Parental introjects that are useful to “work through” in adulthood

Introject is the so-called principle of behavior that a person follows, however, it is not a personal belief, but represents imposed rules, views, attitudes, and motives. Simply put, an introject is information that has been absorbed by a person, but has not undergone assimilation, that is, it was accepted on faith without polishing through experience, without doubting the truth of statements, without “chewing” and processing with subsequent assimilation. And the process of introjection is the filling of the internal component of a person with new views, knowledge, and information. At the same time, some attitudes are internalized, while others create an imbalance, destroying the personality.

What is it about?

So, introjection is a way of psychological defense of a person, which is activated on an unconscious level. The word itself comes from two Latin roots that mean “inside” and “put.” In other words, we can say that introjection is a process during which a person transfers various images of subjective space into his unconscious. He absorbs various patterns, judgments, assessments, etc., which are completely devoid of any objectivity, because they belong to certain people.

Interestingly, this term was introduced into psychoanalysis in 1909. This was done by one of the little-known but talented followers of the great Sigmund Freud, Sandor Ferenczi, a psychoanalyst of Hungarian origin.

No one can be trusted

This includes various calls - not to trust, not to be frank, to remember the impermanence of human feelings and intentions. Such messages can only apply to one of the genders (“don’t count on men”).

Alternative parent message:

• Look for those who are trustworthy.
• Look for those from whom you will learn, with whom you want to start your family, those who will be your devoted friends.
• The search may be difficult, and it may hurt someone, but in the end you will succeed.

Research in this area

Freud himself did not consider it necessary to distinguish between such concepts as identification and introjection. He attached great importance to the second mechanism, because he considered it very important. His concept of identification later became the basis for understanding Stockholm syndrome research.

After some time, researchers thought that introjection was a very old, archaic model of unconscious human behavior. At the same time, Freud considered this phenomenon to be the basis for the formation of the Oedipus complex, which consists in the boy’s desire to own his mother and get rid of his competitor - his father. Freud associated this with the child's identification with his mother and the transference of her image into his unconscious.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• forming your own opinion;
• filtering information coming from outside;
• reducing the risk of nervous breakdowns, tension, depression, apathy;
• formation of personal qualities - affection, honor, conscience.

Introjection is not controlled by a person. It destroys his holistic perception of reality and causes psychological discomfort. In scientific practice, there are cases where a protective mechanism led to the development of mental disorders:

• Electra complex;
• Oedipus complex;
• split personality;
• schizophrenia.

Introspection can increase psychological problems, which are manifested by self-doubt, low self-esteem, dissatisfaction, and non-acceptance of the gender role.

Let's take a closer look

So, introjection in psychology is a scenario of behavioral defense. This phenomenon is very closely intertwined with relationships between individuals. As we know, for personal growth it is necessary to erect boundaries between oneself and others within reasonable limits.

Everything a person accepts from the external environment will be effective for her only if she experiences it, somehow works through it and thinks it over. If the external world is accepted indiscriminately, then it will remain unnoticed by consciousness, nevertheless it will be a psychological parasite.

Today it is believed that introjection is the simplest form of identification, but, unlike the latter process, it is not recognized by the person. And to put it more briefly and clearly, today it is believed that this process consists in the fact that a person perceives some external phenomena and events as his own internal ones.

Story

As a special method, introspection was substantiated in the works of Rene Descartes, who pointed out the direct nature of knowledge of one’s own mental life. John Locke divided human experience into internal, which concerns the activities of our mind, and external, oriented towards the external world.

After Wilhelm Wundt combined the method of introspection with laboratory and instrumental techniques, introspection became the main method for studying mental states and the content of human consciousness in the emerging experimental psychology of the late 19th century. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, in connection with the change and expansion of the object and subject of psychology, the emergence of new directions in psychology, introspection was declared an idealistic, subjective and unscientific method.

However, introspection has always been present in the research of psychologists in the form of introspection, reflective analysis and other techniques for studying the inner spiritual life of a person.

Adaptive function

The process in question has a great influence on the formation of a person’s personality, his concepts of morality, affection, etc. Dependence can be seen especially clearly in childhood. At this age, children resemble sponges because they absorb certain norms, prejudices, behavioral scenarios, reactions, etc. They adopt them from people who are important and significant to them. The most interesting thing is that such a reaction occurs even before a person decides to consciously be like or not be like his loved ones.

