Erich Neumann, uganski psychotherapist and philosopher, described stage of development of consciousness ( in the work “Origin and development of consciousness”), in which the consciousness is separated from his cradle - ‘container of the unconscious” and becomes an independent unit of psyche.
This process of the emergence of consciousness occurred at the dawn of mankind occurs at the beginning of life of every individual, when the child emerges from the confluence with the mother, passing through the gradual separation, first physical, then psychological.
Early infant period when the merger with the mother is still strong, Freud designated as oral stage. In this period the mother's breast (or its substitute) for a child is like a extension of his own body, he gets pleasure from it, a sense of comfort and security.
At Neumann a symbol of such a state of consciousness in the merger and have not yet separated from their nutrient medium is Ouroboros (the snake swallowing its own tail):
the Ouroboros symbolizes as upgrading the strength of soul, and bad infinity.
All the phases are traversed by man, are stored in the psyche, and in a situation of extreme stress or General life crisis, one can regress to the beginning stages of development.
Uroborosa stage is characterized by a sense of the blurring boundaries of her body and accentuated oral needs. In behavior it can be expressed in an increased dependence on relationships, alcohol, games, food overeating, excessive tearfulness, depression and lowered vitality.
Mature consciousness regression usually ends with renewed strength, inspiration and creative striving for new heights and achievements. To the immature ego attraction to the back, into the unconscious, into a lulling state of oral Union with the object, happens to be very hard and may acquire a kind of death wish, the desire for dissolution in the ocean of primordial.
exit it need help from the outside, the one whose consciousness at the moment (aid) is at a more adult stage of mental development.
At the beginning of psychotherapy, regression is inevitable, but also inevitable and the period of separation, when the fledgling ego of the client seeking to break away from the child-parent relationship and to show their independence and individuality.
