Archaic behavior and the communicative act; the meaning of stretching,yawning, rocking and other fetal behavior in therapy

Résumé A survey has been presented of some fetal responses to stimuli and of how one may find them revived in more differentiated, mature behavior. The fetal response may be looked upon as one of the initial adaptive acts which are automatically transmitted to the unconscious. A person's archaic response provokes intensified communication through mutual identification with the pre-birth situation. As Bolk has explained, man in his biological retardation and fetalization remains dependent on his parents. That is the reason why he sticks to his unconscious identification with his intrauterine existence. It is this common hidden fantasy that makes the communicative element so intensive. Mutual regression leads to the unconscious fantasy of unification and participation. The significance of these phenomena for an elaboration of clinical observation is emphasized.