Chapter 3. Basic concepts of psychoanalysis

Projection and introjection

Projection is a mental process accompanied by externalizing subjective experiences, endowing external objects with internal unconscious desires, transferring guilt and responsibility for rejected inclinations to someone else, attributing to other people one’s own feelings, qualities, properties and character traits that are not noticed or are not recognized by humans.

At the initial stage of his research and therapeutic activities, Freud considered projection as a defense for the paranoid, externalizing the subjective experiences that cause him suffering. During the period 1895-1896, he discussed the question of how the experiences projected by a paranoid person outwardly turn against the patient, since they ultimately return to him in the form of self-reproaches that torment him, exacerbating his mental state.

A few years later, while studying the nature and mechanisms of dream formation, Freud suggested that dreams and hallucinations can be considered as a projection of a person’s unfulfilled desires onto the outside world. Along with such an understanding, the projective mechanisms of dreams were perceived by him from the angle of displacement, shifting the emphasis from significant elements to less important ones. As a result of this, there was a distortion of the content of the dream, a discrepancy between its hidden thoughts and the explicit text, picture, image of what was in the dreamer’s field of attention.

In his work “The Psychopathology of Everyday Life” (1901), the founder of psychoanalysis turned to the phenomenon of projection, with the help of which he tried to reveal the psychological roots of superstition. He suggested that a superstitious person projects outward the motivation for his own random actions instead of finding it within himself. On this basis, Freud came to the conclusion that a significant portion of the mythological worldview, which extends to the newest religions, is nothing more than psychology projected into the outside world.

A similar view of projection was reflected in his work Totem and Taboo (1913), in which he argued that animism was the natural worldview for primitive man, projecting the structural conditions of his soul into the external world. In this work, Freud drew a parallel between the projection of human feelings, reflected in religion, and a similar process observed in the paranoid. Freud relied on a story related to the memoirs of the chairman of the judicial panel, Paul Schreber, and discussed by the founder of psychoanalysis in his work “Psychoanalytic Notes on a Biographical Case of Paranoia (Dementiaparanoids)” (1911). Freud noted that the spirits and demons perceived by primitive man are nothing more than a projection of his feelings: he turns the objects of affection of his affects into persons, populates the world with them, and again finds his internal mental processes outside himself. Just like the witty paranoid Schreber, who found the reflection of his affections and the liberation of his libido in the destinies of the “divine rays” he combined.

The work “Totem and Taboo” also contains such an idea of ​​​​projection, which correlates with the prohibitions of taboo as secondary phenomena formed as a result of shift and distortion. At the same time, projection is considered by Freud not so much as the transfer of internal dissatisfaction to the external world, but rather as a displacement of a person’s feelings and experiences from one external object to another. As an illustration of this mental process, he gave an example of a shift in prohibition, which he gleaned from clinical practice: a patient demands that a household item bought by her husband be removed, since it makes the room in which she lives “impossible”; she heard that this item was bought in a shop located on a street called Olenya; the surname Deer is borne by her former friend, who lives in another city and whom she knew in her youth by her maiden name; now this friend, with whom the patient does not want to have any relationship, is “impossible” for her - that is, taboo, and the household item bought by her husband is also taboo.

In his “Lectures on Introduction to Psychoanalysis” (1916–1917), Freud gave a brief description of the case history of a woman whose projective activity led to the development of delusions of jealousy. In his interpretation, the unconscious love of a 53-year-old decent woman and good mother with a young man, her son-in-law, turned out to be such a heavy burden for her that it turned into delusional jealousy. Through the mechanism of displacement, the fantasy of her husband's infidelity became a cooling compress for her experience. The benefits of the delusion of jealousy gave her relief, which was achieved in the form of a projection of her own condition onto her husband. Thus, Freud seemed to empirically confirm the assumption he had previously made in Totem and Taboo that the tendency to provoke mental processes outwardly intensifies where projection provides the benefits of mental relief. Such an advantage, he believed, could be expected with complete certainty in the case where mental movements come into conflict. Then the painful process uses the mechanism of projection to free itself from such conflicts playing out in mental life.

Freud also argued that projection also occurs where there are no conflicts. Inner perceptions can be projected outward to form the outer world. Thus, primitive people, through the projection of internal perceptions outward, created a picture of the external world, which, from the standpoint of a strengthened perception of consciousness, must be translated back into the language of psychology

In some works, Freud viewed projection as a process opposite to introjection. He associated this understanding of projection with a person’s perception of good and bad, useful and harmful. Thus, in the article “Denial” (1925), he correlated introjection with a person’s desire to bring in, to absorb, everything good and useful, and projection - with the desire to highlight and throw out everything bad and harmful. In the first case, something must be inside a person, in the second - outside of him. According to Freud, the initial feeling of pleasure of the ego tends to introject all that is good and throw away all that is bad. This understanding of projection was in fact a further development of the views of the founder of psychoanalysis, reflected in his article “Attractions and Their Fates” (1915), in which the idea was expressed that everything bad and alien to the Self is associated with something external.

