Carl JUNG AND INCEST
“Incest is observed by the Jungian approach both on the concrete and the symbolic levels but not in the same way as psychoanalysis. The concrete level indicates the urge for sexual relations within the family between parents and offspring, siblings, or first degree relatives. Unlike psychoanalysis, Jung does not relate to Incest (on the symbolic level) as merely sexual fantasies. Jung adopts a more comprehensive look at Incest, which does not necessarily pertain to concrete sexual relations, but to symbiotic relations, lack of differentiation and emotional dependence within the family."
In sum, for Jungians there are two levels of incest
- Concrete level = the urge for sexual relations within the family
- Symbolic level = symbiotic relations, lack of differentiation and emotional dependence within the family
So far, and as an aside, the above has triggered in me the following thoughts and questions
- An urge may or may not be followed. However, it might be worth noting that “urge” (as in impulse, impetus, desire, drive) is a term that has been used to translate Freud’s Trieb (1) (also translated as Instinkt) – and that one of the aims of RT's system is to stimulate the instincts, including the sexual instinct. One of the ways facilitators do this is by inviting people to “dance first, think later” so to speak. A question that has been alive in me for a while is, with both Eros and Thanatos being part of the same system of human instincts, is it possible, from a systems theory perspective, to only stimulate the set of life-centred instincts without simultaneously awakening the set of death-centred instincts? I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
- Regarding the Jungian symbolic level of incest, it would be interesting to reflect on whether the repeated encouragement to stay together as a community is leading to symbiotic relations, lack of differentiation and emotional dependence within the “biodanza family”, with “family” here referring to the group, school, association or international movement. Psychologically, the term symbiosis is used to describe unhealthy relationship patterns of stable roles and power imbalances. Are we, as facilitators/directors, unwittingly stimulating symbiotic relations with our groups? Playing the role of responsible carer forever looking after our children? (2). If yes, are these symbiotic relationships always beneficial for both parties as claimed by Wilfred Bion (1970)? Or are there also cases of the parasitic bond? For example, with group members ending up using each other to meet their needs for connection, affection, and human touch instead of using the process to empower themselves to create mutually supportive friendships and love relationships outside the group. And with facilitators and directors benefiting financially from the continuity of this situation. I believe these are questions well worth reflecting upon.
Although there could be other reasons and financial interests behind the push for unity, the urge to keep the biodanza family/tribe/movement unified, which has become stronger or more noticeable since RT´s death, could also be considered an expression of the incest archetype. Nethaniel Peri writes,
“In his book "The Psychology of the Transference", Jung (1983) refers to incest as the archetype expressing the symbiotic urge as an urge towards endogamy, namely, an urge to keep the family and tribe unified. Jung compares this instinct to a sheep dog keeping the herd from scattering. Simultaneously, humans tend to be exogamous. It creates the need for a taboo that would prevent having sexual relations within the family, because the concrete realization of incest bears a regressive and destructive meaning on human evolution. In ancient or conservative civilizations the endogamic or exogamic urge awoke a need to reconcile the two, i.e., on one hand - not marry outside the tribe, on the other – not marry a first degree relation.”
In RT's movement the urge towards endogamy seems stronger than the exogamic urge. Dancers are urged to not dance outside their group, and both facilitators and directors made to choose between warring/competing tribal leaders - in such a way that the message seems to be, "You're either with us or against us." Either be loyal (agree/conform) or be alone.
Incest, Regression And The Mother Archetype
I found it interesting to learn that from a Jungian perspective, regression and the merging of the ego with the mother archetype is also a manifestation of the symbolic level of incest. This idea is also expressed by Robert F Meade (3), who wrote about “the "incest fantasy" as the universal desire to return to the mother womb, to the depths of the unconscious, to the psyche's regressive longing to be reborn through the mother. He warned, however, that, "While regression to the mother can be constructive, Jungian psychology suggests that productive adulthood can be achieved only through a willingness to give up the easy indolence of infantile regressions and to take up again the challenge of forging a destiny in which problems are confronted even if not always resolved. Longing for the mother womb paralyses their drive toward psychic autonomy and creates a corresponding anxiety every bit as debilitating as that which they initially sought to avoid.”
I imagine that RT would disregard such warnings, as he saw regression in a positive light and made it an essential part of his methodology. Suffice to notice that there are differing views. Reparenting exercises to heal the wounded inner child such as “regression to the state of infancy by caressing of the face” and several others are part of every facilitator's tool box. For example, the exercise of “floating in the amniotic fluid” followed by “giving and receiving containment” could certainly lead to a temporary merging of the ego with the mother archetype. Are these exercises really helping people to heal from the negative impact of the lack of loving bonds of attachment during infancy? How do we know for sure? Or could they be encouraging psychic dependency and escapism from the daily challenges of life? Again, these are questions worth reflecting upon. Here is a quote from Carl Jung related to this topic.
Jung, in his own words
In The Psychology of the Unconscious (1943), Jung writes that the erotic instinct “blooms only when the spirit and instinct are in true harmony. If one or the other aspect is missing, then an injury occurs, or at least there is a one-sided lack of balance which easily slips into the pathological. Too much of the animal disfigures the civilized human being, too much culture makes a sick animal.”
Take away message
- For Jung there are two levels of incest: concrete and symbolic
- actual incest is a terrific blow to the psychic structure, a real trauma
- balance is key
All this leaves me wondering what conscious steps are we taking, as a community of facilitators, to ensure that the proposals put forward in the sessions focusing on developing the line of sexuality do in fact result in a felt-experience of sexual-affective integration. As always, your comments and views are most welcome.
Go to part 4
- 1. Although Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, wrote in German, he used the German word Instinkt infrequently, relying instead upon the term Trieb. While Instinkt generally refers to an automatic, unlearned, stereotyped response to a specific stimulus and hence is close to the English reflex, Trieb connotes urge, impulse, impetus, and desire—what in motivational psychology is called drive. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, this is the oldest description recorded for instinct, making it cognate with instigate. (From https://www.britannica.com/topic/instinct/Freuds-Trieb )
- 2. https://www.relationships-explained.com/Symbiosis.html
- 3. https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9425195/