What is introjection?

Introjection is a process in which a person appropriates behaviors, features or ideas that belong to others.

Other terms that are related to that of introjection are that of identification and internalization.

Introjection, origin of the term and definition

Introjection is a concept that has been used in several fields, such as psychology and philosophy, however, it is originally from psychoanalysis. Following Sigmund Freud's ideas, Through introjection is that the ego and superego are built.

In this order of ideas, introjection is also considered as A defense mechanism to which the subject resorts to internalize external threats, relieve or neutralize them. So, introjection refers to an unconscious process in which a person incorporates ideas, attitudes or beliefs of another subject or group of individuals, once it has been identified with it.

For author Ferrater Mora, in his philosophy dictionary, introjection consists in appropriation by a subject of characteristics that belong to another subject, and even the appropriation of characteristics of an object when it has been represented by the appropriate subject as animated or vivified. Ferrater Mora also emphasizes that the term of introjection was used by the German-Suzo Avenarius philosopher, who considered that the "natural concept of the world" has been frequently deformed and falsified, due to the reduction of the image of the world to an internal representation. Thus, according to Avenarius, The world has split into two types of reality or experience: the external and the internal. However, this split is an illusion promoted by the trend that men have to deceive themselves, which prevents them from describing the real without prejudice. Thus, Avenarius recommends suspending introjection to discover that what is called "me" and what is called "object" does not exist independently on the other, since the only thing there is the "plot of experience".

Laplanche and Pontialis For their part, in their psychoanalysis dictionary, they point out that the term of introjection was introduced by Sandor Ferenczi in his text Introjection and transfer, Published in 1909, in which it is specified that: “as well as the paranoid expels the tendencies that have become displaced, the neurotic seeks the solution by entereding its most possible part of the outside world and making it the object of unconscious fantasies ".

In the case of Freud, he adopts the term of introjection and clearly opposes the projection to the projection. The most explicit text in this regard is that of The drives and their destinations, from 1915, in which he considers that the origin of the subject opposition (I) -Object (outside world) is correlative to the opposition pleasure -displeasure.

How does introjection work?

In the introjection process, it is possible that some values, ideas or beliefs that are taken as part of the identity and their own, are not really the product of a personal elaboration. This is because From the early age personality is formed through three mechanisms: that of imitation, identification and introjection.

In the case of introjection, You could adopt the ideas of someone who is admired, wants to even be feared or hated. Thus, patterns of thought and behavior are incorporated that are not their own.

On the contrary, the projection consists in putting out the internal attributes, feelings, desires or aspects that a person is not able to accept, so that, that is, he places them out of himself to better support the anguish than generate. The projection can be done not only when relating to other people, but also their own aspects are projected when written or painted, for example.

Now, the opposite occurs, then, the alien is more relevant than the same. A person who introjects is not able to analyze or differentiate what is the true origin of their beliefs or ideas, That is, he is not able to act covering his true needs, but follows other people's slogans.

What is sought with introjection, as a defense mechanism, is to obtain protection against anxiety, especially if it is a threatening or painful fact.

An example of introjection could be that of a woman who has gone from thirty years, observes that almost all her friends have children or husbands and she does not, so, although she does not know if she really wants to have children or a couple, yes, yes internalizes the ideas of those people around him and takes that desire as true. This protects his mind from anxiety that causes him the situation.

When the person who introjects says "I think", what is varefully expresses is "others think".

The people who introjection also assume family mandates like their own. Another example of this would be that of a subject for whose family the work was always the most important. Thus, the person can decide not to take studies, to focus on work, being able to put aside even moments of recreation to work. Although he spends a lot of time and this subject has a partner and children, he can neglect them because he continues to consider the work area as the most important.

It is because of this Introjection can be considered as negative, as it limits, Well, following the idea that "men cannot cry", they could feel inability to show their feelings.

Introjection can also prevent healthy social relationships from being established, as in the case of those who since childhood have heard from adults in their environment that "you can never trust others".

These are some examples of introjection, so, before an idea or belief it is valid to try to discover what its true origin or origin is, that is, if it is proper or if appropriate.

Limiting beliefs

Bibliography

• Etxabe, a. M. (2016). Silent threads: working with introjection. Psychotherapy magazine, 27(105), 59-74.
• Ferenczi, s. (1949). Introjection and transfer. Psychoanalysis magazine, 6(3-4), 701-742.
• Ferrater Mora, J. (1999). Dictionary of Philosophy, Ed. Ariel, Barcelona.
• Laplanche, j., Pontalis, j. B., Lagache, d., Gimeno, f. C., & Garcia, F. TO. (1971). Dictionary of psychoanalysis (Vol. 38). Madrid: Labor.