Introjection is a psychological process where the subject replicates in itself behaviors, attributes or other fragments of the surrounding world, especially of other subjects.
In this case the subject is you – me – us – we. Well, anyway – it’s anyone who has been born of human beings and raised by human beings in some kind of human environment or family situation – on earth – as far as we know.
Introjection is universal to ego structure though most psychological theory might not see it as ubiquitous as it is. Also, many might not see introjection functioning as a defense mechanism all of the time.
Psychologist and others who study the mind might see introjection as a natural, necessary part of ego structure. And it is – BUT – like all ego structure – it’s phase specific and it remains operative in our psyches because life-long ego structure is a result of arrested development – arrested development from the perspective of the unfoldment of the soul.
Looking at introjection in simplistic object relations terms – we take in images or impressions of an other (mom – dad) to become like them. We take on characteristics of our parents and others through modeling to achieve some sense of harmony with our environment.
A necessary step in the psychological development of a human being. But all of this incorporated mental content can be dissolved as it is not necessary for identity. The difficulty lies in the fact that we have become so identified with the content, we lose touch with the medium that the content exists within – the soul or the field of being.
Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose… Kris Kristofferson, Me and Bobby McGee
Ain’t it the truth – when the content is gone – there is pure simple being without the past and awesome, vast freedom that we recognize as part of what we are.
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Image by Alan Babbit
