BACK TO GLOSSARY
Definition
Attributing one's own feelings and thoughts to others. In dreams, others being angry at us, loving us, or judging us is often projective content.
Related Terms
Repression
A defense mechanism that pushes painful, unacceptable thoughts and memories into the unconscious. According to Freud, repressed content returns in dreams in symbolic disguises.
Shadow
In Jungian psychology, the rejected, repressed dark side of personality. Appears in dreams as enemies, monsters, or unknown dark figures. Confronting the shadow is the beginning of the path to wholeness.
Ego
In Freud's model, the conscious self that operates on the reality principle, balancing the id and superego. In dreams, the ego acts as a censor mechanism, masking unconscious content through symbols.