What is Projection?
- Dr Paul McCarthy
- 20 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Projection represents a mental process where people attribute their own minds' contents to others [1]. This psychological mechanism lets people transfer their feelings, thoughts, motivations, desires, or impulses to another person, animal, or object [1][1]. The simple form of projection shows how people externalize their internal mental content and see their psychological elements as coming from outside themselves.
Sigmund Freud brought the concept of projection to psychology. He borrowed this term from neurology, where it described neurons' ability to transmit stimuli between different nervous system levels [1]. Freud developed his ideas about projection in letters to Wilhelm Fliess. Karl Abraham and Anna Freud later refined these concepts [1]. People remain unaware of the traits they project onto others in Freudian theory [1].
Projection works as a defense mechanism that protects the ego from thoughts or feelings that cause anxiety [1]. Repression serves as the main way to keep unacceptable material out of consciousness. When it fails, projection offers another way to handle unwanted thoughts by attributing them to others [1]. To cite an instance, someone who can't face their own anger might see others as hostile and aggressive [1].
People demonstrate projection in different ways and intensities. The boundaries between self and other stay poorly separated in primitive expressions [1]. Someone who lies often might accuse others of dishonesty, which draws attention away from their own deceptive behavior [1]. Mature projection shows understanding that others have separate lives with different motives [1].
Melanie Klein described a specific type called "projective identification." The person not only projects unwanted parts of themselves onto others but stays connected to what they project. They also make the recipient feel those same emotions [1]. Someone projecting anger might claim another person feels angry and end up making that person actually angry, which creates a self-fulfilling pattern [1].
Projection isn't always negative - it serves positive purposes too. Empathy's foundations come from projection, which helps people understand others' experiences through their own [1]. It also helps create deep connections and shared emotional states when people project loving, joyful feelings [1].
Different Meanings of Projection Across Fields
Scientists use the term projection in many fields. Each discipline uses this concept differently, yet all connect to its root word proicere, which means "throw forth" [2].
Projection in physics and optics
Physics and optics define projection as the action of light, heat, or sound bouncing from one surface to another in a different direction [3]. This idea serves as the foundation for image display technologies. Scientists made breakthroughs in optical projection through devices like the Episcope, which lights up surfaces and reflects images through mirrors and lenses [2]. The development of early projection devices included Magic Lanterns that used the Argand Lamp (1780) and limelight (1826). These innovations paved the way for modern projection technologies [2].
Projection in chemistry
Chemists use projection to show three-dimensional molecular structures on flat surfaces. The Newman projection, developed by Melvin Spencer Newman in 1952, shows the 3D structure of molecules by viewing down a specific carbon-carbon bond [4]. This method shows the front atom as a dot and the back atom as a circle, with solid lines representing bonds [1]. Newman projections help scientists understand molecular conformations, especially when you have staggered (lowest energy) and eclipsed (highest energy) arrangements from single bond rotation [1][5].
Projection in mathematics
Mathematical projection works as an idempotent mapping from a set to itself that equals its composition with itself [6]. Mathematicians first used it in Euclidean geometry to show three-dimensional space on a plane. The concept includes central projection (from a point onto a plane) and parallel projection [6]. Cartographers use map projections to display Earth's curved surface on flat planes [6][7]. Shadows are the foundations of this concept, which explains its use in geometry, linear algebra, and set theory [6].
Projection in biology and neuroscience
Neuroscientists define projection as axons extending from neurons that link different areas of the nervous system [8]. Projection neurons extend axons to connect distant parts of the brain, which enables communication between remote neural regions [9]. These neural connections work in two ways: efferent (sending information away from a brain region) or afferent (bringing information toward a brain region) [8]. The corticospinal projections that start in the cerebral cortex and end in the spinal cord serve as an example, playing a vital role in voluntary motor control [8].
Psychological Projection and Its Effects
Psychological projection works as a defense mechanism where people push their unacceptable thoughts and feelings onto others. This happens unconsciously to protect the ego from thoughts that cause anxiety. To cite an instance, someone who can't deal with their anger might see others as hostile instead of facing their own emotions.