Certain aspects of Freud's understanding of projection were further developed in the studies of a number of psychoanalysts. Thus, M. Klein, through the prism of projection and introjection, examined the child’s dual attitude towards his primary object. She believed that the infant projects his love impulses and attributes them to the satisfying (good) breast, just as he attributes to the frustrating (bad) breast the destructive impulses projected onto it. In this regard, she regarded the picture of an external and internally translated object in the child’s psyche as distorted by fantasies directly related to the projection of his impulses onto the object.

If M. Klein adhered to the point of view according to which projection and introjection are processes that contribute to the distinction between external and internal and, consequently, the development of the I, then A. Freud attributed projection and introjection to the period when the I had already differentiated from the external world. Exploring various mechanisms of self-defense, she considered projection as one of the important protective methods used by a person when trying to resolve his intrapsychic conflicts.

For K. Horney, projection was a special case of externalization, that is, the tendency to perceive internal processes as if they were outside the person. She correlated projection with the objectification of a person’s difficulties. From her point of view, the externalization of various human traits can be carried out through simple projection, that is, in the form of perceiving them as belonging to other people or by shifting responsibility for them to other people. Horney believed that in some cases projection allows a person to react to his aggressive tendencies without being aware of them and therefore without facing his conflicts. In her understanding, as a side function, projection can serve the need for self-justification: it is not the individual himself who feels the desire to steal, deceive, humiliate, but others want to do this to him.

Karen Horney (1885–1952) – American psychoanalyst. Born in Hamburg, she graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Berlin. Under the influence of K. Abraham's lectures, she showed interest in psychoanalysis. She underwent personal analysis with K. Abraham and G. Sachs. She was one of the first employees of the Berlin Institute of Psychoanalysis. In 1932, at the invitation of the director of the Chicago Institute of Psychoanalysis, F. Alexander, she moved to the USA. In 1934 she settled in New York, where she developed her own concepts related to the reform of classical psychoanalysis, for which she was expelled from the American Psychoanalytic Association in 1941. Created an alternative Association for the Development of Psychoanalysis. Author of a number of articles on the psychology of women, as well as the books “The Neurotic Personality of Our Time” (1937). “New Paths in Psychoanalysis” (1939), “Self-Analysis” (1942). "Our Internal Conflicts" (1945). "Neurosis and Personality Development" (1950).

Drawing attention to projection as one of the defense mechanisms, Horney expressed the desire to be especially attentive to the search for factors that are projected. If, for example, the patient believes that the analyst does not love him, then, in her opinion, this feeling may be a projection of the patient's dislike for the analyst. But it may also be a projection of his dislike for himself or may not be a projection at all, but serve as an excuse for the patient not to enter into emotional contact with the analyst, based on fear of a threat to his independence. In addition, Horney warned about the dangers (misinterpretation, possible errors) that await the analyst who projects into the patient’s world.

Along with projection, psychoanalysts pay important attention to introjection.

Introjection is the process of incorporating the external world into the internal world of a person. In classical psychoanalysis, introjection is understood as the process of establishing such relationships between a person (subject) and another person or object to which his interest is directed (that is, an object), in which the properties and qualities of the object are transferred by the subject inside.

The term “introjection” was introduced into psychoanalytic literature by one of Freud’s associates, the Hungarian psychoanalyst S. Ferenczi, who published in 1909 the work “Introjection and Transference” and the article “Towards a Definition of the Concept of Introjection” (1912). He described introjection as the extension of auto-erotic interest to the external world by “pulling” its objects into the self.

Introjection is contrasted with projection as the process by which a person externalizes his own feelings and internal motivations. During projection, the subject endows the object with those properties and qualities that he himself possesses. With introjection, a person, as it were, absorbs into his psyche ideas about part of the external world, turning them into an object of unconscious fantasy. He endows himself with the properties and qualities of an imaginary object, identifies himself with this object, thinks and acts with an eye on the internal image that arose as a result of introjection.

If the paranoid person projects outward from his ego as much of the external world as possible and makes it the plot of unconscious fantasies, then the neurotic, as Ferenczi believed, is preoccupied with the search for objects that he could draw in, introject into the circle of his interests. Neurotic introjection was considered by Ferenczi as an extreme type of mental process that takes place in every normal person.

