.  In this book, she presents Carl Jung’s work and findings related to the individual unconscious, the collective unconscious, dreams, personality types, projection, and his approach to working with clients.  She includes some biographical information about Jung:  the influence of his parents and other people, including Freud; some of Jung’s dreams that he shared and wrote about in his books; and other life experiences, all of which contributed to his psychological theory.

The quotation I chose is from Snowden’s book.  When I read it, it immediately resonated with me.  Jung and many authors of books about Jungian concepts acknowledge that doing psychological work is difficult.  It requires devoting time to recording dreams and writing down thoughts that come to us, noting synchronicities and their possible messages, and trying to find the meaning behind unexpected occurrences.  Doing Jungian psychological work also requires a certain amount of courage as we learn about ourselves through that work.  Some of what we discover are things that can be hard to acknowledge, the darker aspects of our natures.  And yet it is through learning about ourselves that we become more authentic and genuine human beings.  By being shown more about ourselves through dreams, synchronicities, our projections on others, and life experiences, we are better able to make changes and try to become more the persons we were created to be.  And that leads to a more meaningful and purposeful life.

Becoming familiar with Jungian concepts has definitely helped me to relate more effectively to others, as Snowden says.  For example, being aware of extraversion and introversion has helped me to be more accepting of people who are different from me.  I know people who are naturally outgoing, for whom interacting with others is what makes life most enjoyable for them, and who find it difficult to be alone.  I also know people who need a certain amount of quiet and alone time and who find it necessary to limit how much time they spend with groups of people.  As with all human qualities, it’s not totally one way or the other; each of us has a certain degree of extraversion and introversion.  But knowing about these different approaches and how natural they are to each person’s emotional makeup helps us to better understand our differences, to be less judgmental, and to be less likely to try to change someone to be like us.

Snowden’s comment about becoming more peaceful human beings as a result of doing Jungian psychological work fits my experience as well.  It’s a sense of peace that comes from endeavoring to do those things that are part of living a more genuine life.  It’s a peacefulness that is present even during the challenging times which are an essential part of personal growth as well as during the less challenging times.

Working toward becoming a more conscious, grounded, and whole persons requires effort.  And the rewards are definitely worth the efforts we make.

“Your life has many outer, earthly purposes:  the demands of your job, supporting your family, achieving financial stability.  Outer purposes are important and necessary, but they are also impermanent, relative, and constantly shifting.   In the second half of life it is not so much what you do that matters; it is the level of consciousness that you bring to your doing.”

This quote is from the book Living Your Unlived Life by Jungian psychotherapists and authors Robert A. Johnson and Jerry M. Ruhl.

Much of that which we do are the basic tasks of adulthood:  getting our education or training for an occupation; doing that work, including traveling to and from; if we have children, spending time with them, helping them with school work, going to their activities; and for some of us, volunteering.  In addition, there are the routine but essential tasks of buying groceries, making meals, maintaining our home, yard, vehicle, and so on.  And hopefully there is some time to pursue personal interests too.  There’s a lot that fills our days.

As the authors point out, our day-to-day responsibilities and activities definitely matter.  But they are only part of what matters.  When we continue, especially as we reach middle age and beyond, to give attention to and place value on our external activities without in addition growing in consciousness, we are living in a very limited way.  I’m reminded of people who are well known for having been successful in certain endeavors, but who we learn from news stories or biographies struggle with depression or anxiety, have addiction problems, or in other ways show that the outer success doesn’t mean the person is emotionally healthy, fulfilled, and grounded.

There are also people who have had outer success and who have grown in consciousness as well.  Generally, these people recognize that their achievements resulted from many factors.  They realize that they were fortunate to have certain natural abilities and aptitudes, that there were people in their lives who had a positive influence on them, and that they were at the right place at the right time, so to speak.  Sincerely acknowledging that it is not just our own ideas and efforts that have brought about accomplishments is a sign of being a more conscious person.  We deserve credit for our ideas and hard work too, but that’s not the full picture.  And of course we don’t have to be well known to have a sense of success and fulfillment.

