Bioenergetic Analysis Explained

Psychological Defenses:

1. Dissociation: Dissociation from painful emotions and thoughts, often subconsciously associated with the components of the self, such as the body, self-image, specific activities, being exposed to others—and even life itself, connecting participation in existence with self-annihilation.
2. Intellectualisation: Intellectualisation is a defense strategy in which logic is employed to avoid confrontation with an underlying conflict and the emotional discomfort that comes with it – where thinking is used to escape feeling. It entails emotionally withdrawing oneself from a stressful situation.
3. Withdrawal: Withdrawal into a thriving inner ‘fantasy’ world (while understanding the difference between reality and fantasy). Fantasy helps with emotional demands.
4. Distancing: Distancing from others, even when there is a desire to connect (which some schizoids have). Closeness and social interaction are controlled so that the person does not feel overwhelmed, as well as due to a lack of trust abilities, such as resolving differences, being spontaneously authentic ‘on the spot,’ and managing intimacy versus distance – different types of relationships and social styles.

Developmental wound timeline: Conception- 6 months after birthSeparation: Survival vs NeedsPrimary Fear: Falling apartPrimary Holding Pattern: Holding togetherPrimary longing: They tend to long for acceptance and survival. Primary Struggle: It is for the right to exist on a physical level.Contraction Illusion: “My existence is defined by my thinking, my thoughts, and my uniqueness.Illusion of release: I will be annihilated.

Oral Character Type

The Oral type, also known as The Needy Child, frequently suffers disruptions in care, a loss of security, or a failure to meet basic needs. This personality type appears to be empty or in need of “filling up,” and some may take on excessive caregiving responsibilities or developing addictions.

Notable Characteristics: Being dependent or attaching to others is one of the most prominent qualities of someone with an oral personality type. Their demeanor is often meek and non-aggressive. They have a great desire to be held as well as nurtured and cared for. People with this personality type are typically affectionate and “snuggable.” They frequently become interested in others. They yearn to be hugged and touched by the people they love. They rarely get upset, but when they do, it can be a violent outburst. When they feel abandoned, they tend to rage. Abandonment can be regarded as something as simple as someone failing to return a text or phone call in a timely manner. Somebody might be running late in person, and the oral person may burst in anger. They frequently blame others for their misguided emotions. They automatically switch to rage rather than experiencing a more suitable emotion such as fear or grief. When their abandonment issues are pushed, an oral character may build up years or decades of fury under a pleasant exterior shell and then explode and spill it all at once. In this situation, an inappropriate and excessive level of fury frequently explodes. This character tends to be guarded and restrained in his demands. They may be unable to maintain relationships, projects, jobs, or interests after a brief time of rigorous participation. It is possible to notice and report a lack of motivation, energy, and chronic fatigue in them. They could have eating disorders or chronic money troubles (under-earning/compulsive spending). They are also predisposed to depression and/or chronic mood fluctuations, as well as manic-depressive disorder. They may struggle with delayed gratification, impatience, and persistent irritability. Frequent physical injuries with long healing periods might well be recorded among them. Long into adulthood, they rely heavily on institutions, parents, or others for basic survival needs.

Major Fears: Fear of abandonment, rejection, and being alone are some of the prominent fears of people with this character type. They are also worried about facing confrontational situations. As the unconscious fight is about being independent or expressing needs, they tend to have a hard time being direct and asking for what they want.

Strengths: They have a remarkable ability to foster and heal others. An appreciation for the great abundance of existence, as well as the delight of sharing. They may progressively gain true independence, autonomy, and self-confidence, as well as the ability to surrender with oneness to another. Strong intuition abilities and the ability to see ideas through completion, through sustained, patient effort. The person is modest and easy to get along with, is trustworthy and affectionate and looks after others because he longs for someone to look after him. He is frequently disturbed that he is not cared for as well as he cares for others. His shy personality never allows him to ask for everything he requires, therefore he suffers in silence. Orals are excellent rescuers and helpers. They are the ones who rescue dogs and place children for adoption. They make excellent nurses, massage therapists, healers, animal and baby lovers, and so on.

