|
Welcome to the World
Birth: the first great
transition
Most major schools of psychological and spiritual
thought recognise the importance of transitions, times which initiate
new phases in life. Birth
(in this context including pre-natal history) is our primary experience;
research shows we are affected by patterns stemming from this. Family
lore, later events and even lapse of memory of the mother often obscure
the story of our birth. It is possible to bring it to conscious
awareness, to use as a stepping stone for growth and development.
We need a format which enables us to look at it.
Myth traditionally illuminates the inexplicable, and carries the
past into the present. Both
these facets are relevant to any exploration of the birth story, and a
personal myth is what each of us builds around our origins. This
contains truths, elements of truths, impressions, images, sensations,
feelings, beliefs, family anecdote.
Birth may also be said to be where spirit meets
psyche i.e. the incoming spirit animates the body and takes on a psyche
in order to live in the dense earthly atmosphere.
For believers in reincarnation, birth is transition from
non-corporeal spirit to physical being, one in a series of incarnations
and therefore bringing forward 'unfinished business' (or karma) to the
current life. Conditions of
birth are thought to have a connection with karma, circumstances chosen
to provide optimum learning appropriate to this incarnation. These
concepts demonstrate the importance of understanding patterns inherent
in birth experience.
How can we work with knowledge hidden in the
personal myth? An example
might be of interest here. Caroline presented, in her 70’s, with
lifelong symptoms of breathing difficulties under stress, and an
overwhelming desire never to be alone. Her birth story begins with a
doctor arriving late at night, 'worse for drink', to attend her mother
in a difficult home birth. Caroline was eventually delivered, whole and
healthy; mother was stitched up before it was discovered there was
another baby yet to come. A
second girl was still-born.
Working with the birth story revealed that Caroline
imagined, rightly or wrongly, that she was left on one side as the
doctor struggled to bring out the second baby, either picking up on her
mother's terrible distress, or being in real difficulty breathing for
herself. This pattern lay in
the unconscious until triggered by stressful situations.
Although Caroline did not know until she was aged ten that there
had been a twin sister, she constantly longed for companionship.
She is convinced that sharing the womb with her twin, who
vanished without trace or acknowledgement, led to her constant desire
for companionship. Another
theme emerged, a feeling of being compelled to 'find out (everything)',
which has accompanied her through life. Family denial of her story
produced a powerful unconscious drive.
Simply telling the story of her birth as a personal
myth led Caroline to new understanding, which is the beginning of
change. Working in her
chosen therapeutic way (counselling, psychotherapy etc) consolidated
change and enabled her to lessen the impact of those patterns on her
present life. Bringing in
heart consciousness, ie. compassion and wisdom, will promote further
healing.
Once we understand the importance of birth as the
union of spirit and psyche, we can begin to welcome incoming spirits to
our world in a fitting way. Think
of the tenderness needed for the evolving spirit who finds itself
encased in dense physical form, blasted by man-made light, noise and
atmosphere. Think of the
ways we could make that transition less traumatic, and in doing so,
enhance the whole life of each being.
The outcome of working in this way is better
integration of the needs of spirit, psyche and body, freeing the
individual by clearing a way forward to a future less cluttered by the
debris of the past. Moving
forward as a nation, as a world people, requires that we each take
responsibility for our own change and development, adding to the
collective pool of awareness. The
very act of understanding more about the spirit within each one of us
means we understand more of our connection with all spirit.
Once we understand that connection, how can we fail to live in
harmony with each other and with our planet?
References:
Personal Mythology
David Feinstein and
Stanley
Krippner [1988]
The Feeling Child
Dr. Arthur Janov [1973]
The New Primal Scream
" "
"
[1990]
Memories Dreams and
Reflections
Carl G. Jung [1961]
The Cry for Myth
Rollo May [1991]
The Secret Life of the
Unborn Child
[1981] Thomas Verny, MD.with
John Kelly
|