Priming and projective identification.

The sense of coercion that is a central feature of projective identification might be understood in terms of the recently discovered phenomenon of priming. Studies of priming show that a subject may record and be influenced by stimuli of which he or she is not conscious. Becoming aware of such influence is of central therapeutic significance. Certain priming experiments suggest that Freud's discipline of "evenly suspended attention" may provide a means of potentiating this awareness.