As we grow in consciousness we are better able to make the decisions we should make, decisions that are based on inner direction rather than societal pressures.  We are also better able to notice when projection might have occurred and to learn about ourselves from it.  And we are more able to discern changes we need to make in order to better follow our path.  Growing in consciousness also requires facing challenges with courage and perseverance, by trying to follow inner direction in how to deal with those challenges.

By recognizing the importance of becoming more conscious persons, we are able, as the authors say, to bring that level of consciousness to whatever we are doing, adding to a sense of fulfillment, meaning, and gratitude.

“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”

This quote by the Dalai Lama is one we should keep in mind as we travel through our life journey.  For me, it’s a reminder that we do not always know what is best for ourselves, but the Creator does.  It may very well be that something we hope for is not part of our individual path and would lead us away from the direction we were created to follow.

The Dalai Lama’s words serve as a reminder to be watchful of our ego desires.  Those are desires we have at the conscious, thinking level.  According to Jungian theory, our ego consciousness is just one part of our psyche; in fact, a rather small part.  Our psyche also includes the personal unconscious which has a significant influence on our behavior and reactions.  And we are further influenced by the collective unconscious, which is the part of the psyche that is derived from experiences and memories we have in common with all humankind.

When I point out the importance of being watchful of our ego desires, I do so with the intention that we keep in mind there are more influences that affect our decisions and actions than those of which we are consciously aware.  Once again it’s important to do our best to pay attention to our dreams, synchronicities, and intuition as we make decisions.  For it is through them that contents from the unconscious can become part of our consciousness.

An example from my life is the decision I made to move to a large city 24 years ago.  I had grown up in a small town, had gone to college in a small city, and had been working in a different small city after graduating from college.  I had never had a desire to live in a large metropolitan area.  But because of dreams, including one where some women were packing my belongings, and because of an intuitive sense that it was what I was supposed to do, I made that move.  At the more conscious level, I knew that my daughter would be able to receive higher quality instruction to develop her talents and that I would be able to earn a higher income.  But it was the dreams and intuitions, and the sense it was the Creator’s will, that gave me the motivation and the courage to make the move.  And 24 year later I still know it was what I was supposed to do.

By not getting what I thought I wanted of continuing to live where I had been living, I have received so much more.

“Symbols are spontaneous products of the archetypal psyche.  One cannot manufacture a symbol, one can only discover it.  Symbols are carriers of psychic energy.  This is why it is proper to consider them as something alive.  They transmit to the ego, either consciously or unconsciously, life energy which supports, guides, and motivates the individual.”

This description of symbols is from Jungian analyst and writer Edward Edinger‘s book Ego and Archetype.  Ego and Archetype was published in 1972 and, as is the case with some of my other favorite authors, Edinger has the gift of presenting psychological concepts in an understandable way, in a way that helps us to better recognize the reality of those concepts in our lives.  In this book he writes about symbolism in dreams, religion, art, and myths, and how having an awareness of possible meanings of symbols is part of the journey toward psychological wholeness.

The other day when I was taking a walk on a trail that goes along a lake, my attention was drawn to several dragonflies flying in fairly close proximity to each other.  Usually when I see a dragonfly, I see one rather than several.  Dragonflies are considered to be symbolic of the wisdom of transformation and adaptability.  So seeing several added emphasis to those qualities.  Seeing them was a synchronicity that was reassuring to me.  It would be egocentric for me to think that seeing them meant I was an incredibly transformed and adaptable person.  Instead, I took it as possibly meaning I am growing in those qualities or that I have the potential to do that.  I also believe my seeing several dragonflies served as a reminder to me of my tendency to be too comfortable with routine and the status quo, which of course is the opposite of transformation and adaptability.

As I said, I saw the dragonflies while I was taking a walk; I saw them in outer reality.  If I were to have a dream in which there were several dragonflies flying about, I would have similar thoughts about their symbolic meaning.  There is symbolism in both our inner and outer lives.