Projection does much more than provide psychological comfort. People who project develop wrong judgments about others in relationships, which leads to conflicts and misunderstandings. We create distorted views of others' character and motivations by pushing our negative traits onto them. This blame-shifting stops people from seeing their role in situations and making needed changes.
Regular projection blocks personal growth. People who deny and push their flaws onto others never look inside themselves or grow. They stay stuck and don't deal with their deeper issues. When projection becomes a habit, it creates negative cycles in relationships. Distorted views and constant blame promote self-fulfilling prophecies.
Trust and intimacy break down as projection continues. People become isolated and struggle to build healthy connections. Their risk of relationship problems goes up. While projection might ease anxiety temporarily, depending on it without tackling the real issues can make psychological distress worse.
You need strong self-awareness and critical thinking to spot projection. Though it happens unconsciously, certain signs help identify this defense mechanism in daily life. These include overreacting to others' behaviors and having the same accusations come up repeatedly in relationship conflicts.
Common Misconceptions About Projection
People often misunderstand how projection works in psychology, and several myths have taken root about its nature.
Projection is always negative
Many people believe projection only works in negative ways. In fact, we can project positive traits onto others too. New relationships often show this clearly - people project their ideal fantasies onto partners and temporarily ignore human flaws [10]. Positive projection happens when someone sees their best qualities in others, like when they project great potential onto business leaders [11]. This process does more than just help us avoid uncomfortable feelings.
Only people with disorders project
Everyone uses projection - it's not just limited to psychological disorders. This defense mechanism shows up naturally in all our lives [10]. While certain personality disorders may show more obvious projection, it plays a subtle role in our daily interactions [11]. People use projection as a way to cope with difficult emotions. It only becomes a problem when someone relies on it too much [12].
Projection is the same as empathy
Projection and empathy work in completely different ways. These two processes are actually opposites of each other [13]. Empathy means truly understanding what another person experiences, while projection pushes our own feelings onto others and mistakes that for understanding [14]. True empathy recognizes both what we share with others and how we're different. Projection assumes other people think and feel exactly like we do [13]. Real empathy requires us to put our personal biases aside to understand someone else's viewpoint.
Key Takeaways
Understanding projection across different contexts—from psychology to science—reveals how this fundamental concept shapes human perception and scientific understanding.
• Projection is a universal psychological defense mechanism where people unconsciously attribute their own thoughts, feelings, or traits to others to protect their ego from anxiety.
• Projection appears across multiple scientific fields with distinct meanings: optical projection in physics, molecular visualization in chemistry, mathematical mappings, and neural connections in neuroscience.
• Not all projection is negative or pathological—it can involve positive traits, serves as a basis for empathy, and occurs in everyone as a normal coping mechanism.
• Projection differs fundamentally from empathy by imposing our own feelings onto others rather than genuinely understanding their unique perspective and experience.
• Chronic projection hinders personal growth by preventing self-reflection, creating relationship conflicts, and fostering blame-shifting that blocks necessary behavioral changes.
While projection serves protective functions, recognizing when we project onto others enables healthier relationships and authentic self-awareness, transforming this unconscious process into a tool for personal development.
References
[1] - https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Purdue/Purdue_Chem_26100%3A_Organic_Chemistry_I_(Wenthold)/Chapter_03%3A_Structure_of_Alkanes/3.4. Structure_and_Conformations_of_Alkanes/3.4.1._Newman_Projections[2] - https://lightform.com/blog/the-history-of-projection-technology[3] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projection[4] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newman_projection[5] - https://chemistrytalk.org/newman-projections/[6] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projection_(mathematics)[7] - https://pubs.aip.org/aip/acp/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/1.5124778/13189906/030034_1_online.pdf[8] - https://speechfit.io/glossary/projections/projections[9] - https://taylorandfrancis.com/knowledge/Medicine_and_healthcare/Neurology/Projection_neurons/[10] - https://maplewoodcounseling.com/projection-in-relationships/[11] - https://scottjeffrey.com/psychological-projection/[12] - https://www.relationalpsych.group/articles/projection-as-a-defense-mechanism-understanding-the-psychology-behind-it[13] - https://mindlabneuroscience.com/projection-vs-empathy/[14] - https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/connecting-with-coincidence/202501/the-dance-of-empathy-and-projection