Abstract

This chapter elucidates the physiology of birth and the pathology of human mind in accordance with Massimo Fagioli's theory of human birth (1972). Human life and psychic activity begin at birth, with the reaction of the biological matter to light, an inanimate reality which is absent in the fetal condition. Thus a capability to imagine arises and will develop throughout life. The 'first human thinking' begins as an image and non-conscious mental activity. This dynamic is common to all human beings, without sexual or ethnic differences. Mental illness is a disease affecting the irrational, non-conscious dimension, determined by a deficiency of affection in early human relationships. Mental illness is not a condition men are destined to, but rather a pathology that can be treated and cured through psychodynamic psychotherapy, within a valid therapeutic human relationship. This theory and its psychotherapeutic approach could provide new perspectives and possibilities for healthcare services and prevention policies, to assure mental well-being.

Keywords: human birth theory, annulment pulsion, vitality, capability to react, capability to imagine, disappearance fantasy, mental health, mental illness, well-being, psychotherapy

## 1. Introduction

The aim of this chapter is to discuss the physiology and the pathology of the mind according to Massimo Fagioli's Human Birth Theory [1]. The aim of this theory is to explain the origin of human thought and the formation of mind physiology and pathology. Fagioli was an Italian neuropsychiatrist and psychotherapist most well known for his theory and psychotherapeutic practice, the Analisi Collettiva. This was a large psychotherapy group which began in 1975 and was carried uninterruptedly by Massimo Fagioli until December 2016. The 'Collective Analysis' represented a unique phenomenon in the worldwide psychotherapeutic practice, characterized by free sessions attended by a spontaneous inflow of people —more than 200 participants at each sitting—in which Fagioli continuously interpreted dreams within the specific framework of cure, training and research [2, 3]. In contrast to widespread psychoanalytic/psychiatric concepts and to classical anthropological/philosophical cultures that assert an original fragmentation and chaos of human mind, this theory affirms the native psychological health and the psyche-soma fusion at birth. More precisely, he describes and demonstrates the birth's physiology of mind and thought, starting from the human biological reality. The revolutionary importance of his theory lies in the discovery and formulation

that human life and psychic activity begin at birth, with the reaction of the biological matter to light, an inanimate reality which is absent in the fetal condition. This concept is continually stressed throughout the whole author's work until his latest writings [4–6]. Consequently, according to this theory, the process leading to the primary formation of human thinking is independent of any influence exerted by other human beings, from neither the mother nor any transcendental entity. Birth has, on the contrary, only a specie-specific biological origin. Therefore, it is fundamental to clarify the dynamics that underlie the physiology of the mind in order to fully comprehend the onset of mental illness, which is not innate but acquired. In all human beings, body and mind are merged together at birth. In particular, the mind has both conscious and unconscious dimensions respectively controlled by conscious and non-conscious mechanisms. This concept is neither particularly widespread nor accepted in the field of psychiatry which still nowadays maintains a predominantly organicist approach, mainly focusing on consciousness, external behavior and cognitive abilities. However, it is important to consider nonconscious reality in order to accurately understand the functioning of human action and thought. As proposed and demonstrated by Massimo Fagioli in his large theoretical proposition and clinical praxis, it is pivotal to adopt a biological rather than a religious perspective when discussing mind physiology. Human birth physiology is equal for all human beings regardless gender, ethnicity and nationalities. Nonconscious dimension is the first reality to develop in human beings, arising at birth in the same dynamic that marks the beginning of human life. Soon after birth, the newborn will naturally look for another human being in order to find confirmations and to develop a personal and unaware knowledge arisen at birth: the existence of a valid relationship able to fulfill its needs not only for nourishment but also for love and affection [1]. This natural tendency to look and move toward a valid human relationship continues throughout all life playing a fundamental role, particularly during childhood up until adolescence. However, if a deficiency of affection is particularly present in the relationship with the mother or another significant adult during the first year of life, the hopeful certainty of a valid human relationship can be seriously compromised. According to this theory, a lack of affection during the first year of life must be considered as a postnatal pathogenic factor that can determine a similar lack of affection in the adolescent and later the onset of mental illness. In this case, if the adolescent suffers the consequences of a pathological relation, a connected pathogenic defensive mechanism (annulment pulsion, negation, and bramosy) will be addressed toward non valid human beings, causing dysfunctional or altered behaviors [1, 7, 8]. Moreover, we should consider that during this period the relationship with the opposite gender will play a relevant role in the adolescent's mental development. The Theory of Birth claims that mental illness is caused by specific and early pathogenic interhuman dynamics. They are an acquired condition and cannot be considered as an inherent constitutive feature. Nevertheless, they can be treated through psychotherapy within a valid therapeutic human relationship. In the following chapter, I will describe the physiological mechanism at the core of the body-mind formation at birth and also the most important pathological mechanisms that arise first in the non-conscious mind and only later manifest their effects with altered conscious thought, behavior and language.

