# Episode 099 - Projection — When the Dart Lands
URL:: https://share.snipd.com/episode/1471dd72-54c6-45f4-8a9e-d0ecf52c5338
Author:: This Jungian Life Podcast
## Highlights
> Episode AI notes
> 1. Projections are a natural aspect of psychic functioning and are used for both defensive and integrative purposes.
> 2. We tend to project qualities onto others that we are not consciously aware of within ourselves.
> 3. Projecting our own shadows onto others serves as a defensive mechanism.
> 4. In love relationships, we often project our own desires and needs onto the other person, but it is important to take the projection back and work on developing those qualities ourselves after a breakup.
> 5. Self-knowledge helps us control negative projections and reduces our vulnerability to overexpress negative behaviors.
> 6. The ability to differentiate oneself from others is important for personal well-being.
> 7. Reliance on positive projections can be dangerous and lead to a dependency on external validation.
> 8. Being conscious of being projected onto and acknowledging the power of projections is crucial for managing them.
> 9. Projections have the power to become possessive and can deeply impact the psyche. ([Time 0:00:00](https://share.snipd.com/episode-takeaways/9a625f06-6273-489e-a7eb-b5990cbe2662))
> Jung on Projections and the Unknown Face
> Key takeaways:
> - Projections can change the world into a replica of one's unknown face
> - We project qualities onto other people that we are not consciously aware of in ourselves
> Transcript:
> Speaker 1
> Right, Jung has this great quote where he says, projections change the world into the replica of one's unknown face. And there's so much in that quote. But we don't project qualities we're consciously aware of that we have a conscious relationship with, right? We project things that we're not fully aware of in ourselves onto other people. ([Time 0:03:33](https://share.snipd.com/snip/933ea453-1081-4298-95a7-9e84895cc5d4))
> The defensive function of projecting our own shadow onto others
> Key takeaways:
> - It serves a defensive function
> - Projection is a common defense mechanism
> Transcript:
> Speaker 3
> And it also serves a defensive function that when we can't or don't want to recognize some part of our own shadow, it's very typical when we've all done it to project it onto somebody else, ([Time 0:04:21](https://share.snipd.com/snip/7bc210ce-3c2f-439e-a314-8eb016479fce))
> Projection in Love Relationships
> Key takeaways:
> - Projection occurs when falling in love
> - Question the reasons for attraction to an unavailable person
> - Identify positive attributes to develop in oneself after a failed love affair
> - Taking back projection is difficult after a love relationship ends
> Transcript:
> Speaker 1
> And this makes me think of a time when projection certainly happens is when we're falling in love. Because that falling in love experience certainly has an element of projection in it. That we're projecting something very tender and important to ourselves onto the beloved. And this is why sometimes when someone is struggling with an impossible love, they're just so drawn to someone who's unavailable for some reason. And it's not going to be able to be lived out in the real world. An important question to ask is what is the thing that you love most about that person? And what is the thing that captures you? What's the thing you feel jealous of about that person? And it often is something that we need to develop in ourselves.
> Speaker 2
> And often that's one of the most important reparative questions to hold after a love affair fails. Is because all of the positive attributes that we project onto the other person which we mourn the loss of when the relationship ends are exactly the things we need to put onto our own. And we need to put onto our New Year's resolution list in terms of developing. And it really does mediate the sense of loss.
> Speaker 1
> Yeah, I definitely does.
> Speaker 3
> And I think I just want to add here that one of the very, very hardest things to do, especially in the case of a love relationship that has ended, is to take back the projection. ([Time 0:12:44](https://share.snipd.com/snip/dfe3ca4f-83a1-4fd1-9e01-87cb5de90890))
> Jung on Using Self-Knowledge to Tame Negative Projections
> Key takeaways:
> - The best antidote to negative projection is self-knowledge according to Jung.
> - Understanding our capacity to bully allows us to restrain it.
> - Self-awareness makes us less susceptible to being provoked into over expressing negative behaviors.
