THE CHILD IN SEARCH OF THE ADULT AND THE ADULT IN SEARCH OF THE CHILD: A CLINICAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN BIOENERGETIC ANALYSIS

6 – Título do trabalho
THE CHILD IN SEARCH OF THE ADULT AND THE ADULT IN SEARCH OF THE CHILD: A CLINICAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN BIOENERGETIC ANALYSIS

Leonardo Libânio Christo
Local Trainer da Associação Brasileira de Análise Bioenergética-BH

Leonardo José Jeber
Membro da Associação Brasileira de Análise
Bioenergética-BH

PART I: THE CHILD IN SEARCH OF THE ADULT
David Boadella presents us with a summary, written by Dr Ola Raknes, of the organic qualities that may represent the characteristics of a full vegetative life:
I. The whole body presents good tonus, the structure of the body is elastically erect, there are neither cramps nor spasms.
II. The skin is warm, blood supply is abundant, its tinge is reddish or slightly tanned; transpiration may be warm.
III. Muscles may alternate between tension and relaxation, but are neither chronically contracted nor flaccid; peristalsis is easy; constipation and hemorrhoids are absent.
IV. The face shows lively and mobile features that are never rigid or mask-like. The eyes are clear, pupil reactions are fast, and the eyeballs are neither prominent nor sunken.
V. Expiration is full and deep, with a pause before the next inspiration; chest movements are free and easy.
VI. The pulse is usually regular, calm, and strong; blood pressure is normal, neither too high, nor too low.
David Boadella presents his psychic contacts criteria that enable relationships with other people:
1. An ability to have total concentration, to exhibit it in a fraction of his/her work, in performing a task, a conversation or a genital embrace; and an ability to experience the feeling of unity between what this person does and what he or she is.
2. An ability to experience naturally and artfully the feeling of contact with oneself and with other people, as well as with – for instance – the tools used in one’s own work; one should also mention here the ability to capture impressions, to be brave, and the willingness to allow things and events to structure themselves.
3. An absence of distress, when there is no danger, and the ability to react rationally even in dangerous situations – and courage to willingly enter into dangerous situations, whenever a rational and important reason to do so is perceived.
4. A deep and lasting feeling of well being and vigor; this is a feeling one can be aware every time one focuses on it even when fighting against difficulties or experiencing physical pain; however, this feeling should not be excessively strong; a part of this feeling may be related to feelings of genital pleasure during breathing.

Mary Higgins and Chester Raphael, on their part, present a Reichian text, “Truth versus Modju” in which Reich demonstrates how we should provide ourselves against emotional plague caused by a life-noxious character:
(1) Trust the distinction between an honest facial expression and a deformed one.
(2) Insist that everything be set in the open
(3) Use the weapon of truth sensibly, but determinedly. The pestilential character is a coward and has nothing constructive to offer.
(4) Face the pest with your head high. Do not yield nor be discouraged.
(5) If necessary, reveal your weaknesses frankly, your secrets included. People will understand.
(6) Whenever you can, help soften the strain of human guilt feelings, especially in sexual matters, the essential ground for the abuse of the emotional pest.
(7) Keep your own motives, aims, and methods entirely exposed, in full sight of everyone.
(8) Learn unceasingly how to face dissimulated lying.
(9) Channel every human interest to life’s important problems, especially the education of children.
PART II: MAN IN SEARCH OF THE CHILD
History records Reich’s concern with the works to prevent neurosis in children. Reich introduced the self-regulation principle in an attempt to fight both educational propositions that he considered to be too authoritarian, and the excessive degree of educators’ intervention. He demonstrated the importance of introducing therapeutic educational measures aimed at combating children’s armors, their defenses becoming chronic, with the consequent withdrawal of self-regulated functioning.
According to Reich, “ the basic and sovereign task of all education directed towards children’s interests (…) is to remove every obstacle from the path of the productivity and plasticity of a naturally provided biological energy. These children will be able to chose their own way of being (…) we must learn from them, instead of imposing our ideas on them (…) our task is to protect their natural force, so that they may do it…”
Alexander Lowen, the creator of Bioenergetic Analysis, suggests that where education and human formation are concerned, we should think and act together with the children. He discusses both the conflict and the relationship that exist between love and discipline, stimulating us to think about an educational perspective – at home and at school – based on love and understanding.
According to Alexander Lowen, the best educators are those who raise children by developing their creative potential and their ability to understand. Lowen says that human beings go through development stages. Such stages are similar to layers; each one of them remains alive and functioning in an adult, adding some special quality to the whole of the human being. He summarizes the qualities of each stage as follows:
Infant age 2 – 0 = love, state of grace
Child age 3 – 6 = playfulness, joy
Boy/Girl age 7 – 12 = adventures, challenges
Youngster age 13 – 1’9 = romance, ecstasy

According to Lowen, the growth under advisement is the development and expansion of consciousness. Each layer represents a different conscious apprehension of oneself and of the world. He makes it clear that consciousness is not an isolated part or personality; it is one function of a whole organism, one aspect of the living body. It develops emotionally and psychologically in relation to physical body growth.
In relation to the Child stage, the period when human beings live in playfulness, it’s important to note what Lowen points out:
Playfulness starts, in fact, during infancy, but it does not become a conscious activity before childhood. Neither does it cease at this time. If growth is free and unimpeded, we maintain our ability to play throughout life, even though playfulness is not maturity’s predominant behavior mode, as it was in childhood.
Recognizing each of these stages is important for the formation of a healthy adult. Lowen helps us to understand what a healthy adult should be:
The healthy adult is the integration of different stages in a whole: an infant at heart; a child in imagination; a boy in his adventurous spirit; and a youngster in his romantic aspirations. However, if he lost contact with the first layers of his personality, he will be a sterile, compulsive, rigid person, whose responsibility will mean rather an imposed obligation than a natural wish.
Only those people who were fully realized and satisfied in each one of the initial stages will reach the adult stage with integrated personalities.