projection

n. This primitive defense mechanism is the unconscious warding off of negative experiences or emotions (e.g., anger, hostility, sadness) by denying an experience, perceiving it in another person, and then seeing that negative experience as being directed back at the projector. For example, John is feeling very angry with Mary but is not consciously aware of his anger. Additionally, he is unconsciously very uncomfortable with his anger, perhaps worried about what he might do were he to identify with it. One way of dealing with this discomfort is to “turn the tables” and see Mary as angry with him. In this way he has projected his own feelings onto Mary and now sees the anger redirected at him. He now can deal with this (presumably) more manageable emotion since the anger is not influencing his behavior but someone else's. – DGa