> Transcript:
> Speaker 2
> Jung said that the best antidote to that is if we have enough self-knowledge about, for instance, I'd say a negative projection, so that we understand that we do have that capacity, Let's say, to bully. So we're already titrating it or restraining it. And then we're much less vulnerable to being provoked into over expressing it. ([Time 0:20:55](https://share.snipd.com/snip/4086ca8a-d762-470d-ac8f-202c41aae926))
> Importance of Consciousness and Differentiating Self from Others
> Key takeaways:
> - The ability to bring unconscious thoughts into consciousness is important for differentiating oneself from others
> - Unconscious communication can influence and impact others
> - Differentiating oneself from hostile workmates is crucial for personal well-being
> Transcript:
> Speaker 3
> So you're bringing up how important it is to be able to bring some of this into consciousness in order to differentiate what is me from what is person, A, B, C, or D, and how powerful it is Of what Jung said is, we infect each other. Yes, that's great. The unconscious to unconscious communication and power also even reminds me of magic, you know, casting in. We've mentioned casting a spell on someone and that this stuff is very powerful and it's very real. And our only salvation is in being able to separate or differentiate myself from my hostile workmates, let's say. ([Time 0:23:08](https://share.snipd.com/snip/c4a7e331-94e4-45e5-bbf1-a61e49c93dcb))
> The Power and Unpredictability of Projections
> Key takeaways:
> - The power and unpredictability of how one's psyche responds to positive or negative projections
> - Idealizing positive projections can be dangerous and lead to reliance on external validation
> - Judy Garland's dependence on positive projection to feel okay
> Transcript:
> Speaker 1
> When we get idealizing positive projections like boy, that feels pretty amazing. And it really does. It feels great. And there's this way that that's really dangerous too because you can just want to bask in that and, you know, continue calling that forth and look for it. And you can get really reliant on it. I mean, I'm thinking of this moment where Judy Garland toward the end of her life, she was performing. I want to say, I think it was in Paris and apparently she was quite intoxicated and she's just begging the audience for applause. And it's just clear she can't live without that kind of positive projection on her that it's kind of what keeps her propped up. And there isn't a sense of self. She just needs that adulation.
> Speaker 3
> So she has projected herself esteem onto the audience and their applause.
> Speaker 1
> Right. And needs to receive their projections to feel okay. ([Time 0:28:22](https://share.snipd.com/snip/6d0ddff7-79a3-4953-9d66-20ace8354bc4))
> Managing Projections: Being the Surfer, Not the Wave
> Key takeaways:
> - Being projected onto can feel good, but it's important to remember that it can lead to dangerous behavior.
> - The image of being the surfer, not the wave, reminds us to respect and acknowledge the power of projections.
> - Projections always come to an end.
> Transcript:
> Speaker 1
> You know, I'm thinking about sort of the converse question is how do we manage being projected on to? And I don't know that I have as elegant a formula as you've laid out, Joseph, but I do have an image, which is I remember that I am the surfer and not the wave.
> Speaker 2
> Can you say more about that?
> Speaker 1
> Well, I think that, you know, when, let's say someone's projecting something tremendously positive on us, that it can feel, you know, you just literally feel puffed up. You know, you feel different. It's a it's it wakens your whole psyche and it can feel like, well, maybe this is true. Maybe I really am this fabulous. But that's dangerous. That's dangerous because it could lead to inflation and we can do some very dangerous things when we're inflated. And so I think that my image of being the surfer, not the wave is I'm riding this wave, but I'm not this wave. This power is not mine. And, and this wave could easily just throw me down on the sandy bottom floor any minute to. And so I have to respect it, you know, and treat it with reverence actually and acknowledge that it will end also because projections always do. ([Time 0:33:15](https://share.snipd.com/snip/ec0dfba1-24f7-4fd3-9786-f73a3ed57ef6))
> The Power of Projections
> Key takeaways:
> - Projection can become possession
> - Projections have psychic power
> - We can become possessed by projections
> Transcript:
> Speaker 1
> If you just keep away the ending.
> Speaker 2
> I've got the news been out for so long. I'm not sure if anybody might know that.
> Speaker 3
> You know, though, I'm back on those incredible images in the film of the rose petals. How poignant this kind of projection is because this high school student is an onema image. And that that goes so deep in the psyche. It has such power and a way that the Kevin Spacey character comes into through his own suffering of this part of himself that he hadn't known before. He hadn't known before he was seized. He was seized by this. So in a way, what I think this film says is how projection can become possession.
> Speaker 1
> Yeah, that's great. And I think that that's actually true. We can become possessed.
> Speaker 3
> Yeah, these projections have this kind of psychic power. And then they have us. We don't have them. ([Time 0:39:33](https://share.snipd.com/snip/8bfc7f9c-37fe-4f31-b86f-960f48eff1cd))
---
Title: Episode 099 - Projection — When the Dart Lands
Author: This Jungian Life Podcast
Tags: readwise, podcasts
date: 2024-01-30
---
# Episode 099 - Projection — When the Dart Lands
URL:: https://share.snipd.com/episode/1471dd72-54c6-45f4-8a9e-d0ecf52c5338
Author:: This Jungian Life Podcast
## AI-Generated Summary
None
## Highlights
> Episode AI notes
> 1. Projections are a natural aspect of psychic functioning and are used for both defensive and integrative purposes.