relationships. For what concerns the clinical methods and the therapeutic use of this theory in the psychotherapeutic intervention, I have made used not only of the author's theoretical writings but also of my direct experience of cure and formation which lasted 37 years in the Analisi Collettiva psychotherapy group. This large psychotherapy began as a spontaneous movement at the University of Rome in January 1975 and was carried uninterruptedly by Massimo Fagioli until December 2016. The 'Collective Analysis' was held at the University of Rome for the first 5 years and was then moved into a spacious private studio. This represents a unique phenomenon in the worldwide psychotherapeutic practice, characterized by free sessions attended by a spontaneous inflow of people—more than 200 participants at each sitting. At the beginning the session lasted 2 hours and the duration was then increased up to 4. At the core of any psychotherapy and in particular of this, lies the idea that every human being has been and is continuously affected by human relationships. Therefore mental reality can be changed and transformed in a human and therapeutic relationship. In this setting, the interpretation of oniric images was connected with the unconscious relationship with the therapist (transfert), the group and the broader social and cultural reality. This was a crucial aspect of the Theory. Oniric images are a non conscious form of thinking which can be understood, interpreted and verbalized, thanks to the therapist's personal sensibility and non-conscious reality. These qualities allow the therapist to understand what the patient is communicating through his/her dream by also perceiving the patient's non-verbal language and attitude. In this sense, the interpretation of dreams is founded on the psychotherapist's demand that violent unconscious dimensions (expressed by the patient through rage, envy and lack of affection) must be refused by the patient itself by making them disappear. The interpretation of one individual's dreams in front of other people allows many to recognize oneself in the dynamics interpreted. Therefore each individual by comprehending the interpretation of another patient can turn this into personal knowledge. The individual perceives that mental illness is not only a personal, neither incomprehensible nor incurable situation. This method has been applied in much smaller groups and in individual psychotherapies by many psychiatrists and psychotherapists that in addition to an academic formation in psychiatry and psychology have followed this

Physiology of Human Birth and Mental Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82216

story firstly as patients, together with other people.

In the uterus, amniotic fluid in the homeostatic condition surrounds the fetus. This chemical and physical state guarantees the protection of the fetus from any external variation. In the darkness of this "before birth" condition there is no light stimulation. Although around the 22nd post conceptional week (PCW) visual connections are already partially formed, the sight function has not developed yet [9, 10]. Clinical experience and publications have shown that from the 23rd to 24th PCW, the fetus is capable of surviving without any developmental harm if adequately assisted with medical intensive treatment. This is what is defined as viability, a condition that implies not only being born alive but it is closely related to the concepts of capability of meaningful life and of reasonable period of survival [11]. Viability appears to be strictly related to the subplate zone which plays a major role in the structural development of connectivity and cerebral cortex neuromaturation [11]. The subplate is a transient compartment of the fetal telencephalic wall, placed under the cortical plate. This hosts the majority of fetal neurons and reaches a developmental peak around the 23rd–24th PWC. The subplate zone functions as a waiting compartment for growing cortical afferents, in particular thalamic-cortical connections, which play an important function in the somatic-sensory function.

3. Intrauterine condition

11

### 2. Methods and analysis

The writing of this chapter is fundamentally and largely based on the wide scientific production of Professor Massimo Fagioli. In particular its content draws from the Theory of Birth with a specific attention to the formation of human thought, mind physiology and the onset and development of mental illness in early