Origin: The “communicator”, “oral”, or “the needy child” character is so named because they exhibit many characteristics typical of the oral period of life, i.e. infancy, particularly the period from 6 to 18 months. Attempting to meet oral demands indirectly does not define an oral character. Character for this structure and others is defined by the energy structure and the attitudes that protect it. The transition from dependency to independence is a critical developmental stage in childhood. This happens to everyone of us in phases and at varying levels. From birth until the age of roughly three years, the kid gradually progresses from a state of complete dependency to one of more or less fundamental autonomy and separation from the parents on a physical and emotional level.

The “Needy” character experiences a developmental halt or pause in their fulfillment of early needs, reliance, and dependency gratification. These needs could have been physical in terms of adequate breastfeeding and thus nutrition, in terms of touch, clothes, and stimulation in their environment, or emotional in terms of the mother’s touch, presence, love, adoring gaze, and verbal coo-ing to the infant. Childhood dynamics that lead to a needy personality are often those that occur from a lack of mother-attunement with the kid. At this period, the father provides a secondary but still significant role of support and nurturing to both the child and the mother, but the mother is the major defining bond that shapes the child.Typically, there was deprivation or inconsistency on the part of the parents in meeting the child’s nurturance needs. The Needy personality appears to be undercharged, deflated, “not filled up,” or starved of energy, and their body reflects this undercharge, thinness, weakness, or reliance. They continue to hunt for someone or something to “fill them up.” As in the initial phase of life, the child experienced a traumatic incident of being abandoned, they unconsciously continue to long for this attachment throughout their life.

The “Communicator” acts from an underlying need to be held, supported, and cared for, but these feelings are frequently deliberately denied, and a reaction formation emphasizing independence and responsibility is strongly in place. This can result in an inflated display of independence that does not hold up under pressure. Internally, there is a lack of independence and a suppressed need to cling to people. The underlying experience is one of being on the point of deprivation and abandonment, and independence is feared because it will result in total abandonment. As the child was exposed to abandonment, he developed an unconscious defense of trying to be independent in order to be accepted by people. Very often, people with this personality trait might initiate becoming independent at a very early age with the thought process of being accepted, as a result of which they might start to achieve their developmental stages way before others of their age. You might find these people started walking, or talking before their developmental age; they try to grow and mature before their age. As a result, the child throughout adult life manifests a lot of energy to become co-dependent, and gives up on expectations from others. According to the child, if they ask for their needs, they will be abandoned by the people. Due to this traumatic experience of abandonment, the child unconsciously develops a few negative core beliefs, which might be unconscious; these include statements like: “I must not need”, “If I need I will be abandoned”, “I am alone”, “No one will ever be there for me”, “If I connect with another, I will lose myself”, “If I am independent, I must be alone”, “I cannot stand on my two feet”, “I must give to others in order to receive”, “The needs of others will suffocate me”, “The world is a depriving place”.

