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Breathing: the legacy of Wilhelm Reich

1999; Elsevier BV; Volume: 3; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s1360-8592(99)80029-1

1532-9283

Christopher Gilbert,

Psychoanalysis and Social Critique

Abstract Wilhelm Reich, originally a protégé of Freud, developed his own style of therapy which focused as much on somatic as on verbal analysis. He developed the concept of 'character armour,' habitual patterns of muscle tension and constricted breathing which kept strong feelings from conscious attention by blocking both awareness and expression. His contributions to understanding the emotional inputs to bodily dysfunction, particularly the breathing and muscular systems, are valuable and have been incorporated into many different modern therapies. The methods of bioenergetics are summarized with regard to the use of breathing in therapy, including procedures for reducing emotional blocks by facilitating fuller breathing.