In terms of content, the processes of identification and introjection appeared to Ferenczi as unambiguous. From Freud's point of view, introjection is closely related to identification as one of the forms of a person's emotional connection with the object of his attention. In the process of identification, a person strives to be like someone to whom he feels special feelings of affection, be it love, adoration, or worship. Thanks to introjection, a person seems to turn into the object with which he identifies himself.

A person may lose the object of his affection. However, the introjection of this object into himself has a corresponding effect on his behavior. This process can be observed especially clearly in the example of young children. In a playful way, children often identify themselves with some animal. They say to their parents or peers, for example: “I am a horse,” “I am a puppy.” At the same time, children imitate this or that animal, take characteristic poses, and make appropriate sounds.

Similar patterns of imitation of animals and identification with them can be observed not only in the process of children's play. A child can quite seriously include a loved one, but due to various life circumstances, the lost object of his affection. In one of his works, Freud cited as an example an observation described in a psychoanalytic journal. It was about a child who was very worried about the loss of his beloved kitten. This experience led to the fact that the child not only identified himself with the kitten, but also showed with all his behavior that he had now become this kitten. The child was capricious, did not want to eat at the table, and crawled on all fours.

Introjection of an object by the subject is characteristic not only of children, but also of adults. A typical example is the melancholy of an adult who considers the real or imagined loss of a loved object to be the cause of his depressed state. In this case, the person reproaches himself for the fact that the loss of the object occurred. He accuses himself of all sorts of sins, humiliates his own self. The shadow of the object, as Freud put it, turns out to be cast on the person’s self. Introjection of the object manifests itself in explicit form.

Thanks to introjection, various ideas and images arise in the human psyche that have an impact on his life. These images and ideas become an integral part of a person, turning into the ideal of the Self or Super-Ego.

In classical psychoanalysis, the concepts of the ideal Self and Superego are closely related to introjection. The object of attachment gets inside the person’s psyche, takes the place of his Self. He turns out to be not only included in the person’s inner world, but also actively acts as a kind of ideal or authority that controls his thoughts and behavior. The previous relationship between an external object and a person develops into a relationship between the ideal of the Self formed as a result of introjection and the Self, which has become the object of influence from this ideal. The inner world of a person, his psyche becomes an arena of confrontation between various forces.

The process of introjection leads to changes in the human psyche. His Self seems to be split into two parts. One of them involves a lost object. The other, which, from Freud’s point of view, personifies the critical authority or conscience, becomes especially merciless in relation to the first part of the Self. A conflict arises between both parts of the Self, the aggravation of which can lead to mental disorder.

The desire to include most of the external world into one's own self is especially characteristic of a neurotic. Having absorbed the outside world inside himself, the neurotic makes it the object of his many fantasies.

The problem of introjection was discussed in the works of K. Abraham, M. Klein, A. Freud and other psychoanalysts. Thus, Klein put forward ideas about the oral-sadistic introjection of the breast, about the interaction from the very beginning of a child’s life of introjection and projection, about the introjection of a persecuting object, a certain projection of destructive impulses onto this object. She also expressed the idea of ​​reintrojection: reintrojection of a bad object reinforces the severity of fear, fear of external or internal persecutors; Reintrojection of a good object reduces persecutory anxiety.

In modern psychoanalysis, consideration of the process of introjection is also given some attention. In particular, S. Blatt raised the question of the need to study various forms of infantile depression, including introjective depression, which was reflected in his article “Levels of object representation in analytical introjective depression” (1974).

Sayings

S. Freud: “The projection of internal perceptions outward is a primitive mechanism to which, for example, the perceptions of our senses are subordinated, which, therefore, under normal conditions, takes the greatest part in the formation of our external world.”

S. Freud: “The projection of unconscious hostility during the taboo of the dead is only one example of a whole series of processes to which we must attribute an enormous influence on the entire mental life of primitive man. In the case under consideration, projection serves to resolve the conflict of feelings; it finds the same application in many mental situations leading to neurosis.”

K. Horney: “As a side function, projection also serves the need for self-justification.”

K. Horney: “Working with a patient, the analyst has to project himself into a special world, with its inherent properties and laws. And here there is a significant danger that he will misinterpret something, make a mistake, perhaps even cause some harm - not out of ill will, but out of inattention, ignorance or conceit.”

