Why Money Makes the World Go Round… (part 2 of 2)
In part 1 of of the money series ‘Money Makes the World Go Round’ we talked about the fact that money functions through the process of projection. We project parts of our identity onto money: everything that we think we are, and everything that we think we are not, or do not have. For example: self-worth, freedom, success, prosperity and even love. Thus, money becomes a projection screen for our deepest desires and darkest secrets.
Basically, there are three different types of projections:
1. The First Type: Negative Projections
The first type is characterized by unconsciously projecting negative qualities or attributes onto money.
Someone with projections of this type might complete the sentence ‘money is…’ with statements such as ‘money stinks, money is dirty, money means responsibility’.
People with these types of projections onto money suffer from the illusion that they have to earn their existence with great effort: money either does not find its way to them from the beginning or it slips through their fingers.
On an unconscious level, people with what we shall call ‘negative projections’ try to avoid money or to get rid of it because they do not want all the negative attributes associated with money in their lives.
The theme that runs like a common thread through the lives of these people is financial hardship and the constant struggle for sufficient resources.
Through their unconscious negative relationship with money, money predictably flows out of their pockets into the pocket of people with the second type of projection.
1. The Second Type: Positive Projections
The second type is characterized by unconsciously projecting positive qualities or attributes onto money.
For people with positive projections money means freedom, self-confidence, luxury, and power.
People with these projections suffer from the illusion that they must secure their existence. One could also say that they suffer from the illusion that they can secure their existence only by amassing more and more money.
Driven by the gnawing feeling that they can never have enough of the magical substance, all their actions are aimed at accumulating more money and then securing it.
The dark side of their projection is greed. This greed is triggered by the belief that there is something outside themselves and that only they can possess or be with money.
1. The Third Type: Mixed Projections
The third type of projections is a mixture of the first two types.
It is characterized by the fact that it alternately — or even simultaneously — projects negative and positive attributes onto money and is driven by them.
People of this type are usually able to make money — but they are not able to keep it with a sense of enjoyment.
As soon as it is there, it melts away before their eyes or they actively give it away. They oscillate helplessly between the two extremes of ‘longing to have’ and ‘not being permitted to have’. They are appalled by their own greed and feel neither comfortable or understood in the company of people with type one, nor in the company of people with type two projections.
Uncovering your Type
If money in principle has a hard time finding its way to you and you often fight for resources, you probably have unconscious negative projections (Type 1) onto money.
If you have money but are often worried about losing it or concerned about how to acquire more, you probably have unconscious positive projections (Type 2) onto money.
And if you earn money but somehow never have any money, if you are often plagued by feelings of guilt and then voluntarily and involuntarily find ways to get rid of money as quickly as possible, then it is likely that you are wavering between the projections of both types, between disgust and greed (Type 3).
Another way to do a quick self-diagnosis, even if rather superficial, is to look at the state of your bank account. If you’re chronically in debt you may be Type 1. If you’re steadily saving but concerned about the future, you may be Type 2. If your bank account is usually around zero, you’re probably Type 3.
And if you are one of those rare individuals for whom money really doesn’t matter, who are just as happy to have money as to give money away, as to have no money as to get money — count yourself lucky and exceptional!
Money Projection: Experiment
Just in case you are still not convinced that money functions through projection — let’s do a quick experiment. Take two separate pieces of paper. Leave the first piece of paper empty. On the second piece of paper write: ‘I promise the owner of this paper 100 hours of my time’, then put your signature to it.
Now imagine if you were to give one of these notes to another person. Which of the two notes feels more valuable to you?
Presumably the note that says ‘100 hours of my time’ feels more valuable. This note contains a promise. A promise is a projection of an anticipated result in the future. The value of that note exists in your thoughts — and maybe in the thoughts of the person you are giving it to. But just because we can share projections, it still doesn’t become a law of nature!
Since we cannot escape our projections, our goal can only be to become aware of them and to deal with them more playfully.
CU*money — THE SELF-DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ABOUT MONEY THAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING
Maybe you are thinking, ‘Pfff — easier said than done!’ In fact, our unconscious projections are so persistent because our attitude towards money is part of our identity —which is what we will explore in the online coaching programme CU*money. If you would like to take a deep dive into your identity as revealed by your relationship with money, join us on the journey.
RESOURCES
If you want to know more about moneywork, watch the two videos below:
Video 1
CU*money: A conversation about money work with Peter Koenig
During this Zoom conference, Nadjeschda Taranczewski explored some core concepts about money, the monetary system and people’s personal history with Peter Koenig, the originator of The Money Work.
The interactive video conference combined a deep conversation between Peter and Nadjeschda, small group reflection and a Q&A session.
Video 2
CU*money: An exploration of money in the body with Rivka Halbershtadt
During this Zoom conference, Nadjeschda Taranczewski interviewed Rivka Halbershtadt about the effects and representation of money in the body. Rivka also guided us through a series of exercises that will help us to connect with our money reality on a physical level and create a new attention to money — both on the level of the body and the mind.
This article was written by Nadjeschda Taranczewski and Peter Koenig, the creator of the moneywork process.
If you liked this article, you might like my book ‘Conscious You — Become the Hero of Your Own Story’.
You can buy the book on Amazon or sign up for our newsletter here to be notified about my forthcoming book ‘The Conscious Tribe Playbook’.
