Basic Principles series:
#1 of 3: Projection As a Canvas for the Soul
Presenter name: Mitchell Smolkin
The Basic Principles of Analytical Psychology (Part 1 of 3 seminars)
Projection As a Canvas for the Soul: How We Find Ourselves in Others
The idea of ‘projection’ has become commonplace in our understanding of relationship dynamics and even in our conversations. Accusing someone of ‘projecting’ has become a casual way of insinuating that someone’s perspective may have more to do with their own psychology than the person or object they are commenting on. And yet, Jung wrote: “We must bear in mind that we do not make projections, rather they happen to us.” (Letters Vol. II, Page 563, 1960)
Being curious about what hooks us in other people is a dynamic process of learning more about ourselves and, as Jung observes, it is not a failure to find ourselves projecting, but rather, a natural occurrence that happens over and over to us. The notion of projection was a central feature of Jung’s thinking and connected to the fundamental principle of a deep listening to and reading of our environment for clues about our own psyches and unconscious. This talk will explore these ideas in more depth and focus on the art and science of Jung’s thinking around the interpersonal nature of self-discovery.