S. Ferenczi: “If a paranoid person pushes out of his ego desires that have become unpleasant, then the neurotic helps himself in another way: he takes into his ego some, as large as possible, part of the external world and makes it the subject of unconscious fantasy. This is a kind of process of dilution of the Self by its external elements. With the help of this mechanism, the severity of freely wandering, unsatisfactory unconscious drives is softened. In contrast to projection, this mechanism can be called introjection.”

S. Ferenczi: “In a healthy person, most of his introjections occur consciously, while in a neurotic person they are in most cases repressed, lived out in unconscious fantasies, and an experienced doctor can learn about them only in an indirect, symbolic way.”

M. Klein: “Introjection of a good object stimulates the projection of good feelings outward, and this, in turn, stimulates repeated introjection and through it strengthens the feeling of having a good internal object.”

Introjection is an unconscious psychological process attributed to psychological defense mechanisms. The inclusion by an individual into his inner world of the views, motives, attitudes, etc., perceived by him from other people.

As a result of this process, something coming from outside is perceived by a person as coming from within himself. Introjection is a primitive form of identification, but unlike identification, introjection is not consciously realized. Introjection is also closely related to the psychological mechanisms of projection and projective identification.

Young children absorb the views, motives, behavior and emotional reactions of people significant to them long before they consciously decide to “become (or not become) like” them.

Introjection allows a small child to recognize himself as omnipotent (despite his actual helplessness) by “appropriating” the capabilities and qualities of significant adults. As a person grows up, this defense can persist, protecting him from loss of self-esteem in situations of dependence on other people (I have a protector/helper, and therefore I am not defenseless or helpless), although usually in adults, introjection begins to be recognized and turns into identification .

Like any psychological defense, introjection distorts a person’s perception of reality, and specifically, by forcing him to perceive something external as something internal. As a consequence, the disappearance of this external can be perceived as the disappearance of something internal, which is directly related to the nature of depression. In an attempt to maintain internal integrity, the person may indulge in an unconscious fantasy that it is he who is to blame for the loss, and that he can somehow to make amends, thus returning what he lacks.

Identification with an aggressor is an unconscious identification of yourself with the one (those) who threaten your safety. If a person is not satisfied with the position of the person being bullied, he may try to take the position of the aggressor himself, introjecting his traits.

Freud understood introjection and identification as the basis of the Oedipus complex - unable to resist the power of the father, who “takes away” his rights to undivided possession of his mother, the son identifies with his father, wanting to become like his father and find himself a wife like his mother.

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.

Protective role

It is impossible to imagine human psychological defense and psychological defense mechanisms without introjection. The fact is that it is thanks to introjection that a very young child can consider himself strong and powerful, despite the fact that in fact he is physically weak.

This becomes possible as a result of the fact that he transfers to himself some qualities and character traits of adults who are important to him. Sometimes this way of protecting a person can persist even when he grows up. In this case, in difficult situations or situations of dependency and conflict, such a person feels that he has a defender. However, for most people, introjection turns into identification.

You're not enough yet... to...

- “You are still small (inexperienced, lacking sufficient education) in order to...”

- “You don’t need to help me, you’ll still have time...”

- “You need guidance, a teacher, a team, you won’t be able to cope on your own (you won’t be able to develop).”

Alternative parent message:

• If you decide to do something, I will support you.
• If you have a feeling that you can handle it, then so be it.
• If you care about it, then it's important.

Destructive influence

The fact is that introjection in psychology is not only a positive experience, but also a negative one. Any psychological defense somewhat distorts the perception of reality. The fact is that a person begins to feel the external as something internal.

This is dangerous because when something changes in the external environment, a person can perceive it as a loss of something internal, some qualities, values, points of support. As a result, this is what can lead to depression. A person tries to remain whole inside, while he believes that he has really lost something, tries to either blame himself for this, or look for reasons. In any case, this makes his life very difficult and sometimes forces him to turn to professionals.

Kinds

Perls introduced the classification of natural defense mechanisms into separate types. Varieties:

1. Partial. Implies improper development of the subconscious. It cannot assimilate incoming information from the outside and analyze it. This leads to inhibition in personality development.
2. Full. Implies a strong negative impact on the individual from others. The individual quickly loses his individuality. Gradually, the formed personality is destroyed.
3. Assimilation. The best kind of introjection. The personality assimilates and realizes the essence of incoming information.

Introjection: examples

Let's talk about cases when you can see the manifestation of this process in real life. A very striking example is the case when we say that a man should or a woman should. Such ideas are inherent to some extent in every person, but they greatly limit relationships.

