Recapitulation Styles
The term recapitulation, in the context of pre and perinatal psychology, refers to ways of coping with stressful situations that stimulate unresolved prenatal and birth trauma. Recapitulation styles are the unconscious behavioural patterns that come from our attempts to manage this stress (ie. the inappropriate behaviours associated with our Super Conductive Survival Systems). Our recapitulation styles will be shaped by many factors, including how we dealt with the original stress or trauma. For example, if our experience of birth was that we nearly died but managed to survive by keeping going, we may recapitulate that, later in life, by feeling that we have to keep going, when we feel pressured. That might serve us well in many ways, but it may mean that we don’t allow ourselves time to rest and build our resources. We do not even know that this is possible. It is as if we have a blind spot: a gap in our neurology. Underlying this behaviour there is an unconscious motivator which is the fear that ‘if I stop, I will die’.
Recapitulation styles are not pathological in the sense of being psychological disorders. To some degree, we all exhibit recapitulation behaviours. But at times, for some people, these may express themselves in disturbing ways. If the unresolved shock or trauma around which the behaviour is organised was experienced as life-threatening, our recapitulation behaviours are likely to be more extreme. The degree and duration of stress associated with the present situation will also determine whether or not a recapitulation style may tip into inappropriate behaviour. Later childhood events which constantly reinforce a prenatal or birth trauma, will tend to reinforce the recapitulation style, as well. Essentially, recapitulation styles are reactivated survival strategies. When we are in survival mode, we do not tend to see other possibilities. Our psychology and energy are geared towards survival, rather than choice and creative decision making. As such, we tend to be reactive, rather than adaptive.
There are a number of recapitulation styles that various pre and perinatal researchers have identified (Emerson, 1996, pp. 34-38). Each of these has its own variations and we may swing between different styles, in different situations. We may have developed a specific style of dealing with one early trauma and a different style in relation to another trauma. A recapitulation style is marked by a particular intensity or repetition of behaviour. It is not the activity itself that we identity as a recapitulation style, but the survival-based energy that drives it. Some of the main recapitulation styles that have been identified are:
Direct recapitulation
A direct recreation of a prenatal or birth shock scenario or trauma. For example, someone who experienced a lot of toxicity in the womb may be inclined to put themselves in toxic environments, again and again. One way we can understand this is that there is an unconscious attempt to resolve the original trauma by engaging with it, again and again. Unfortunately, if this is not conscious, we tend to get stuck in repetitive cycles of behaviour that never resolve. The example, given above, of the person who keeps going because that is how s/he survived during birth, is direct recapitulation.
Avoidant recapitulation
Avoids as much as possible any situation that is resonant with an earlier shock or trauma. In the case of the toxic womb scenario, later in life, the person becomes extremely fussy and rigid, even phobic, about any perceived toxicity. It may be that they need to avoid certain situations that most people can cope with or become compulsively concerned about what is in their food or drink. This can lead to very limited life-styles, with reduced possibilities for travel, social contact or other experiences. Another example of avoidant recapitulation is the one given above of the forceps baby who, later, refuses any sort of help.
Confrontative recapitulation
The seeking out of stimuli that are similar to people and situations encountered in the womb or at birth in order to confront from a place of strength, rather than submit from a place of helplessness as at the time of the original encounter. For example, someone who experienced a harsh mother or midwite may be on the look out for such behaviours and confront them as an adult. Many social and political activists are motivated by an unconscious desire to win a victory they could not win, earlier in life. Whilst this may have many positive benefits for the wider society, because it is driven by unresolved unconscious trauma, it, often, leads to opinions and the demonising of others. It may, also, be expressed in extreme ways that, then, discredit the cause that is being fought for. For example, an active campaigner for natural birth becomes agitated and enraged when talking about obstetricians, describing them as thugs and criminals. This extreme reaction may underline rational discussion and put off possible allies.
Perpetrator-identified recapitulation
Identification with the person or situation which was traumatising. Rather than opposing the harsh behaviour, as confrontative recapitulators do, the perpetrator-identified recapitulator acts it out. So, the person treats others as they were treated. Underlying this, is the shame of being a victim, which becomes projected onto the other. A sense of empowerment comes from identifying with the perpetrator, rather than the self as victim. Domestic abuse and rape are amongst the more extreme examples of this style. Sadistic childhood behaviours can also be an expression of the perpetrator-identified recapitulator.
Generative recapitulation
Like the confrontative recapitulator, many generative recapitulators become social campaigners or take on teaching roles. But, rather than confront the perpetrator, s/he finds ways of enabling others to avoid the traumatic situation s/he encountered. An example of this might be someone who had an alcoholic parent and helps to create projects to support the children of alcoholic parents. There may be many positive outcomes to this recapitulation style. Possible negative aspects may be that self-care becomes eclipsed by the drive to look after or save others.
Creative recapitulation
It is similar to direct recapitulation but has a more creative outcome to it in that new skills are learnt to help master the situation. For example, someone who experienced a great deal of stress in the womb becomes a mountain climber or sky-diver. The earlier traumatic experience is recreated as a creative endeavour that brings pleasure and satistaction. The downside of this style is that it may have an addictive quality and an unresolved lack of self-esteem that emerges at times when the creative activity cannot be engaged with. One client I worked with continually alienated friends and colleagues with his stories of heroic deeds in the mountains and became depressed and angry when others did not share his interest with enough enthusiasm.
Pre-emptive recapitulation
By which, the person pre-empts something being done to them by doing it, first. An example of this might be someone who was a ‘wrong-gender’ baby. Perhaps their parents wanted a girl and were disappointed, when it turned out they were going to have a boy. Anticipating the disappointment, the pre-emptive recapitulator gets there, first, making derogatory remarks about men, even though he is a man himself. This serves to deflect criticism from the outside and is empowering to the degree that there is some sense of being in control of the situation, but is ultimately unsatisfying and self-defeating.
We are not our recapitulation styles. These styles are just behavioural traits that have developed out of stressful prenatal and birth scenarios. As we bring these underlying dynamics into consciousness, and learn to tolerate the primal anxieties that are at the root of these behaviours, we lessen the power they have over us. Take the example of the person who works all the time because of the unconscious belief ‘if I stop, I will die’. As s/he becomes conscious that there is this survival strategy driving the need to keep going, s/he can begin to make steps towards bringing in other possibilities. This may begin with taking a few days off from work, with the awareness that the anxiety that begins to arise is rooted in an historical experience, not a present moment danger.
The next step may be to take a longer period off, with the same intention of tolerating the anxiety that arises. As someone who had this recapitulation style, I know that historical fear has many ways of rationalising Itself and seeing possible, present moment catastrophes, where there aren’t any. It took a lot of care and patience by the therapist who was supporting me through this process, over a couple of years, before I could really begin to trust that it was okay for me to take the time that I needed to relax and recover from work.
Supporting babies, children or adults to access the origins of behavior patterns in the birth process can be enhanced by an awareness of the physical dynamics of birth. This enables a more accurate empathic response from the therapist, along with a clarity as to how we are impacted at different stages of the birth. When clients have a felt-sense experience of the somatic imprints of a particular birth stage and can feel how these interact with the themes associated with that stage, there is often a eureka moment in which a behavior or powerful emotion that was previously inexplicable, suddenly makes sense.