Inner Gold: Understanding Psychological Projection

This book is a little hard to understand at first. It contains a particular metaphor that you would find in a novel that seems somewhat out of place when you first begin reading this book. Overall, the message is really wonderful. This book talks about so many different areas of the human experience!

This book is for the person who is looking for a positive understanding of projections, not for the person who is looking for pathology. It is easy to understand and has a premise that makes a lot of sense. It helped me to gain an understanding of how projections work and how they can teach you a lot about yourself and your own "inner gold". In looking at my past projections, I realized that the good qualities I was projecting on someone else were, in reality, my own inner traits. It is similar to the "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear". Too much is written about projections that deals with the negative consequences of projections and the pathology of the person doing the projecting. Excellent book. Maggie

I've been on a vacation from Jungian works for several months and then only synchronicity put Robert A. Johnson's "Inner Gold" into my hands. I knew nothing about this man...how could I have ever missed him? Reading his narrative of what he experienced in India, later musing on his confession of horror and wondering about this in an adult, slowly I recognized my own inner-child, taught early to never own such an "unacceptible" withdrawal response, but this man openly validated his own repulsion. So, I guess I have given him my own dark gold and, boy, has he polished it! This darling man is a national Treasure. Vermeer9

I'm a person with little knowledge of projection or Jung. How found this book is too long a story. I'llneed to cryptically tell just a bit of it though the entire story might make an entertaining book. This small book revealed more to me on the first of many readings than any other single "book". It will lead me to more of this great man's works. It answered many questions about my life and feelings that have perplexed and baffled me for four decades. Someone once asked me why I loved them so much. The person wanted to know what it was about them in particular. I had no answer. I do now. To quote the author..." The meaning of my life has suddenly appeared in the glow in your eyes." The fearful empathy I had discovered in myself had found a match and fried all my circuits. What I would give to be able to transport this book back to 1969. It would have made such a difference. Some people are very adept at taking the "gold"of others and fashioning it into positive movement. Having a guidebook on how to approach such power would have been a wondrous thing. Without it we can be blinded by the light. I find, not to cast any merit on my humble self, that the author and I share several traits and life experiences. I too ( pages 8-9 ) once shot a small animal for sport and recoiled at what it gave me and what it took away. Like the author I never did this again. As he says I was both "proud and horrified" at the same time. A terrible combination for one who does not understand what is happening. Like the author my father ( p. 12 ) didn't really father me. Ah, archetypes and male rites of initiation. Yes,I begin to see the power and vital importance of myth and where my life path mght have led. The book showed me that I could have been a lifelong friend of this one to whom I transferred so much gold without knowing. Yet, because I erred and wanted to mix "levels" the gold could never be returned. I forgive myself. I hear the author saying that I was "personally unlucky". I agree with him ( p.61 ) that "The more sensitive and intelligent you are, the deeper the hole might be." ( that we find we have suddenly fallen into in midlife ). I also agree that the visionary female is vital and that ( p.59 ) "Every man has a double anima. He comes factory equipped---it is absolutely ingrained---with two visions of woman." I agree that Western culture takes much of our humanity in the bargain we make for our cause and effect rationality. It takes more than most of us every comprehend. This book is a starting point for me...the tip of the wedge with which I might finally open and understand why an "intuitive introvert" like myself ( the author uses that exact phrase to describe himself ) would in a moment of time long past attempt to crush and destroy his intolerable unendurable empathy as he finds himself trapped on a reef with life fulfilling perfection in sight but unreachable. The author followed his muse and I attempted to destroy mine.

The gentle yet extraordinary distilled wisdom of an 85 year old life long learner and mentor.

Robert Johnson is a master at laying out the inter-workings of projection. Reader needs to have a little psychological background to fully get the message of the book -- each of us holds the answers to our most important questions in life. All we need do is look to our own behavior, thoughts and feelings - the answers lie there.