The Language of the Body by Lowen M.D. Dr. Alexander

Author:Lowen M.D., Dr. Alexander
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781938485176
Publisher: The Alexander Lowen Foundation
Published: 2013-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

FIG. 14. Energy movements in the (left) normal and (right) masochistic individual.

This case is particularly illustrative for the study of the genetic factors which produce the masochistic character structure. First, we must recognize that the masochistic character does not complain of feelings of inner emptiness. Rather, he complains of feelings of bursting, internal pressure, and the inability to release the tension. He shows no signs of deprivation. Each masochist feels that his mother loved him. It is the way that love was expressed which created the disturbance and not the lack of it. The expression “smothering” applies to the mother of the masochist and not to the mother of the oral character.

The ego of the masochist is crushed as if caught in a vise. This is almost literally true. At the upper end it is the forced feeling, at the lower end it is the imposition of a strict training to excremental cleanliness, which constitute the two major pressures. To turn the aggression inward the pressure must be applied before the aggression is anchored to reality in the genital function and in the mental function. The child reacts to these pressures very strongly. He cries, he fights back, he withdraws. By look, by gesture and through movement he appeals to his mother for sympathy and understanding. This appeal to the tender feelings of his mother is ignored on the ground that “mother knows best” or that she is acting in the best interests of her child. The denial of the child’s spiritual needs by an overemphasis upon his material needs creates masochism.

We said earlier that suppression results in masochism just as deprivation causes orality. What is suppressed is the growing independence of the young organism, the developing ego. Suppression does not take the form of overt hostility. It operates under the guise of overwatchfulness, overprotectiveness, overconcern. Eventually, submission is achieved and the masochist becomes a good boy. Strong measures are employed: nagging, punishment, appeal to the child’s love for the mother and, finally, the threat of deprivation of the mother’s love if the child does not obey. It ends in a state of terrible confusion for the child: his tender feelings are called upon to block his aggression, the blocked aggression prevents the expression of tenderness. In no other character structure is the ambivalence so marked, the conflict so great.

In the development of this character structure, the muscular system of the growing child is subverted from its natural function of movement to the neurotic function of holding. The muscles overdevelop to hold back negative impulses and to control natural ones. Forced feeding tends to cause vomiting which then is held back causing severe tension in the neck and throat. Premature insistence upon excremental cleanliness forces the child to employ the levator ani muscles, the gluteals and the hamstrings to gain anal control since the external sphincters have not yet come under voluntary control. The severe muscle tensions in the shoulder girdle hold back the hatred and rage against the mother.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.