Relationships: The primary motivation in relationships is to seek love and support. The strong fear of abandonment and loss of love, paired with the equally intense fear of losing oneself in love, results in an ambiguous attitude about succumbing to feelings. Separation anxiety may be very severe, and oral characters might cling on to unsatisfying situations very firmly, often with much whining. People with this personality type frequently project their own needs and desires onto the receiver, ignoring the requests expressed by the receiver. Others frequently perceive what the oral character considers to be the gift of love as a demand for affection. For example, the individual will promise a lot and believe they are delivering it (intention), but recipients will see that the individual does not follow through for one convincing reason or another (results). The communicator then makes many requests that they believe they are entitled to as retaliation. Another method of gaining support is to show oneself as weak and deprived. If rescue is not explicitly sought, the need for it is acted out. Because ineffectiveness is the key to avoiding abandonment, the collapsing communicator can never make it without assistance. Potential rescuers get resentful. Another method of gaining support is through direct, self-righteous demand. The communicator may list numerous injustices and demand that someone take action. These actions’ alienating effects on others appear to repeat the feeling of early abandonment, prompting the person to “give up” on relationships at times. There is a true potential to communicate love, yet relationships are frequently romanticized by the imagination to an impossible height, or are quickly abandoned. Relationships with persons who are exceedingly needy are regularly sought after (“I’ll take care of you as the needy me that I am not.”). Love is associated with both a long-awaited reward and the possibility for suffocation or devouring. Surrendering to love emotions for someone awakens deep concerns of abandonment, falling behind, losing oneself, and being alone. Despite intentional efforts, it is extremely difficult to develop a solid relationship because the communicator is either rejecting wants or portraying needs that are so big that they are unmeetable. In either instance, smooth, reciprocal, ‘good enough’ caregiving cannot be developed. There is a strong need for intimacy. In order to experience intimacy, they are willing to give up everything else (control, power, etc.). Having personal relationships is critical to their survival. They must be linked to someone. They are frequently quite romantic. They readily become engrossed in a relationship since they will do practically anything to avoid being abandoned. To stay connected to someone, individuals frequently alter their demeanor and give up their essential ideals. They will frequently remain in unhealthy and abusive relationships rather than feeling alone and abandoned. They believe that living with the devil is preferable to living alone. If someone said “I love you,” it would indicate “Please don’t leave me.”

Sexuality: Sexual encounters can be utilized to escape abandonment and loneliness while also providing a sense of connection. Slow and sensitive movements are preferable over powerful and passionate ones. Oral satisfaction can be obtained through sexual activities (downward displacement). Women may have frequent and easy orgasms that are not exceptionally charged or strong, whereas men may not have full erections or ejaculate readily and prematurely without much charge. Being hugged or cuddled (oral need) is frequently preferred over sexual intimacy (genital need). There is often a desire to prolong sexual activities since oral enjoyment is met linearly over time, as opposed to more genital actions, which require a more explosive charge-discharge pattern.

Career: After a period of extreme devotion to their career, an oral character finds it challenging to remain dedicated to it and hence might frequently switch organizations or jobs. They have a difficult time settling down, therefore they rarely finish what they start. They also encounter regular financial difficulties because they either spend too much or earn too little. They desire to work in fields that allow them to help others. As a result, they frequently select careers in health care, social service, non-profits, academia, and education, where competition is minimal and employee rights are firmly established. Work may be a stressful environment. People with oral personality type are extremely sensitive to unjust treatment and may feel mistreated in any leadership structure. Also, at work, the coping method of complaining may be unavailable or may result in additional problems. The suppressed inner sense of lack gives rise to an unconscious idea that the world owes them a living. This does not result in laziness because this character is never lazy, but it may give off a vague sense of entitlement that others may learn to dislike.

Spirituality: Individuals high on this trait are typically spiritual in the sense that intentions, images, ideals, and sentiments are regarded as “better” than outcomes, physical sensation, pleasure, and acts. The communicator, like Plato, believes that the immaterial is preferable to the material. This is due to a loss of attachment to and security in the body. Art, particularly literature or poetry, is frequently pursued. This can be motivated by emotion, but it can also be motivated by a sense of superiority. Also, because the arts are essentially subjective, they escape comparison with the results of others. The communicator’s natural tendency is to find ‘the correct thing to do’ and do it. As a result, the communicator is morally and socially capable. However, putting good ideas into action can be tough. Communicators have a tendency to focus intensively on their objectives and plans, both past and present, and to dismiss results as insignificant or the responsibility of others. In the world, ideas are untested, and while idealism can sometimes bring fruit, foolish and unrealistic beliefs typically persist. ‘How things should be’ is far more essential than ‘how things almost often are.’ This can cause the communicator to clash with instinctive impulses in individuals and society that keep ‘things from being the way they should be.’

