The bio-psychological meaning of
the „physiological prematurity“ of
human babies for the
understanding of the human
mentality
- cultural and therapeutic aspects
Dr. med. Ludwig Janus
„Physiological Prematurity“
• Human babies are born 9-12 months to early
• The first year is the „extra-uterine“ transition
year
• Special condition: out in the reality and inside
from the inner development
• Somatic and social impact: prolonged infant
time
• Psychological impact : emotionally unborn
How to survive and handle the
„physiological prematurity“
• On the infants side
Development of mimic, of gestures and eyecontact for security in the relationship
• On the parents side
Increasement of maternity, of paternity and
of prosocial familiarity
Psychological impact of the
„physiological prematurity“
• Primate baby: security by holding in the fur of the
mother
• Human baby: security by intensive relationship
• The relationship has prenatal aspect: imaginary,
magic, mystic
• Consequence: human babies are only halfway
born - bodily born, emotionally unborn;
baby is living in two worlds: somatic real world,
emotional prenatal world
The biologic factor is the long lasting helplesness
and dependency of the little infant. The intrauterine
existence of the human children seems to be in
comparison to most animals relatively shortened;
they are sent to the world more incomplete than
these. By this the influence of the outer world is
increased and this increases the early
differenciation of the Ego. The dangers of the outer
world will be in their meaning increased and the
value of the person, that alone can protect against
these dangers and replace the lost intrauterine
situation will be enormesly increased. This
biological moment establishes the first danger
situation and creates the need to be loved, that the
human being never will quit." (Freud 1926, S. 168).
Der biologische Faktor ist die lang hingezogene
Hilflosigkeit und Abhängigkeit des kleinen
Menschenkindes. Die Intrauterinexistenz des
Menschen erscheint gegen die meisten Tiere relativ
verkürzt; es wird unfertiger als diese in die Welt
geschickt. Dadurch wird der Einfluss der realen
Außenwelt verstärkt, die Differenzierungen des Ich
frühzeitig gefördert, und die Gefahren der
Außenwelt in ihrer Bedeutung erhöht und der Wert
des Objekts, das allein gegen diese Gefahren
schützen und das verlorene Intrauterinleben
ersetzen kann, enorm gesteigert. Dies biologische
Moment stellt also die erste Gefahrensituation her
und schafft das Bedürfnis, geliebt zu werden, das
den Menschen nicht mehr verlassen wird" (Freud
1926, S. 168).
Humans and other primates
• Primates live in one world corresponding to
the biological adustment to a certain
surrounding
• Humans live in two worlds: first in the real
world and in a second world of magic
emotions
• And these two worlds views are interacting
with each other
Reflection of prenatal experience in
later life
The interacting of the two worlds
as the motor in the emotional
development of mankind
• Magic world of hunters and gatherers: real world
and emotional-magic world are mixed:
• People live in the projection of their feelings as
the aborigines in Australia in their „Dreamtime“
• So called „archaic consciousness“ (Willy Obrist)
• Basic urge to change the real world in an uterine
world satisfying all needs, a land of milk and
honey
Basic urge to create a better world
from generation to generation
• This enables early tribes the modulate the real
world in a need satisfying world
• By intelligent use of the natural ressources
• Specializing in fishing if living at a river,
specialising in hunting if living in the savanna,
making fire, fabricating clothes, houses
and so on: spreading out all over ther world
Magic and mythological mentality
The necessity to balance the
two worlds creates the human ego
• The condition of dysregulation by the
„physiological prematurity“ is compensated
by the development of a regulating ego
• The ability to change the world strengthen the
ego and the self-confidence
• This is the prerequesite for the neolithic
revolution with the invention of agriculture
and stock farming and the living in cities
• Cities as uterine replacement areas
Mythological world of the early
cities
• Heaven and earth are seperated
• The city is hold together by the emotional relation
to the fetal king in his all needs satisfying palace
• The king represents the power of the uterine world
• The king is the symbol of the new ego-power
• Pharao Unas: „If he will, then he does, and if he
will not, he does not do“
• If the God is in the heaven, man is able to act in
the world
Monotheistic World View
• The priests regulate the balance between the
mundane and the otherworldly realm
• The differenciated religious systems with one
god in the middle reflect the higher
psychological organisation on that stage.
• But in spite of this differenciation the central
Self is projected in the conception of a god
The time of enlightment
as a cultural change
• Enlightment as process of internalisation
• We are able to think and to regulate our
behavior
• 19th century literature as an experimental
field of selfregulation of our emotions
• The knowledge of modern psychotherapies as
tool for responsible selfregualtion
• Discovery of the importance of childhood
experiences
Prenatal psychology as a new stage in
the psychoevolution of mankind
• Discovery of the central importance of the
prenatal experience as an imprint for later lafe
• Discovery of the specifity of the „physiological
prematurity“ for the anthropological
constitution of homo sapiens
• Because of the „two worlds“ condition
humans are able to change the world
• Desmond Morris: „We are the only species,
who builds their own zoo“
Prenatal Psychology as the key for
understanding cultural phenomena
• Because of the prematurity we have an
inborn unbalance in our relation to the world
• We are constantly driven to renew the roots
in our basic vitality, e.g. to balance to prenatal
and the postnalal experience
• We do this: by magic rituals, dancing, making
music, making ceremonies confirming the
frame of the world, making scientific
conferences and so on
• Telling myths, fairy tales, scientific theories
Reflection of prenatal experience
in the art
Collective psychotherapies
• Central is the balancing of the two worlds
• On the level of tribal cultures by magic rituals
and moderate changing to world
• On the level of mythological cultures with
cities and godkings by state rituals and by
creating an artificial cityworld and cultural
landscape by technical and organisational
inventions
• On the monotheistic level by broadened world
management unfixed from natural conditions
Individual psychotherapies
• Central is the balancing of the two worlds
• By creating a safe situation
• Supporting the relationship on the preverbal
level
• Letting experience the „echoes of the womb
and of birth“ and the authentic primal Self
• All the other tools of psychodynamic
psychotherapy, e.g. dream interpretation
Prevention
•
•
•
•
•
Beginning in schools
Learning how to live
Getting aquainted with prenatal psychology
How live loverelationships
How to live parentship, motherhood,
fatherhood
• Supporting the prenatal relationship between
mother and child by bondinganalysis
• More support of becoming parents by the
society
„Physiological prematuriy“
a new paradigm?
• It explains many pecularities of homo sapiens
• Well sounded by biology and by psychological
observations
• It has bearing capacity in exlaining cultural
phenomena
• It establish Prenatal Psychology as basic
sciens in Humanities
• Wide practicel meaning e.g. health sciences,
political science, psychohistory, peace science
Literature
• Ludwig Janus: Enduring Effects of the
Prenatal and Perinatal Life – Echoes of
the Womb (download from www.LudwigJanus.de)
• Elaine Morgan: The descent of the child.
• Janus L (1997) Come Nasce L'Anima.
Mediterranee Rom.
Adresses
• Dr. med. Ludwig Janus, Jahnstr. 46,
69221 Dossenheim, Tel. 0049 6221 801650,
[email protected],
www.Ludwig-Janus.de
• International Society for Prenatal and Perinatal
Psychology and Medicine, www.isppm.de
• Bonding Analysis: www.bindungsanalyse.de
• Psychohistory: www.psychohistorie.de
• Publications: www.mattes.de
Primary experience
of the placenta