Most often, it is this kind of attitude that prevents you from starting a relationship, building it normally, resolving difficulties and conflicts, etc. The fact is that when entering into a relationship, at some stage a person simply relaxes and begins to act automatically. He trusts his loved one so much that he believes that he can be completely open with him. This is when introjected reactions begin to appear. For no apparent reason, the partner may begin to react strangely to some ordinary things. If the couple has a good relationship, then this can be discussed and it can be revealed that the person himself does not know why he did this or that way. If you dig even deeper, it turns out that he has some beliefs based on which he acts without even realizing it.

Introspective psychology

Introspective psychology

- a generalized name for a number of unrelated psychological concepts based on the postulate about the non-mediation and fundamental incommunicability of an individual’s subjective experience and the impossibility of an objective study of mental processes. In this case, “alien” consciousness is considered as specially reconstructed through the transfer operation: the researcher, knowing about the connection of his own experiences with their external manifestations, builds a hypothesis about the internal experiences of another person based on his externally observable behavior. Thus, the leading psychological method in this approach is introspection, i.e. subjective description of internal experience.

The theoretical foundations of this methodological direction can be found in the philosophy of the 17th century, in the works of R. Descartes and J. Locke.

This direction includes the school of W. Wundt, the structural psychology of E. Titchener, the psychology of the act of F. Brentano, the Würzburg school, as well as the studies of L. M. Lopatin, G. I. Chelpanov. Descartes' philosophical and psychological ideas found their development in the phenomenology of E. Husserl.

This is interesting

Introjection is a concept that is best understood through the examples we have made above. Now that we understand the nature of this process, it is necessary to talk about how dangerous it is. The fact is that this process is an example of how some information enters us completely unconsciously and uncontrollably. And after that we act according to the data received and only after that we try to find logic in our decisions.

It is interesting that introjection is equally characteristic of neurotics and healthy people, so absolutely everyone is faced with this phenomenon from birth. The creator of the term “introjection” believed that this mechanism causes neurotic conflicts and other psychological processes.

As a result, this can lead to neurosis, which happens quite often in ordinary human life. The fact is that neurotics are characterized by such blurred boundaries between their own “I” and the world around them. They very often look for some external object in order to absorb it into their inner world and thus expand the boundaries, equate themselves with this object.

In Gestalt, such reactions imply a process when some results of thinking or assessment are accepted by a person as if without censorship. Scientists have identified three phases of introjection:

• Complete.
• Partial.
• Assimilation.

Complete introjection in the infant. Partial is formed in a child who already observes and partially understands the external world. The assimilation phase can begin both in childhood and in adulthood. It is characterized by the fact that a person’s boundaries between himself and someone else are blurred.

Method of introspection

Introspection and self-observation are very useful in a person’s understanding of himself and his activities. The self-observation method is quite practical, as it does not require additional tools and standards. It has a great advantage over other methods, since no one in any other way can know a person much better than he knows himself. Along with great advantages, there are also disadvantages, the main of which are subjectivity and bias.

Introspection in psychology was the most used research method until the 19th century. Psychologists of that time used the following dogmas: the processes of consciousness cannot be known in any way from the outside; they can only be revealed to the subject of observation.

The method of introspection was studied by J. Locke, who also identified two types in the processes of cognition: observation of objects in the external world and reflection (introspection aimed at processing information received from the external world).

The method of introspection of consciousness has certain possibilities and limitations. Problems may arise in the process of applying self-analysis. Not all people are sufficiently skilled in this method, so they need to be specially trained in the method. The perception and psyche of children are not at all configured to explore themselves in this way.

Introspection of consciousness is functionally useless and its results are contradictory. The biggest disadvantage of self-analysis is its subjectivity. The reasons for restrictions may vary. It is impossible to simultaneously carry out the process of introspection and observation of this process, but only a fading process can be observed.

It is difficult for introspection to uncover cause-and-effect relationships from the conscious sphere. Self-observation reflection contributes to the distortion or disappearance of conscious data.

The method of introspection of consciousness may have separate independent variants.

Types of introspection: analytical, systematic and phenomenological.

Analytical introspection in psychology is the perception of things through structural elementary senses. Proponents of this view are called structuralists. According to structuralism, most objects in the external world perceived by humans are combinations of sensations.

Systematic introspection is a method of describing consciousness using experienced images and sensations. It tracks the main stages of thought processes based on a retrospective report. This is a method of mental introspection, which requires highly organized introspection from the individual.

