Projection in All its Forms

When we work with dreams, especially in a group format, we all use projection to understand and comprehend the dream that is being shared. We listen to the dream and as we listen to it, we imagine our own version of the dream.  If someone is telling me a dream about parachuting past a giant statue, there is a lot left to my imagination - no matter how much detail the dreamer may give me, my imagined dream and their remembered dream look and feel very, very differently.

Trash sculpture projections by Tim Noble & Sue Webster

That is why we do dreamwork in groups - hearing someone else's unique perspective can be essential to cracking open a door or window that may have been shut before.

But what is projection?

Projection is just as it sounds - we are projecting images, ideas, emotions, etc. onto another person, experience, object, etc. It is the only way we know how to communicate and "be" with each other.  It is our human process of relating.

Sometimes participating in a dream group is the first time someone has heard or understood the term projection. In the groups I facilitate, I ask that all participants use "I Statements." In other words - "If it were my dream" or "in my imagined version of the dream."  This is both respectful and truthful, as all we can do is feel our way through the imagined version of the dream being shared with us.

I personally feel that this "I Statement" practice should also be used in "regular" life. It's amazing how often I hear things like, "You work so hard in life and no one appreciates you..." or something along those lines - when really the person making that statement is speaking about themselves and their own experience. I know when I start using "You" a lot, that I am probably not owning something about myself. 

In fact, in the dream groups I facilitate, I ask that, even when people are speaking about waking life events, that they still use "I Statements."  We project on people in our waking lives hundreds of times more than we do on other people's dreams.

I also know how powerful the Ego can be.  There is such a deep desire to separate ourselves from each other and sometimes we can get pretty feisty about our projections - "no, this is really about her, not me!"  But the fact of the matter is, if we are capable of expressing that feeling or idea or emotion about someone else, we are capable of feeling it ourselves and therefore that statement applies to us in some varying degree.

And dreams are the perfect vehicle for "meeting and greeting" our dark sides - the parts of us that we don't want to acknowledge exist!  Our dreams come from us - no one else is writing or dictating these scenarios, so when I had a dream about a dark, evil man torturing me, I am both the one being tortured and the torturer - even though I would never intentionally hurt another being in waking life.  Some part of me understands that evil character and it is a benefit to me and the greater world to get to know that aspect of my personality and see what it might be asking me, as far as healing and transformation.  This is what Carl Jung calls "getting to know the Dark Shadow."

And it works the other way as well - when I dream about a powerful spiritual being that infuses me with love, I am that Bright Shadow as well.  When someone praises me for something I have said or done, I try to receive it, but then let it go - because it is not really about me, it is about that person recognized a part of themselves and celebrating it.  The same is also true when someone gets incredibly angry at me for something I've done - I listen and integrate the criticism in a way that is helpful to me, and then I let it go, because again, it is not just about me.  My father often says, "projection doesn't work unless there is a hook to hang it on."  It is a shared experience.

Can you imagine what the world would look like if our global leaders understood projection and could communicate on that level?  I have witnessed countless misunderstandings (not to mention, participated in more than my share) that all went back to one person's idea of who another person was and vice versa - "I am not that."  Our "war on terror" is a perfect example. The Dark Shadow can never be eliminated, just more deeply understood and integrated.

I see this a lot when I am counseling soon-to-be-married couples.  Often I will witness huge, emotional arguments, when in reality, they actually want the same thing! They have just forgotten that they are on the same team and have slipped into the "he obviously is punishing me for..." or "she never understands me..."  They are falling unconsciously into their projections and start to communicate in a defensive way.  The tone can change so quickly when everyone involved switches to "I Statements."

So think about projection as you go about your day - pay attention to the words you say and how you say them.  It might lead to a big change you were not expecting!

Sacred Life Project

"Kali-Ma" full-size body cast, 2005

Today I was catching up on a blog I enjoy: Lori Lynh's The Dream Life: Making it Up as I Go Along. I noticed some postings entitled Sacred Life that really struck me.  The posts were so sweet and beautiful.  Through reading more, I discovered that the idea birthed from Carla Blazek's Zena Musings blog.  I'll let her describe it:

 Beginning: August 18, every day for at least a month I'm going to post a photo from my daily life capturing something that connects me to Spirit. It might be my altar, a candle I'm burning, my dogs, the garden, a friend, a book I'm reading, nature, something I did, someplace I went, something important to me, or, who knows, maybe just my morning bowl of Cheerios! The idea is to creatively connect with the holiness of my everyday life, plus I also need a gentle little kick in the butt to turn OFF the game of Hearts and other shadow comforts and start writing again.

My Sacred Life isn't really a challenge -- that sounds too strenuous -- it's really more of a softening ... into a moment, a treasured possession, a companion -- people, parts and places of your everyday life that you cherish. Whatever is sacred to you.

Now, the dates for this project have already passed, but time is circular, right? There's no reason for me not to give this inspiring project a try.

