How People Hijack your Mind by Projecting

In my quest for inner peace, I have been training myself to identify projections. In the world of Psychology, projection is defined as "Unconscious discomfort that can lead people to attribute unacceptable feelings or impulses to someone else to avoid confronting them". Often, if we are not careful, we absorb and assimilate these projections into ourselves.

You might be wondering, why would you be bothered with that? Have you ever heard of the zombie ant fungus? This parasitic fungus takes over the ant's brain and controls the host's behaviour. Projections are like the zombie ant fungus that hops onto your mind from another person, and they hijack your brain. Before you know it, you find yourself operating from emotions and impulses that are not yours.

To understand how projections work, let me use an example from my life. A few years ago, I reconnected with my friend from college. She shared that she was heavily involved with her church community and her family. She was at a point in her life where she didn't have much time to herself. When I began to share that, my life was quiet, and I wasn't interacting with many people in my life. She was distressed and attempted to convince me that I was in serious need of community. She was uncomfortable with me living a life of solitude.

I was confused and wondered if I was missing out on life. I was always someone who preferred to spend a lot of time by myself since people drained me. I began to doubt whether I was living my best life. I tried to put myself out there, and it was tiring and drew unnecessary drama into my life. I got to a point where I redefined community for myself as a small circle of friends. It took me time to realize that my friend was projecting her fear of being alone onto me.

It's interesting how projections happen on a subconscious level. All of us have this tendency to project onto others, and it's important to have self-awareness. As an empath, at times, the lines between myself and another person get blurred. I have this tendency to carry what is not mine. So, I have to be intentional about identifying what is mine and detaching myself from it.

When I recognize people's projections, I understand that it is not personal. People are merely reflecting, and I can firmly set boundaries in love. I am training my mind not to react but to respond. I calmy say I understand where you are coming from, but that is not what I believe is the best of me. Other times, I quietly detach myself mentally from the person when I recognize that they are not in state to hear.

My explorations of projections have led me to a place of stillness and mental peace. I don't experience the anxiety that I used to. People trigger me less frequently, and I am comfortable with my essence. I hope these reflections help you on your own journey of healing and mental peace. A little little to cast away the shadows.