ABSTRACT
Ground introjects are implicit ways of being, cultural in the broadest sense and shape our experience of our world beyond a cognitive and verbal level. Such introjects literally shape our bodies in relation to our environment. Processes of introjection can bind us to shame responses as much of the experience is that of a felt sense beyond words. Again it is easy to overstate the negative possibilities of introjection as ground, but equally just as with figural introjection those ground introjects could convey opportunity and value. Introjection can support a whole system of moderations or conversely a whole system of moderations can be constructed to protect introjected beliefs. People who habitually introject lack a sense of agency and consequently are often on the lookout as to how they ‘should’ be and what they ‘ought’ to be doing. Ground introjects are referred to by some gestalt therapists using the Freudian term ‘core beliefs’.
