An interesting article.
_http://www.birthpsychology.com/healing/point2.html_ ;
(http://www.birthpsychology.com/healing/point2.html)
John Payne
South Africa
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Again I must thank you profusely for telling us about this article. I just
read it and would like to make some personal comments about my own "lost twin"
constellation, because Emerson's descriptions in this article so accurately
reflect my own experiences in the constellation.
First of all, in the constellation, I experienced the death of my twin as
occurring during the implantation process, when it's "do or die" for the
zygote
to hook on to Mama's uterus and implant there.
I quote below the section of Emerson's article about "Implantation" (page 7
of 11 if you print the article out)
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<< Implantation is the biological process whereby the conceptus attaches
itself to the uterine wall, and is a vital and precarious stage of
embryological
development. Prior to and during implantation, regressed patients report
that they experienced the terror of [being] near death. They report feeling
unwanted and that they have no place to go, no place to belong, and 'decide'
that
the world is a hostile and unsafe place. They often collapse in
hopelessness, retaliate in rage, fluctuate between these two extremes, and/or
manifest
intense rescue complexes (the need to rescue others and/or be rescued).
Christ's life was, in many ways, a metaphor of implantation. There was "no
room in the Inn," and He had no place that He belonged. And as the Bible
declares, His life was manifested in order for Him to save and rescue mankind.
Many individuals with problems of aggression report the loss of a twin.
Their problems with aggression typically have to do with masochism and/or
neurotic self criticism. . . . [snip]. . . This [death of twin] can [occur]
prior
to or during implantation, although some happen after implantation.>>
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In reading Emerson's description below of 5 dynamics with a lost twin, I
scored a 5 out of 5!
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<<People who experience the loss of a twin manifest several common dynamics.
First of all, there is an ineffable but profound sense of loss, despair, and
rage. These feelings are usually held in, but are sometimes acted out
against others.
Secondly, there is a chronic but unarticulated fear that loss will happen
again, and pervasive insecurity. The threat of loss is defended against by
distancing from others, or by engaging in codependent relationships.
Third, the ability to bond with others is deficient or neurotic because
there is a lack of trust in relationships, or disbelief that relationships
will
last.
Fourth, there is often an over compliance in life, based on the unconscious
feeling that "if I don't do what is expected or wanted, I will die." Over
compliance feeds hostility and aggression toward others, since one cannot take
care of oneself when constantly complying with others.
Finally, prenatal experiences of near death and/or loss are sometimes turned
against oneself or others, resulting in sadistic and masochistic behaviors,
criminal violence, or sadomasochistic thinking and behavior.>>
________________________________
(Dan Booth Cohen, I wonder if you have experienced the dynamics above in
your work with prisoners? I urge you to read the entire article because it
emphasizes on the roots of adult violence in prenatal trauma and shock. The
section before Implantation deals with traumas surrounding conception)
The second phenomenon that resonated with me was Emerson's discovery that
birth traumas recapitulate the prenatal trauma. In the section entitled
Prenatal and Birth Traumas Are Mirror Images (page 4 of 11)
Emerson states (and I put in {{{ }}} the sentence applying to me)
<<Prenatal traumas have two distinct impacts on birth. First of all, birth
is often perceived and experienced in terms of prenatal traumatization. For
example, babies who experience abortion attempts are also likely to experience
birth as annihilative. {{{ Babies who experience near-death during
implantation in the womb are likely to experience birth as a near-death
experience. }}}
Babies who experience aggression or violence while in the womb are likely
to experience the interventions of birth as aggressive and violent, even
though there may be no such intent on the part of medical personnel or
parents.>>
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I knew from my mother's account and from my own experience in rebirthing a
few years back, that I was born a "blue baby." In short, I was actually
suffocating in the birth canal, but somehow managed to make it here despite a
"near-death experience" while being born. Talk about cognitive dissonance! No
wonder the world and my life seem to be oxymorons! Which may also explain why
my
favorite comedian is Steven Wright. (And Lutz, perhaps this is the source of
my pain from which you sense what you judged to be my cynicism. But luckily
I have learned to be cynical even of my own cynicism, so poof, the
destructive power was dissipated )
Anyway, again I thank you, John, for finding such an appropriate article for
this discussion.
Thomas
