Reflections on Perception is Projection

Have you heard of the NLP idea that states Perception is projection?

Perception is projection is a concept that was introduced by Carl Jung. it presupposes that we can only perceive what is already in our consciousness.

What we see in the world is only our own perception of life and we project that out into the world. Like a house of mirrors. We only see what we choose to see. We project our own perception of the world onto the world, onto others, onto ourselves.

We see what we know, what we have experienced life to be. If we have experienced abuse, we may believe the world to be full of nasty, selfish, manipulative people, so we see that, we attract that, as that is what we think and believe to be true.

Energy flows where thought goes.

Make sense yet? It takes a bit to get your head around it. Or have you ever heard people say that when you are triggered by other’s behaviour to hold a mirror up to yourself?

It took me ages to fully grasp these concepts. Powerful indeed. To practice this technique when I see ugliness displayed by others, I imagine holding a mirror up to myself and notice the same behaviour in myself. Therefore halting me in my tracks in judging others, or losing my temper. For I too share the same flaw, the capacity, we are all human.

It’s only by working on my self awareness, building my power of observation, practicing meditation, that I am able to use this concept to free myself of hate, the ugliness of judgement, jealousy and self righteousness.

Who am I to think I am better than anyone else, I too am human and am capable of the same thoughts and behaviour. If you find yourself stuck in negative thought loops like this, of blaming, shaming, judgment and expectations, ask yourself who you are really judging? Yourself? What does that feel like, awful right?

You get stuck

These feelings and negative thoughts can lead to a place of disconnection from your body, and you can get stuck in your mind. When your mind gets stuck playing the same story of negativity over and over.

It is a very uncomfortable place to be, when we disconnect from our body, we experience pain and discomfort. When we are overwhelmed, stressed or depressed this can happen. We get stuck.

I remember this happening to me loads of times before I started working with Reiki, Journaling, Meditation, NLP and Hypnosis.

I have come to acknowledge, understand and accept my triggers.

From time to time when I become so busy I don’t make time for nurturing myself, I experience overwhelm. My stomach churns, it’s fking uncomfortable.

Time to time I experience social anxiety. The negative thought loop plays that I’m not lovable enough, or not good enough.

From time to time I experience stress about time, my mind and heart race. Not a fear of death, just a worry that I’m missing out or that there is not enough time in a day to simply enjoy it. I am a high achiever, I want to get sh..t done.

This is when I pause, I acknowledge my body, my feelings, my thoughts, my looping patterns.

Loving Kindness

I offer myself loving kindness, like I would my best friend. I breathe deeply to connect with my body and calm my nervous system. I journal on it, again. I ask myself, what is it that is really bothering me? There is always something I need to change, to work on, to let go.

The healing journey is a life long journey of getting to.know yourself, learning to love yourself. To learn to feel comfortable and safe in your mind, body and soul. To feel free. To be yourself. Your whole self. Your soul self.

Those annoying thoughts that keep coming up, that niggling feeling you try to push down and ignore, they are signs that something is not quite right.

If you create stillness within, you create space in your head and heart, an openness for the answers you seek to come into your awareness.

Ask yourself, what is it I am feeling?

If you allow the feeling room to move by allowing it to be seen, felt and heard, to flow through you, rather than suppressing it, you will eventually see the situation clearer. Without your judgements and expectations, you can work through a problem, take action and get it sorted. Allowing more balance. If you carry your worry and problems around they become heavy, burdensome and can create pain and illness.

Create Stillness Within and Free Your Inner Spirit.

If you need help breaking free of these old patterns to Free your Inner Spirit reach out for a free 30 min call and see how I can help 0430860448.