It's funny because when I imagine doing this, I feel daunted at the task.  "One more thing to do and keep track of," grumble, grumble... But the idea really resonates with my soul and I think it would be interesting to at least give it a try. I also realized [very sadly] that there are whole days that go by when I do not think about spirit and the effect it has on me and my life and the world.

So, without further ado, here is my first day of my Sacred Life project:

Letting my Kali sculpture decay in the trees.

What happens to sacred art when it has finished its life and served its purpose? This is a question I often ask, as I co-create with Spirit as a spiritual and artistic practice.  After awhile, the art gets old, or it just starts to fall apart.  I don't want to throw it away - not just because I like to conserve and recycle as much as possible - but because these creations are sacred and very meaningful to me.

One of the most powerful pieces I have made to date is a full-body cast of myself as the Hindu Goddess Kali-Ma.  Creating this piece was so powerful and I created it with two powerful, magical friends: Kristena West & Mary McCulloch. 

After several moves and getting banged up and hung too many times, this piece was looking pretty battered and torn.  But what to do with it? 

My husband and I live on 4 acres in Petaluma, CA.  We are surrounded by beautiful trees and incredible wildlife. Looking out the window one day, I realized that putting all my "body parts" in the limbs of the tree outside and watching them decay would be a very powerful "end" to this piece. 

I stacked up all the parts, including the large torso, and there they live.  Every day I look out the window and watch them decay just a little bit more. I think it is the perfect end for a Kali figure - she was created in the passion of creation, and she is now being destroyed by the natural cycles of the seasons.

So this is my spiritual moment today.

Art Journals

A page from my personal art journal.

As an artist and a dreamworker, I keep a journal. In it, I record my dreams, write down ideas, draw and other make other creative expressions.

As an artist I am very inspired by looking at other people's journals. It's almost as inspiring as looking at artist's work spaces - there's a great blog for that by the way: On My Desk: Creative Folk Share What's On Their Desk.

When I look at someone's personal journal, I can see their frame of mind and how they process the world.  It's fascinating.  The following are some of my favorite artist journals to look through:

The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait
This book reproduces the diary pages of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. It's so powerful to look at, as each page has been reproduced as it appeared in her actual diary, including the bleeding through of ink from previous pages. It also translates each page into English, so you can understand her words. There are powerful self-portraits and sketches that echo future paintings. When I look through this journal, I am reminded by how important it is to process the painful aspects of life and use them as fuel for creative expression.

Henry Miller's Insomnia Series
This book reproduces the journal entries and watercolor paintings that Henry Miller created in the 1965 & 1966 when he had a terrible bout of insomnia, worrying about his marriage to Japanese cabaret singer Hoki Tokuda. Henry Miller describes the series:  

They reflect the varying moods of three in the morning. Some were sprinkled with bird seed, some with songes [French for dreams], and some with mensonges [French for lies]. Some dripped from the brush like pink arsenic; others clogged up on me and came out as welts and bruises. Some wereorganic, some inorganic, but they were all intended to lead their own life in the garden of Abracadabra.

The following is a page from this series:

The Acme Novelty Date Book: Volume One
Journal pages from the incomparable, comic artist Chris Ware. We get a window into Ware's strange mind, including seeing various sketches with little notes as to what he liked and didn't like in his drawing skills that day. His graphic novels are so meticulous and perfect, it was fascinating to see a more "sloppy" side of his artwork.  It helped me a great deal to see that even this rigid perfectionist lets himself explore and be messy in his journal. Looking through Chris Ware's journal pages also reminded me that it is helpful and good practice to trace and copy other people's work for learning purposes.  This journal is a fascinating documentation of the creative process.

A page from Sabrina Ward Harrison's book
"Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself"

Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself
In Sabrina Ward Harrison's first published journal (she has since published many more) there is an explosion of colorful pages of collages, photographs, and beautiful handwriting. In this journal, the window opens into the transition of a young woman finding her way into adulthood and going through all the questions and emotions of that time. She has also filled her journal with wonderful quotes and great books to read.  Anyone who enjoys the work of SARK will enjoy this journal reproduction. The following is a page from one of her many published journals:

The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon
In this wonderful collection, the name says it all - the journey IS the destination and our journals are the road map. Dan Eldon was only 22 when he was chased down and killed by an angry mob in Somalia, while taking photographs for the international news service. His journal pages are overflowing with incredible collages, which combined his photographs of Africa with paint, found objects, and other ephemera. The journal starts when Dan is 14 and chronicles his life all the way up until his far too-early death. Looking through Dan Eldon's journals remind me to be creative every day and to pay close attention to my surroundings and how they make me feel.

Drawing from Life: The Journal as Art
This is a great compilation of some incredible journals. It includes the journals of not just artists but an architect, a volcanologist, a quilt-maker and other creative people.

And be sure to check out the 1000 Journals Project, in which 1000 journals were released out in the world with the encouragement that they be worked in and shared.  The website tracks those journals on their journey.

What are you processing in your journal right now?