CHAPTER 8

Survival Fears Before Birth

Tom is a fifty-one year old robust Caucasian husband and father of two children who has been experiencing acute depression for the past few weeks. He has a blood pressure problem, which flares up periodically under stress. Tom smokes three packs of cigarettes per day and has difficulty refusing after dinner desserts. Also, he fears heights, being alone and being surrounded.

During the middle of December, 1981, Tom’s sister, Marsha underwent open-heart surgery, which was unsuccessful. She never regained consciousness following the surgery. Since her death, Tom has found himself crying and calling in sick at work. Three days before Tom made contact with Dr. Schwinge, he became depressed when he heard that an attempt was made on the life of a political leader in a South American country. The politician had been visiting a small village at the time. Tom’s nephews lived in that village and were actively aligned with the politician. The newsperson on TV reported that there were casualties. Tom assumed that his nephews were wounded or killed. He telephoned and received information that they were unharmed and in good health; however, this information did not ease his emotional problems. In fact, Tom refused to go to work and reported that he had a tingling urination frequency. Tom was referred, by his minister, to Dr. Schwinge. He told his pastor that he had a history of crying at happy occasions like weddings, and in restaurants and closed environments.

Family History

Tom’s parents are deceased. They passed along a Pennsylvania Dutch formula of hard work and perseverance to equal success. He is the father of five children. Two sisters are deceased. He has a younger brother and sister who live on the East Coast.

Following his graduation from high school, Tom enlisted in the U.S. Navy. His test scores provided him with an opportunity to attend Officer’s Training school. He received his commission and served with the Pacific fleet for four years. Shortly before his discharge, he met Amy, who would later become his wife.

Tom and Amy have been married for thirty-two years. They have two children, Robert and John. Robert is a skilled craftsman. John is a college freshman.

For the past twenty-five years, Tom has been employed by a large manufacturing firm. His promotions have been frequent. Currently he holds a senior executive level position. This position, in his words, is filled with high stress.

Evaluation Phase

Within the first three sessions in therapy, Tom found himself calling in sick at work more frequently and having crying spells. He found himself crying at weddings. When he looked around in the reception hall, he spotted a group of senior couples seated at various tables. He began to remember experiences that he had with his parents. He remembered wanting his mother’s attention while she was cooking and cleaning their home. Most especially, he remembered his attempt to persuade his mother, a schoolteacher, to stay home and skip school.

Tom entered this session in a low mood. He stated that he had been thinking about his sister these past few days. Clara and Ray had a stable marriage in his view. He enjoyed their company. Since Clara’s death, Tom is afraid to call Ray because he is sure that he will break down and cry. He concludes that his crying will upset everyone.

He continued to mourn his sister Clara’s death. Towards the latter half of the session, Tom brought up the topic of death. Shortly after the death of his mother, Tom felt his mother’s presence on two distinct occasions. The strongest impression he had was while playing the organ in the family living room. The sense of her presence was so great that Tom stopped playing the organ and turned around, half expecting to see her. On the other occasion, he did not feel she was physically present, but that she was present in some way.

Psychic Evaluation

As Tom entered the next phase of therapy, he had to roll up his sleeves and grapple with the thorny aspect of his psychic roots.

In the beginning of the fourth session, Tom was introduced to Dr. Tanous by Dr. Schwinge. After the greetings were ex-changed, Dr. Schwinge asked Dr. Tanous to make a psychic diagnosis of Tom’s condition. Dr. Tanous turned his energy to Tom’s genetic memory area. Before Dr. Tanous identified three early traumatic experiences in Tom’s life, he assured him that what he was about to tell him would be useful in his recovery from his depression and fears. Alex interpreted these experiences as centrally connected to Tom’s present condition. The first was Tom’s dilemma prior to birth. The umbilical cord had been wrapped around his neck and he had concern for his survival outside the womb.

The second genetic memory centered on Tom’s birth. Tom was born at home. The local physician was not able to make a visit to the home prior to Tom’s birth. Providentially, Tom’s father had been present at the birth and removed the umbilical cord from Tom’s neck. This information had been substantiated later by the client’s aunt.

The third genetic memory focused on Tom’s contact with a corpse. When Tom was two years old, his father took him to a funeral home. As he and his father approached the coffin, Tom suddenly found himself being lifted up in his father’s arms. Then his father suspended him over the corpse in the coffin. Tom was frightened and upset but did not cry.

During the last few moments of the interview, Tom indicated an interest in Dr. Tanous’ psychic interpretation of his early experiences. Tom asked him how could he possibly know all the deaths in his past life. Dr. Tanous gave a very brief discussion on how his abilities were tested at the ASPR and the results of these experiments.

The efforts of a psychiatrist and psychic are directed to bring these memories to the client’s awareness in order to give him/her the opportunity to enhance their autonomy and freedom from fear.

These memories are not necessarily limited to experiences outside the womb. Clients carry memories of the womb experience. They also carry memories of parents’, grandparents’, or ancestors’ fears and unresolved problems. Just as our parents and grandparents pass on their genetic strengths as unusual abilities and their weakness as the potential of genetic diseases, they also pass on an inheritance of their experiences in the genetic memory.