> 2. We tend to project qualities onto others that we are not consciously aware of within ourselves.
> 3. Projecting our own shadows onto others serves as a defensive mechanism.
> 4. In love relationships, we often project our own desires and needs onto the other person, but it is important to take the projection back and work on developing those qualities ourselves after a breakup.
> 5. Self-knowledge helps us control negative projections and reduces our vulnerability to overexpress negative behaviors.
> 6. The ability to differentiate oneself from others is important for personal well-being.
> 7. Reliance on positive projections can be dangerous and lead to a dependency on external validation.
> 8. Being conscious of being projected onto and acknowledging the power of projections is crucial for managing them.
> 9. Projections have the power to become possessive and can deeply impact the psyche. ([Time 0:00:00](https://share.snipd.com/episode-takeaways/9a625f06-6273-489e-a7eb-b5990cbe2662))
> Jung on Projections and the Unknown Face
> Summary:
> Jung's quote suggests that projections transform the world into a copy of our own unfamiliar self. Interestingly, we tend to project qualities onto others that we are not consciously aware of within ourselves.
> Transcript:
> Speaker 1
> Right, Jung has this great quote where he says, projections change the world into the replica of one's unknown face. And there's so much in that quote. But we don't project qualities we're consciously aware of that we have a conscious relationship with, right? We project things that we're not fully aware of in ourselves onto other people. ([Time 0:03:33](https://share.snipd.com/snip/933ea453-1081-4298-95a7-9e84895cc5d4))
> The defensive function of projecting our own shadow onto others
> Summary:
> We often project our own shadow onto others when we can't or don't want to acknowledge it.
> Transcript:
> Speaker 3
> And it also serves a defensive function that when we can't or don't want to recognize some part of our own shadow, it's very typical when we've all done it to project it onto somebody else, ([Time 0:04:21](https://share.snipd.com/snip/7bc210ce-3c2f-439e-a314-8eb016479fce))
> Projection in Love Relationships
> Summary:
> When we fall in love, we often project our own desires and needs onto the other person. This is why we are attracted to unavailable partners. But when the relationship ends, we must ask ourselves what we loved about them and work on developing those qualities ourselves. This is crucial for healing and moving on. Taking back the projection is incredibly difficult, but necessary for personal growth.
> Transcript:
> Speaker 1
> And this makes me think of a time when projection certainly happens is when we're falling in love. Because that falling in love experience certainly has an element of projection in it. That we're projecting something very tender and important to ourselves onto the beloved. And this is why sometimes when someone is struggling with an impossible love, they're just so drawn to someone who's unavailable for some reason. And it's not going to be able to be lived out in the real world. An important question to ask is what is the thing that you love most about that person? And what is the thing that captures you? What's the thing you feel jealous of about that person? And it often is something that we need to develop in ourselves.
> Speaker 2
> And often that's one of the most important reparative questions to hold after a love affair fails. Is because all of the positive attributes that we project onto the other person which we mourn the loss of when the relationship ends are exactly the things we need to put onto our own. And we need to put onto our New Year's resolution list in terms of developing. And it really does mediate the sense of loss.
> Speaker 1
> Yeah, I definitely does.
> Speaker 3
> And I think I just want to add here that one of the very, very hardest things to do, especially in the case of a love relationship that has ended, is to take back the projection. ([Time 0:12:44](https://share.snipd.com/snip/dfe3ca4f-83a1-4fd1-9e01-87cb5de90890))
> Jung on Using Self-Knowledge to Tame Negative Projections
> Summary:
> Having self-knowledge, particularly regarding negative projections like bullying, helps us understand and control our capacity for such behavior. This self-awareness reduces our vulnerability to be easily provoked and react excessively.
> Transcript:
> Speaker 2
> Jung said that the best antidote to that is if we have enough self-knowledge about, for instance, I'd say a negative projection, so that we understand that we do have that capacity, Let's say, to bully. So we're already titrating it or restraining it. And then we're much less vulnerable to being provoked into over expressing it. ([Time 0:20:55](https://share.snipd.com/snip/4086ca8a-d762-470d-ac8f-202c41aae926))
> Importance of Consciousness and Differentiating Self from Others
> Summary:
> Being able to differentiate what is me from what is others is important. Jung said we infect each other. Unconscious communication and power remind me of magic. It's powerful and real. Salvation lies in separating myself from hostile workmates.
