Simply stated, projection means perceiving in the outer world what already exists in one's own mind. It resembles what happens in cinemas where a tape already containing images is placed into a machine and sent out from the machine and projected onto a distant screen. In humans, something already within us is aroused by a stimulus entering us via our senses, and we project the image of that "something" onto the stimulus.

            The word projection derives from Latin and literally means being cast or thrown forward. Once we cast what we have in ourselves onto someone or something in the outer world, we can feel rid of it. Stated in another way, what we inwardly experience and assign to being "out there" is our own uniquely personal reality. Consequently, we tend to have no doubt that what we perceive is actually what exists out there, and we easily ignore or deny the existence of inner processes that contribute to the experience. Our perceptions seem so immediate and clear to us that we tend to utterly reject the idea that anything in ourselves might give rise to the perception. Granted, to carefully probe the inner origins of every experience would be impossible; there just isn't enough time. But if we are dedicated to our own consciousness and its growth, we could at least make a concentrated effort to maintain a bit of doubt at all times and selectively examine sources of perceptions, especially those that seem to be accompanied by disturbing, recurring emotions.

            At the end of the 1960's my psyche took me into thinking about projection. I spent over a year deeply pondering on and reading about the concept. After a great deal of examination and meditation, I finally arrived at a conclusion that now seems self-evident, viz., that all conscious interpretations (all perceptions) are based on projection. In other words, we interpret our experiences according to what they pique that already exists within us. In a way, we create our own world from material pre-established in our minds, although we need the outer stimuli to initiate the creation. It is as if the entire world is made up of a myriad of mirrors, each of which reflects a part of our own selves. Shortly after coming to this conclusion, I came across a reference to a German paper written by Wolfgang Hochheimer entitled "Über Projektion," in the May 1955 issue of Psyche (published by Ernst Klett Verlag in Stuttgart) pages 283-306. In that article, Hochheimer drew the very same conclusion as the one I came to almost 15 years later. Over several years, I enjoyed a gratifying correspondence with him; in one of his letters, he gave me permission to publish an English translation of his article. As far as I know, his treatise is the only published theoretical paper in which projection is identified as an essential element in ALL perception.

            When we have not developed an internal representation of a sensory impression, that is, when a stimulus cannot be linked with an inner complex, then either (1) that stimulus will not be experienced at all (we can actually appear to be blind or deaf), or, (2) in the psyche's effort to make it fit, it will be experienced in accordance with a conceptual representation that does pre-exist in the mind. When that happens, our behavior can seem quite bizarre to an observer with a different projection. (That accounts for many disagreements people have about what is mutually read, heard, or otherwise sensed.) For example, a small child may learn to identify a cat as a "cat" or a "tat." But until the child differentiates different creatures, it may call every other small animal a "tat" also. And if the child has had a gentle, petting relationship with the cat, it may also try to connect in a similar way with a snake or scorpion.

            As adults, we can behave in a similarly unconsciousness way, not realizing that we have misinterpreted an experience, until a we receive a shocking or painful feedback, which, in turn offers us the opportunity to learn to differentiate. Or, we can become angry and say, "The hell with it," and walk away. If someone disagrees with us, we can project the Enemy onto them and either fight or withdraw. We might project the Teacher or God onto them and automatically assume that we are wrong and they are right and feel defeated, resentful, or both. If we project Partner or Ally onto each other, each will respect both points of view, try to determine what inner processes gave rise to our different perceptions, and seek ways to harmonize them or bring them into accord.

            Perception can be manipulated (such as in optical and auditory illusions, stereoscopes, and the theater), it can be distorted (such as by gossip, rumors, or mirrors in the Fun House), or it can be totally generated from within (such as hallucinations). But whatever our experience, if we work on our consciousness, we can take responsibility for it and recognize that it is uniquely our own - even if it agrees with an impressive consensus. Collective agreement only means that many people have developed the same or similar foundations for a perception. That is likely to happen within any definable group, culture, or society. For example, most people who read languages using Roman letters will agree that the letter A is a vowel and the first letter of the alphabet. But it is not difficult to see it also as a picture of a hat, ladder, architectural structure, or arrowhead.

            Projection can be associated with consciousness or unconsciousness. We can project out of what has been learned and gained recognition, such as when we learn to recognize letters of the alphabet or the face, voice, smell, or touch of a friend or relative. I hear someone say, "But that isn't projection; it's really there!" My argument: If that were true, we would never mistake or substitute one letter for another or one person's voice for another's. If perception did not involve projection, everyone who had learned the response would always agree on that perception, and we would respond the same to the same stimulus every time. But that doesn't happen, mainly because the gestalt is in constant flux: ambience, context, and the inner condition of the perceiver are always changing. Nevertheless, with learned projection, there generally is a relatively high degree of consistency and agreement of response within and among people.

            The learned-recognition aspect of projection mentioned above is largely conscious. Most psychological theoreticians' definitions of projection, including Freud's, allow for only an unconscious form of perception, where unknown and/or rejected parts of one's psyche are attributed to other people or things. And projection is often considered a kind of mental disturbance that needs correcting. For example, we might see a drooping flower as "sad" or a sunlit healthy and wide-open sunflower as "happy," when we cannot get to a certain sadness or happiness in ourselves. At one time or another, we all have probably hears such comments directed to us as, "You're angry at me, aren't you?" or "You want me to leave, don't you?" or "You like that person, right?" If I heard myself saying those things and feeling some emotion, I would look inside myself for a part of ME that was angry, wanting to leave, or liking "that person," respectively.

            Unlike conscious projections, unconscious projections are accompanied by substantial affect (emotional feelings). Usually, it seems, if a person says, "I think you're angry at me" or "I think you want me to leave" s/he simultaneously feels either sad or angry or both. There may be feelings of shame and guilt as well. On the other hand, consider the situation where you say to a close old friend, "I think you're angry at me." Over the years, you have seen and heard your friend get angry many times. The comment may be a comment of recognition, containing acceptance and a sincere desire to regain harmony between you. In this situation, disturbing emotions may not arise, because it is a conscious recognition with doubt; if your friend said, "No I am not angry," you would simply respond with acceptance, "It appears I was in error."

            Consider another situation where the person to whom you make the comment is a relative stranger. In this situation, you recognize that a familiar complex within yourself is angry (as usual) at something you did. You say to your inner complex, "Yes, I know -- I irritated you, but it was a choice I made (for such and such a reason)." Your comment, "I think you're angry at me," is the projection of that familiar part of yourself and is intended to convey your recognition for the sake of opening channels of communication through understanding and acceptance. In this latter situation, as in the previous one, there is no strong affect or need to be right; if the other person says, "I'm not angry at all," your reply would be something like, "Oh, it looked like my reaction if I were angry. I guess I made a mistake."

            As a concept, projection is humbling. It teaches us that no perception is "right" or "wrong." What we experience simply IS what we experience. No matter whether an inner complex or another person approves, disapproves, likes, or dislikes it, the experience remains precisely what it is. One's feelings or opinions about it don't change it. When we become aware of the presence of an unconscious projection through recognizing the accompanying affect, we have the opportunity to seek the source of the projection and become familiar with a part of ourselves that had remained hidden. It may be frightening and difficult, but it can be an exciting adventure, and it is usually very rewarding.