Proponents of this method divide consciousness into basic processes and their introspection. The problem with self-observation is that only one person can observe the processes open to him, others are not able to evaluate his thoughts. Self-observation is addressed to the products of conscious processes, and not to natural connections.

Phenomenological introspection of consciousness was developed in Gestalt psychology; it is characterized by a description of mental phenomena in their integrity and immediacy of the subject. This method comes from the method of internal perception; it was actively used in descriptive psychology, and then in humanistic psychology.

The introspection method is often used to collect primary data and test hypotheses. It is used exclusively for obtaining data, but not for interpreting it.

Self-observation is carried out on the simplest processes of the psyche: sensations, associations and ideas. Self-report does not require supporting tools or goals

Only the fact of self-observation is taken into account, which will then be analyzed. Introspection can be said to mean having a conscious experience and reporting it.

This definition was given by W. Wundt. He believed that a person's direct experience has an impact on the subject of psychology, however, he distinguished internal perception from introspection. Internal perception has its own value and cannot be attributed to science.

Victims

An unconscious psychological process can lead to a person being in the position of a victim. In fact, introjection is inherent in us at any age, so even an adult should pay more attention to it.

It manifests itself in the fact that we merge with various images that appear in our psyche. It is believed that all images are placed in a person’s superego, that is, in his unconscious structure. This structure of images is replenished from approximately the age of 2 to 12 years, when a person begins to understand what is good, what is bad, what is possible, what is not, and begins to distinguish between his figure and the figure of his parents.

If some kind of introject into the superego was formed in childhood, then getting rid of it is not easy. And the earlier the attitude appeared, the more difficult it is to separate it from oneself. Moreover, both sides suffer from the negative effects of this phenomenon. One person makes demands on the other and feels disappointed, and the other feels angry and resentful because he cannot live up to these characteristics. As a matter of fact, he should not correspond to them.

Other methods of protection

In addition to projection, there are several other methods of psychological defense:

1. Denial is a defensive reaction that begins to develop in childhood. Its first manifestations can be noticed when a child breaks a plate, but persistently proves to the mother that it was not he who did it. Denial often occurs in people who do not want to accept a serious diagnosis. Strong psychological pressure from the outside will only strengthen the defense of the psyche, which will lead to a person’s general isolation.
2. Repression is a psychological defense mechanism with the help of which pressing problems are forced out of consciousness into the area of ​​the unconscious, but this does not make the problem disappear. It takes root in the psyche, which is why the general condition does not change for the better.
3. Introjection is a defense mechanism by which a person immerses himself in the world of his authority. At the same time, you can find out which feelings warm him more, what he lacks.
4. Isolation is a mechanism by which a person divides his personality into two parts. He accepts and protects one, denies one and tries to hide it from others.
5. Regression is a psychological defense mechanism, when activated, a person moves to a simplified level of functioning.
6. Fantasy is a defense mechanism by which the subject creates an unreal reality that cannot happen in real life. This helps to cope with the thirst for your own desires.
7. Transferred aggression. It helps not to be offended by your loved one when he, returning from his own affairs in a bad mood, begins to take out aggression on loved ones.
8. Reactive education. It appears in people who do not know how to save money. Moreover, the more difficult it is for them to earn a certain amount, the faster they will spend it.

Another psychological defense mechanism is rationalization. It can be seen in the stories that students or schoolchildren write when they are late for class or fail to complete their homework.

Projection is a psychological defense mechanism that develops in any person from birth. It protects the human psyche from the destructive effects of negative emotions, experiences, and grievances. A defensive reaction distorts reality, which prevents people from assessing the situation sensibly.

In society

People prone to introjection stand out because they immediately want to interact, open their souls, and share everything. In fact, all their contacts are quite superficial, because true intimacy is incomprehensible and unknown to them. They rarely reach this stage unless they deal with their internal problems.

It also happens that people who do not know how to set boundaries between themselves and others suffer from sexual promiscuity. They have too many partners, they can't stop. They try to quickly interact with a person and after merging they immediately begin to look for another image, so as not to recognize the person and not be disappointed.

Some people are accustomed to this feature of their psyche and do not even want to understand it, because it helps them avoid responsibility. In other words, you can blame some external circumstances, other people, for everything. Such a person constantly claims that traditions, the country, other people, his friends, parents, etc. are to blame for everything. The worst thing is that he does not even realize that his behavior is simply the work of a certain mechanism, and not his personality. And the mechanism can be customized if desired. To do this, it is enough to simply listen to your heart, no matter how surprisingly simple this advice may seem.

You shouldn't think about it

- It's none of your business.