I have found that approaching life from a Jungian perspective has resulted in my having a more meaningful, interesting, and gratifying life.  Doing inner work definitely has its challenges and there are times when it is difficult, but there are other times of insight and joy.  I could especially relate to Edinger’s words that symbols make available to us “life energy which supports, guides, and motivates.”  Such support, guidance, and motivation are essential as we try to follow the direction we discern from doing inner work.  They make it possible for us to take steps each day on our journey toward psychological wholeness.

“Every new breakthrough into consciousness has to struggle against opposition from human egocentricity and conventionality.” This quote is from John A. Sanford’s book Dreams: God’s Forgotten Language. Dr. Sanford was a Jungian analyst, Episcopal priest, and author of several books, many of which were about Christianity, spirituality, and Jungian psychological concepts, and their interrelationship. This quote points out two of the most common challenges people face as they try to grow in consciousness.

It is difficult for most, and possibly all, people to make changes. It’s especially difficult when the ideas for what to change and how to change come from a source other than ourselves. Growing in consciousness occurs as we hear our inner voice. Doing our best to follow the direction we are given by our inner voice requires courage and sacrifice. The “human egocentricity” to which Sanford refers gets in the way—questioning, wanting the direction to be different, wanting change to be easier. Each new breakthrough into consciousness is another step that leads to a more genuine and centered way of experiencing life, and thus to having a more meaningful life. It requires recognizing that our egos are not the most important part of our psyches. The self, to use Jung’s term, or the inner voice, to use a more spiritual term, is far more important.

Growing in consciousness leads toward our becoming the unique persons we were created to be, which results in living more purposeful lives. Being unique means not automatically doing what most people do, not “following the crowd.” There are times when following our own paths feels uncomfortable and even painful. Quite often people we know don’t necessarily like the changes they see in us and they let us know that either overtly or in more subtle ways. They are part of the “opposition from conventionality” about which Sanford writes.

As difficult as these forms of opposition are, doing our best to follow our path is what will bring a sense of peace and purpose. We only need to look at the problems of modern society to see that egocentricity and conventionality do not lead to happiness and calm. In addition to a sense of peace, growing in consciousness helps to develop compassion, selflessness, and wisdom—qualities that truly do matter.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” This quote by C.G. Jung is a succinct reminder of his psychological concept of projection and of how we can learn about ourselves by being aware that projection occurs. Projection can be defined as attributing an element of our personality to another person or group. We project negative as well as positive qualities. Projection occurs unconsciously—we cannot control whether and when it happens. But we can try to notice when it does.

Last summer I was at an outdoor farmers market looking at the various stands of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. There were a lot of people there, all of us walking along and stopping to select items to buy, and also enjoying being outside on a pretty summer day. Suddenly I heard someone near me make a deprecating, racist remark, and I saw a man who had an angry look on his face. I also saw that the man had directed his words to two men of a different race than himself. The two men had enough character to ignore the man and walk past him.

The man’s words, tone of voice, and facial expression made it clear he was a rageful and self-righteous person. And my witnessing this incident caused me to think about projection. I’ve read works by several authors who attribute racism to projection. It’s clear the man had no idea that he was projecting a negative aspect of himself onto others. He did not know the two men as individuals; he automatically thought of them as hateful based only on the fact that the color of their skin was different from his.

It is incredibly sad how racism and other forms of bigotry are modeled by some parents, caretakers, and public figures. What a difference it would make if more people knew about and embraced the reality of projection and then made an effort to learn from it. By doing so, they would grow in self-awareness that would lead to positive changes within themselves and in the ways they influence others.

In his book Meeting Force with Silence, author and Jungian psychotherapist Terry Chitwood writes: “Life is like a dream. People, events, and situations can speak to you, if you let them. Each moment has important signs willing to aid you in your life’s path.”