At the end of the evaluation period Tom agreed to pursue the following goals:

- Comply with medical regimen to lift his depression.
- Reduce cigarette intake by ½ pack a day.
- Reduce blood pressure by using self-hypnotic techniques.
- Return to normal weekly work schedule.
- Resolve incomplete mourning for family members.

Dr. Schwinge had prescribed medication to help relieve the depressive. There was a hiatus between therapy sessions during the Christmas holidays. Tom regressed somewhat. He felt his sister’s loss most acutely. Her birthday and wedding anniversary occurred during the holidays. Tom had started to experience headaches, dizziness, and his blood pressure climbed. In order to bring his blood pressure under control, his physician prescribed additional medication. Dr. Schwinge helped Tom to relax and recall his childhood. Tom was allowed to choose a happy age. He chose five years of age. In the trance state, he described a farmhouse with high ceilings and cold floors. His mother prepared delicious meals and baked pies and cakes quite frequently. His brothers and sisters would chase him around. He received a lot of cuddling from his mother.

Dr. Schwinge introduced the scene of a boy skipping a rock across a lake. She asked Tom if he thought it were a peaceful scene. He replied that it was. Suddenly tears began to form at corners of his eyelids. He expressed apprehension about his problems as a child and being a mature man and controlling himself.

Middle Phase

Tom reported that the prescribed medication was of some benefit; however, his work attendance remained spotty. Dr. Schwinge set up a series of suggestions designed to help Tom to disrupt his depressing thoughts. She gave Tom various homework assignments—such as counting his negative thoughts, identifying the consequences of his thought—and looking at some of the assumptions proved helpful to Tom. It gave him an opportunity to experience a modicum of control over his negative thoughts.

He made a valiant effort to reduce his cigarette consumption and succeeded in limiting his habit to fewer than ten cigarettes a day. Tom was very proud of this accomplishment.

The office work was more difficult for Tom in this phase of therapy. A six-week business slump had his co-workers on edge and in each other’s hair. His boss made increased demands upon Tom. His blood pressure spiked several times. Tom called in sick a number of times. Memories of his departed family members became more prominent in his private reflections.

Dr. Schwinge guided Tom into the area of grief. She encouraged Tom to express these painful feelings of loss, which had attached themselves to memories of his family. These painful memories, she said, would heal in time and when the healing is complete Tom would have the courage to reinvest emotionally in others.

In one particular session the psychiatrist used an empty chair as a prop in order to get Tom in touch with unspoken feelings about not being able to say goodbye to Clara. Tom was embarrassed to admit that he felt angry that his sister had left him. The doctor asked him to imagine Clara present in the empty chair. What would you say to her? The question had a calming effect. Tom was able to let out a stream of associations about his sister, the good times in childhood, the silly fights, missed opportunities to be closer, and the guilt about how things could have been better. This was the first time that Tom had opened up about the feelings he had for his sister. Dr. Schwinge outlined the various phases in the grief process. She stated that in order for the healing of grief to be complete, one needs to establish new relationships and affirm the goodness of life. Tom was instructed to continue to be loyal to his departed family members by using the good memories of them to share hope with others that it is possible to live and feel good about life and people again.

Dr. Schwinge began to make timed interpretations regarding the psychic insights into the pre-birth experience and early childhood experiences and Tom’s current conflicts. Dr. Tanous made the interpretation that Tom has over-emphasized the aspects of uncertainty regarding survival after birth. This has been a prevailing theme in his dealing with adverse situations. Dr. Schwinge stated that it is curious that Tom does not view his father’s removal of the umbilical cord as a providential call to life. Tom, a practicing Christian, gave intellectual assent to the existence of a hereafter, but actively maintained an ambivalence when the subject was introduced in social gatherings. He was encouraged to discuss his views on the hereafter, as well as his experiences of God in his life, with the local pastor.

At the beginning of each session Tom was instructed to give a weekly account of positive feelings associated with assertive statements and completed task. The psychiatrist focused on developing interventions, which would help him to follow through with workable tasks in order to achieve reachable goals. He was able to re-interpret his boss’ angry, caustic and guilt-inducing remarks as the boss’ way of attempting to handle what was going on inside himself. The boss had been dubbed, “the walking volcano”, by the co-workers. These interventions proved helpful. No longer did Tom hold himself responsible for his boss’ problems.

Final Evaluation

Tom had been able to work through much of his active grieving over family members. He showed hopeful signs by picking up a renewed interest in his wife and children. His smoking habit is being held to five cigarettes per day. At his place of employment, Tom is working a full schedule of hours and reports the stress level is tolerable. He has more confidence in living and can say “no” to his anxiety more effectively. The noxious effects of the genetic and childhood memories have been somewhat neutralized. Whenever Tom is asked to assume a supine position and close his eyes in the dentist chair, he has a heightened sense of being in an open casket; however, he has had very good success in not escalating his anxiety to the point of incapacity during the experience. The anti-depressant medication has been discontinued. Currently he is still being maintained on blood pressure medication.