### Physiology of Human Birth and Mental Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82216

that human life and psychic activity begin at birth, with the reaction of the

Psychology of Health - Biopsychosocial Approach

2. Methods and analysis

10

The writing of this chapter is fundamentally and largely based on the wide scientific production of Professor Massimo Fagioli. In particular its content draws from the Theory of Birth with a specific attention to the formation of human thought, mind physiology and the onset and development of mental illness in early

biological matter to light, an inanimate reality which is absent in the fetal condition. This concept is continually stressed throughout the whole author's work until his latest writings [4–6]. Consequently, according to this theory, the process leading to the primary formation of human thinking is independent of any influence exerted by other human beings, from neither the mother nor any transcendental entity. Birth has, on the contrary, only a specie-specific biological origin. Therefore, it is fundamental to clarify the dynamics that underlie the physiology of the mind in order to fully comprehend the onset of mental illness, which is not innate but acquired. In all human beings, body and mind are merged together at birth. In particular, the mind has both conscious and unconscious dimensions respectively controlled by conscious and non-conscious mechanisms. This concept is neither particularly widespread nor accepted in the field of psychiatry which still nowadays maintains a predominantly organicist approach, mainly focusing on consciousness, external behavior and cognitive abilities. However, it is important to consider nonconscious reality in order to accurately understand the functioning of human action and thought. As proposed and demonstrated by Massimo Fagioli in his large theoretical proposition and clinical praxis, it is pivotal to adopt a biological rather than a religious perspective when discussing mind physiology. Human birth physiology is equal for all human beings regardless gender, ethnicity and nationalities. Nonconscious dimension is the first reality to develop in human beings, arising at birth in the same dynamic that marks the beginning of human life. Soon after birth, the newborn will naturally look for another human being in order to find confirmations and to develop a personal and unaware knowledge arisen at birth: the existence of a valid relationship able to fulfill its needs not only for nourishment but also for love and affection [1]. This natural tendency to look and move toward a valid human relationship continues throughout all life playing a fundamental role, particularly during childhood up until adolescence. However, if a deficiency of affection is particularly present in the relationship with the mother or another significant adult during the first year of life, the hopeful certainty of a valid human relationship can be seriously compromised. According to this theory, a lack of affection during the first year of life must be considered as a postnatal pathogenic factor that can determine a similar lack of affection in the adolescent and later the onset of mental illness. In this case, if the adolescent suffers the consequences of a pathological relation, a connected pathogenic defensive mechanism (annulment pulsion, negation, and bramosy) will be addressed toward non valid human beings, causing dysfunctional or altered behaviors [1, 7, 8]. Moreover, we should consider that during this period the relationship with the opposite gender will play a relevant role in the adolescent's mental development. The Theory of Birth claims that mental illness is caused by specific and early pathogenic interhuman dynamics. They are an acquired condition and cannot be considered as an inherent constitutive feature. Nevertheless, they can be treated through psychotherapy within a valid therapeutic human relationship. In the following chapter, I will describe the physiological mechanism at the core of the body-mind formation at birth and also the most important pathological mechanisms that arise first in the non-conscious mind and only later manifest their effects with altered conscious thought, behavior and language.

relationships. For what concerns the clinical methods and the therapeutic use of this theory in the psychotherapeutic intervention, I have made used not only of the author's theoretical writings but also of my direct experience of cure and formation which lasted 37 years in the Analisi Collettiva psychotherapy group. This large psychotherapy began as a spontaneous movement at the University of Rome in January 1975 and was carried uninterruptedly by Massimo Fagioli until December 2016. The 'Collective Analysis' was held at the University of Rome for the first 5 years and was then moved into a spacious private studio. This represents a unique phenomenon in the worldwide psychotherapeutic practice, characterized by free sessions attended by a spontaneous inflow of people—more than 200 participants at each sitting. At the beginning the session lasted 2 hours and the duration was then increased up to 4. At the core of any psychotherapy and in particular of this, lies the idea that every human being has been and is continuously affected by human relationships. Therefore mental reality can be changed and transformed in a human and therapeutic relationship. In this setting, the interpretation of oniric images was connected with the unconscious relationship with the therapist (transfert), the group and the broader social and cultural reality. This was a crucial aspect of the Theory. Oniric images are a non conscious form of thinking which can be understood, interpreted and verbalized, thanks to the therapist's personal sensibility and non-conscious reality. These qualities allow the therapist to understand what the patient is communicating through his/her dream by also perceiving the patient's non-verbal language and attitude. In this sense, the interpretation of dreams is founded on the psychotherapist's demand that violent unconscious dimensions (expressed by the patient through rage, envy and lack of affection) must be refused by the patient itself by making them disappear. The interpretation of one individual's dreams in front of other people allows many to recognize oneself in the dynamics interpreted. Therefore each individual by comprehending the interpretation of another patient can turn this into personal knowledge. The individual perceives that mental illness is not only a personal, neither incomprehensible nor incurable situation. This method has been applied in much smaller groups and in individual psychotherapies by many psychiatrists and psychotherapists that in addition to an academic formation in psychiatry and psychology have followed this story firstly as patients, together with other people.