“Everything is fine with you, you have nothing to think about.”

“Adults know better, authorities know better, specialists know better.”

- Listen. Ask someone else's opinion if you don't know.

- Know your place, fulfill your duties and don’t look around if it doesn’t concern you.

“It’s not time to think about it yet.”

Alternative parent message:

• If you think about it, it means it's important.
• If you don’t know the answer, look for facts, compare opinions, make decisions.
• If you're thinking about something that others aren't thinking about, that's okay, keep looking for the answers you need.

What should we do then?

Self-development through books, or websites, or videos is like going fishing through a computer game. Of course, this is possible, but this is not it.

Therefore, I always advise you to find a psychologist and go to an appointment, either with me or with another specialist. But since not everyone has such an opportunity and desire, now I will briefly explain one option.

One option that can be done is to choose a priority idea for yourself and support it when choosing a loved one, or just a couple of such ideas. For me it is honesty, kindness and respect for my practices (meditation, etc.). That's it, these are the most important 3 factors when choosing my favorite girl.

I don't care what she looks like, how much money she has, what she does in life, who her friends are, what countries she has or hasn't been to, how many languages ​​she speaks or not, whether her parents love me or hate me, what her friends think of me, whether she can cook or not, whether she cleans the house or not, etc.

I don't really care about any of this. Yes, if she is also beautiful, then this is really a gift from God, but if not, then this will not be a decisive factor.

It is important for me that she is kind and honest and respects my practices, which I have as a priority in my life. That's all

Here are my 3 introjects about my relationship with my girlfriend.

(Photo: My Tanya)

But we need to come to this. I used to have a whole list of what my woman should do and how she should treat me. And the longer this list was, the worse it was for me in the relationship, and for her too. The more scandals, insults, frustrations, and dissatisfactions we had in our relationship.

So it's up to you to decide whether you want the perfect man, who doesn't exist anyway, or whether you choose a couple of priority characteristics for yourself and finally start taking risks and entering into relationships and developing them.

And if you are already in a relationship, then look at how often you have scandals, quarrels, insults, and how often they happen because you demand or expect something from your other half.

The more you expect and demand from your loved one, the more upset you will become. This is not a point of view or a position in life, it is pure logic.

But that's all in brief. Ideally, you need to go to a psychologist for a session. Because often we want something from another person that we lack. And if you simply suppress this desire within yourself, it will come out differently and you will feel worse.

The desire should dissolve on its own after increasing your awareness of how it affects you. If it affects you positively, then it does not need to be dissolved, if it affects you negatively, then with full awareness of this, it will simply dissolve - you will have fewer introjects.

Your relationship will improve greatly, there will be more joy, more energy, warmth, care, love.

Introject 5. “Children need a father”

This is such an introject. And, it seems, true.

This introject often becomes the reason that a woman lives with her husband only for the sake of children.

It is only important that children need a father, and not just a person who lives with them in the same apartment. I need a father. But if a father is not interested in children, does not want to spend time with them, then such a father is unlikely to be better than a neighbor on the playground... And if a father loves his children, then the fact that he lives separately will not be an obstacle to full communication.

Introject 2. “If you start, finish!”

This is what one of the adults told you when you were ready to quit what you started. Such a good message. It looks very true and correct. It teaches us to get things done at any cost.

You hated your violin with every fiber of your soul, you dreamed of drawing. But no, hanging over you like a sword of Damocles: “If you start, finish!” And when you received the hated diploma of graduating from a music school, it turned out that they would no longer accept you into an art school - it was too late. And the dream of an art school disappeared. But you finished what you started.

And now? You started cleaning and after a while you felt unwell. I should lie down. But no, a voice sounds in your head: “If you start, finish!” It's almost like "DIE BUT DO IT"! And you do. You finish cleaning, you don’t go on sick leave because you have to complete a project... You do it, and then you collapse and get sick. But that will come later, and now the main thing is to complete what we started.

Why is that? You were taught good things. They taught us to see things through to the end. Yes, you were taught good things and they wanted good things for you. But the emphasis in this story is not on you, but on reality. The thing is important, not the person.

You were not taught to differentiate between the main and the secondary. You were not taught to listen to yourself, to your feelings, desires, possibilities. That’s why you (to your mother’s delight) graduated from music school. In your third year, you realized that you had chosen the wrong institute, but you had to complete it... And you received a diploma. Then many years of unloved work. Cleaning that needs to be completed because it has started.

Do you want to change your life? Sign up for a consultation and you will definitely learn to listen to yourself.