Psychological Functioning: Emotional needs are commonly ignored consciously and suppressed by willpower, resulting in an inner emotional climate of deprivation, grief, despair, and bitterness. Separation anxiety is strong because of the intense fear of abandonment and loss of love, paired with an equal fear of losing oneself in love. Deep wrath at unmet wants is frequently turned against oneself, resulting in depression (sometimes alternating with unsustainable periods of exaggerated euphoria), and aggressiveness is exhibited softly and covertly (through verbal sarcasm, refusing to follow through on tasks, getting sick, not paying bills, chronic lateness, etc.). Profound crying and seeking out are suppressed, however there may be a lot of superficial “bitter” crying, gripping, and clinging. The will is utilized to either give excessively to others (in order to obtain) or to cling passionately to others for direct support. There is a true potential to communicate love, yet relationships are frequently romanticized by the imagination to an impossible height, or are quickly abandoned. Mentally, there are strong intuitive and intellectual capacities, but creative ideas are not charged or implemented since the will is utilized to avoid self-sufficiency in order to be cared for. An insufficient sense of self resulting from emotions of unfulfillment, incompleteness, and a perceived incapacity to be independent, along with strong self-loathing for perceived weakness and dependency. Addictions can display extreme dependence conflicts (in an effort to substitute for the needed, but ambivalent caretaker and genuine sustenance). The mouth functions and their related psychosocial correlates are intensely focused in the personality: taking in (acquisitiveness), holding on (tenacity & determination), biting (destructiveness), spitting out (rejection, contempt), and closing (refusal); continuous smoking, eating, drinking, talking (often fast), biting, etc., may be present, or self-depriving behaviors, such as poverty or self-starvation, may be acted out.

Body Posture and Structure: Posture is frequently one of fatigue and collapse; the body is generally childlike in appearance (there may be very little body hair), underdeveloped in musculature, and the body may be either long and thin (compensated) or extremely little (collapsed); the body is not substantially armored. The neck is frequently lengthy and reaches forward (looking for nourishment). Lips are frequently thin (against reaching out), jaw is clenched (against rage), and there are frequent dental problems or other physical problems around the mouth and throat; chin may be pulled in (against swallowing) or jutting out (determined not to need); mouth may be large, showing a lot of teeth (aggression, for biting); teeth may be pushed out due to an extensive period of thumb-sucking in childhood. The eyes are longing and pleading. Shoulders are rolled forward, flattening the chest and creating shallow breathing (negating the need to take in); female breasts are either very large (compensated) or very small (collapsed). Soreness between the shoulder blades (collapsed will center) and in the lower back (premature self-support); chronic lower back discomfort. Hands, feet, and pelvis (points of touch with the outside world) appear immature, undercharged, and frequently extremely small; arches in feet may be fallen and knees locked (making this person a “pushover”); feet and legs are not perceived as providing good support.The body is frequently in pain, with injuries or illnesses (lower back, knees, respiratory) that require a long time to heal. Chronic stress points include the mouth, shoulder girdle, between the shoulder blades, lower belly and lower back, root of the neck (all to prevent sobbing, reaching out, or displaying hostility), and the back of the knees. Tall and thin, with a sunken chest. They may have a slumped posture and shoulders rolled forward to protect the heart from emotional suffering. The body may sag downward. The core energy may go to the arms and legs, but it is quite feeble. The individual might be prone to depression.

Energy Pattern: Undercharged in general, especially in the chest and lower half of the body, as well as at points of contact with the environment. Energy flows poorly to the periphery and leaks out. These individuals tend to be “Energy vampires,” who seek energy by “sucking it” from others. The core is accessible, but the energy is not metabolized (this is related to shallow breathing, which prevents “fuel burning” for activity).

Chakra Patterns: The following chakra patterns can be observed:Crown (spiritual connection) is partially open;Third Eye (intuitive powers) is partially open;Throat (self-expression) is partially collapsed;Heart (loving feelings) is partially open.The Solar Plexus (global wisdom) is partially expanded and asymmetrical;The Sexual Plexus (pleasure and creativity) is partially collapsed and inverted;and the Base Plexus (grounding and connection to physical life) is partially collapsed.