Often when I recall past experiences—people I’ve met, unexpected occurrences and how they transpired, even seemingly routine happenings–there is a dreamlike quality to those and other memories. But it’s clear Dr. Chitwood is speaking about people, events, and situations in the present. And how they can have an effect on us as we go forward in our lives.

One way we are affected by other people is when something someone says or does resonates with us, words or actions that are the impetus for us to work toward positive change in ourselves. Another way is when gifted authors write books, articles, and blogs that enhance the lives of those of us who read what they have written.

We are also affected by other people through psychological projection. Projection is the process where the contents of a person’s unconscious are perceived to be in others. It occurs at an unconscious level; it’s not something we cause or control. But we can endeavor to notice when projection might be occurring. Having an emotional reaction about a person, such as a strong dislike or a strong attraction, is one of the signs that projection might be happening. When I notice such a reaction in myself, I reflect on what it is that attracts me to that person if the reaction is positive, or what it is that I don’t like about that person if the reaction is negative. And then I try to be honest about how those characteristics might be aspects of who I am, aspects about which I wasn’t previously aware. By trying to do this, we are able to add to our self-knowledge and consciousness.

As to how situations are part of our path, I have written several posts about synchronicities, defined as meaningful acausal experiences. When I was younger, in my 30s, an elderly woman made a left-hand turn in front of me when I had the right-of-way and almost caused us to have a collision. It happened, in fact, when I was driving to a therapy session, and I told my therapist about it. He helped me to see the synchronicity of that experience, for it pointed to the “elderly” way I sometimes approached life—being set in my ways, not being open to new experiences and ideas. And that resonated with me, and even years later I try to keep in mind that tendency in myself. So finding synchronistic meaning in events and situations can also add to our self-knowledge and consciousness.

Another way events and situations can add to our lives is when we have an intuitive response to something that occurs. If we want to grow and change, it’s vital to take note of such intuitive responses and to not dismiss them as not having significance. We need to be open to what our intuition might be trying to bring to our attention.

As Dr. Chitwood writes, “Life is like a dream.” We can gain much by being open to those signs that enrich our lives.

“Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.” This quote is by C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite authors. Being a person of integrity means being someone who is truthful, reliable, and honorable. I appreciate the point Lewis makes about choosing to do the right thing always, not just when it makes us look good to others. And, I will add, not just when it is the easy thing to do.

The quality of integrity reminds me of the Jungian concept of individuation, which is the ongoing inner process where people grow in consciousness and become more whole. Everything we do–the ways we interact with other people, the choices we make, and how we spend the gifts of time we are given–are part of the individuation process. By trying to follow our inner voice in all these aspects of daily living, we become people of integrity. Being respectfully assertive when it is called for, although it can be uncomfortable, helps us to grow. Having the self-discipline to not join in or repeat gossip because of the harm gossip causes is another way we change for the better.

It is in making such day-to-day and moment-to-moment choices that we become more conscious persons and therefore more honorable persons.

“We have to be braver than we think we can be, because God is constantly calling us to be more than we are.” This quotation by author Madeleine L’Engle reminds me of the parallels between spirituality and many aspects of Jungian theory. I believe the Creator “calls us” in many ways, including through promptings from the Self, which is Carl Jung’s term for the center of the total personality that encompasses the unconscious as well as consciousness.

When we receive messages from the Self, and therefore from the Creator, the purpose of the messages is to guide us. The promptings of the Self come to us in many ways, including through dreams, synchronicities, spontaneous thoughts, and significant life experiences. I have been given direction in all of these ways many times over the years. I admit that I don’t always perceive the message right away. And there have been times when, because I’ve lacked courage, I hoped the message didn’t mean what I thought it might mean. When this has happened, one or more dreams and/or synchronicities have occurred to present the message again, telling me it’s time to embrace and act on the direction given to me.

When we recognize their significance and try to follow the promptings of the Self, we are guided toward becoming persons who are “more” than we were before. Not only do we become braver, we also become more empathic, more generous, and more genuine.