> Transcript:
> Speaker 3
> So you're bringing up how important it is to be able to bring some of this into consciousness in order to differentiate what is me from what is person, A, B, C, or D, and how powerful it is Of what Jung said is, we infect each other. Yes, that's great. The unconscious to unconscious communication and power also even reminds me of magic, you know, casting in. We've mentioned casting a spell on someone and that this stuff is very powerful and it's very real. And our only salvation is in being able to separate or differentiate myself from my hostile workmates, let's say. ([Time 0:23:08](https://share.snipd.com/snip/c4a7e331-94e4-45e5-bbf1-a61e49c93dcb))
> The Power and Unpredictability of Projections
> Summary:
> Idealizing positive projections can feel amazing, but it can also be dangerous to become reliant on them. Judy Garland's reliance on applause from the audience demonstrated this, as she couldn't live without their positive projection onto her. She projected her self-esteem onto the audience and needed their applause to feel okay.
> Transcript:
> Speaker 1
> When we get idealizing positive projections like boy, that feels pretty amazing. And it really does. It feels great. And there's this way that that's really dangerous too because you can just want to bask in that and, you know, continue calling that forth and look for it. And you can get really reliant on it. I mean, I'm thinking of this moment where Judy Garland toward the end of her life, she was performing. I want to say, I think it was in Paris and apparently she was quite intoxicated and she's just begging the audience for applause. And it's just clear she can't live without that kind of positive projection on her that it's kind of what keeps her propped up. And there isn't a sense of self. She just needs that adulation.
> Speaker 3
> So she has projected herself esteem onto the audience and their applause.
> Speaker 1
> Right. And needs to receive their projections to feel okay. ([Time 0:28:22](https://share.snipd.com/snip/6d0ddff7-79a3-4953-9d66-20ace8354bc4))
> Managing Projections: Being the Surfer, Not the Wave
> Summary:
> Managing being projected onto is like being a surfer, not the wave. When someone projects something positive on us, we may feel inflated and think it's true. However, this can be dangerous as it may lead to inflated ego and risky behavior. Like a surfer, we should ride the wave of projection but remember that the power is not ours. We should respect and acknowledge it, knowing that it will eventually end, as projections always do.
> Transcript:
> Speaker 1
> You know, I'm thinking about sort of the converse question is how do we manage being projected on to? And I don't know that I have as elegant a formula as you've laid out, Joseph, but I do have an image, which is I remember that I am the surfer and not the wave.
> Speaker 2
> Can you say more about that?
> Speaker 1
> Well, I think that, you know, when, let's say someone's projecting something tremendously positive on us, that it can feel, you know, you just literally feel puffed up. You know, you feel different. It's a it's it wakens your whole psyche and it can feel like, well, maybe this is true. Maybe I really am this fabulous. But that's dangerous. That's dangerous because it could lead to inflation and we can do some very dangerous things when we're inflated. And so I think that my image of being the surfer, not the wave is I'm riding this wave, but I'm not this wave. This power is not mine. And, and this wave could easily just throw me down on the sandy bottom floor any minute to. And so I have to respect it, you know, and treat it with reverence actually and acknowledge that it will end also because projections always do. ([Time 0:33:15](https://share.snipd.com/snip/ec0dfba1-24f7-4fd3-9786-f73a3ed57ef6))
> The Power of Projections
> Summary:
> This film explores the power of projection and how it can become possessive. Through powerful images and the personal journey of the main character, it highlights the profound impact projection can have on the psyche.
> Transcript:
> Speaker 1
> If you just keep away the ending.
> Speaker 2
> I've got the news been out for so long. I'm not sure if anybody might know that.
> Speaker 3
> You know, though, I'm back on those incredible images in the film of the rose petals. How poignant this kind of projection is because this high school student is an onema image. And that that goes so deep in the psyche. It has such power and a way that the Kevin Spacey character comes into through his own suffering of this part of himself that he hadn't known before. He hadn't known before he was seized. He was seized by this. So in a way, what I think this film says is how projection can become possession.
> Speaker 1
> Yeah, that's great. And I think that that's actually true. We can become possessed.
> Speaker 3
> Yeah, these projections have this kind of psychic power. And then they have us. We don't have them. ([Time 0:39:33](https://share.snipd.com/snip/8bfc7f9c-37fe-4f31-b86f-960f48eff1cd))