Psychological Defenses: Identification: where the person tries to mimic another person and their behavior to become more acceptable socially, displacement: the redirecting of an impulse (typically anger) onto a powerless substitute target is known as displacement, Reversal:Essentially, it consists in shifting what is passive into active; a person who believes he is the passive object of a traumatic experience can reverse it and become the active actor of that same event, turning against the self: a type of displacement in which the person becomes their own substitute target. It is usually used to describe hostility, rage, and aggression, rather than more pleasant emotions, denial: entails a resistance to accept reality, so hindering awareness of external events, projection: An individual projects unfavorable thoughts, feelings, and motivations onto another person, and splitting: an immature defense in which polarized views of self and others emerge as a result of unacceptable contradictory emotions. A person who uses splitting may idealize someone one moment (seeing them as “all nice”) then depreciate them the next (seeing them as “all evil”); These are the key psychological defenses adopted by this character type.

Developmental wound timeline: 6-18 months of ageSeparation: Independence vs NeedsPrimary Fear: Falling BehindPrimary Holding Pattern: Holding onPrimary longing: They tend to long for independence. Primary Struggle: is for the right to need.Contraction Illusion: I am not needy. I am giving and needed.Illusion of release: I will be abandoned and helpless.

Compensating Oral

This is a subtype of the Oral personality type. After the age of two, unlike the oral type, they know that in order to live in the world, they must hide their inner emotions and project resilience and strength on the outside. These people unconsciously have a fear of being vulnerable and hence they always portray how they have no weaknesses and must be strong in the world. They have guarded themselves in a way where they know they can not expose themself or their vulnerability. Their fundamental identity is fear of abandonment, but they put on a hard exterior shell to avoid appearing vulnerable. They may appear powerful on the outside, but when put under strain, they will break emotionally. It is a show of strength rather than genuine strength. They believe that they must do things on their own and do not require the assistance of others. They are incredibly independent to the fault and will frequently be stubborn and refuse help since they do not want to appear vulnerable and in need. They exaggerate their sense of independence. They constantly put themself to the test.

Major Fears: Being exposed is one of their greatest fears. Being carried away by emotions is also a concern to them. They are afraid of being outshined by someone with emotional intelligence. They believe they can navigate life with power and determination, while emotions become their “greatest weakness.” Because feeling out of control is frightening, they spend a lot of effort to maintain control.

Strengths: They have great caregiving skills. They are always willing to put in the effort to make people happy. They are frequently overly eager to deny their own demands. They appear to be self-sufficient and low-maintenance and usually have high energy, are productive, and worldly.

Relationships: Eager to connect and be in a relationship but hesitant to go deep. Would prefer an active outside relationship rather than a deep and intimate one. A compensating oral would choose to go skiing with a lover than lie on the couch and communicate about their feelings. When it comes to expressing their inner feelings, they feel hindered and inefficient. Their craving for intimacy clashes with their rigid exterior shell. They find it difficult to be vulnerable.

Body Structure: Men and women are frequently athletic and muscled. Active lifestyle, typically taken to extremes, such as in adventure or extreme sports. Many professional basketball players have compensatory oral personalities (tall, strong, and independent on the outside but weak and insecure on the inside). Competitive and frequently dominant (a strong desire to win and a great dread of losing).Energy Patterns: They have a tough exterior shell around them, similar to a tree bark. They have a high pain tolerance because they frequently become numb to feelings. They have a dynamic and alive core of energy and emotion, but the energy is difficult to access. When the core is triggered, there is often a wave of intense emotions (such as the loss of a close relative).

Masochist Character Type

The Masochistic personality, also known as The Endurer, may have grown up with a dominating or demanding parent. Crushed attempts at independence may result in a child who is tame and obedient. Self-defeating and self-humiliating behavior can emerge from rage suppression, dependency, and powerlessness.

Notable Characteristics: A submissive demeanor accompanied by a strong sense of resentment or hostility is noticeable. A suppressed feeling of hatred and hostility can also be observed. Still attempting to rebel against mother, but acts out against others rather than directly against her. They tend to possess a superiority complex. They tend to suffer and complain often, yet nothing ever changes. They are known for always complaining and never being satisfied. They tend to frequently collect or hoard things. They control their rage. They believe that in order to receive love, they must be submissive. They have a constant feeling of giving up. According to them, life is very difficult. They use guilt to exert control over others. They generally describe persistent mental and physical discomfort as well as continuous low-level anxiety. There is submissive behavior and a lack of self-assertion (inability to say “No”). There are also strong emotions of shame and humiliation. They frequently feel trapped. They exhibit self-destructive behaviors (sabotaging success in jobs and relationships, accidents, sexual acting out, etc.). Close relatives describe obsessive/compulsive difficulties, notably with sex, cleanliness, and orderliness. They are preoccupied with sex, masturbation, pornography, and/or excretory functions, and are plagued by feelings of guilt, humiliation, and self-punishment. Inability to let go of or change recurring habits in violent or unsatisfying relationships. They are unable to handle pleasure or accomplishment without feeling guilty or anxious. Sadistic, cruel, and abusive behavior, as well as widespread concern over inclinations to do so, can be observed at times.

Major Fears: An endurer is afraid to take chances and risks. They are likewise terrified of becoming hopelessly lost or trapped. They are quite concerned about offending their mother and the consequences that may follow. They are likewise afraid of expressing themselves directly. Being assured that they would be liked if they are good is a huge source of concern for them. They also have certain negative core beliefs which are as follows: “As long as I surrender to the wishes of others, I shall be loved.” “I will be crushed if I assert my freedom.” – “I must please others in order to receive love.” “I can never say no” – “I must never voice my dissatisfaction.” “I shall injure myself to keep others from injuring me.” “I’ll explode if I feel too much.” – “I am inadequate and repulsive because of my negative emotions.” “Life is difficult, and suffering is inevitable.”

Strengths: Exceptional pleasure, humor, optimism, playfulness, and joy capacities. Genuine encouragement, strength, and a desire to help others. An expansive, open heart filled with great compassion, genuine love, and comprehension. Positive assertiveness and healthy aggression with considerable amounts of energy when unleashed by a strong enough stimulation- Ability to be spontaneously creative in the moment, renounce ego control, and trust the natural order in all things.

Origin: The Masochist is also known as ”The Endurer”; or “The Consolidator”. Childhood dynamics that set a person up for an Endurer destiny are often centered on a child’s need to separate from their parents, individuate, and develop their own distinct identity. One common unaddressed issue among parents with children is their need to have complete control over the child, or to regulate and control the child to some idealized system of beliefs or objectives. We are born and designed to express our distinct personalities freely and to live within that freedom by learning to appropriate boundaries, responsibilities, and obligations to others. There is a continual dynamic within each of us to be free and to find acceptance within the community, group, or family to which we belong.

The Endurer personality was essentially subjected to continuous intrusion, control, and humiliating submission at the hands of one or both parents until they surrendered their free choice and freedom. The hostile reactions that occurred along the road in this failing battle for their own existence were ultimately destroyed and disowned, until they became docile and obedient. The Child’s wrath at the suppression flowed underground and into his body. The child begins to distrust their own instincts about when they are hungry, when to go to the toilet, how much to eat, and so on, because all of this is now under the supervision and direction of the intrusive parent (s). In this sense, the child learns to distrust and reject their own nature and humanity, preferring instead to be managed and directed by the parent. They lose their sense of self-determination and self-direction. They appear to be good, cooperative, docile, agreeable, and deceptively happy all of the time, yet they are raging on the inside. To force conformity with the adult’s demands, the parent may frighten the child. This can include threats of punishment, the parent leaving the home and abandoning the child, or the child being thrown out of the house and abandoned by the parent. In many cases, “smothering” rather than “mothering” occurs, and it occurs at the child’s socialization skill level, but it can also occur around physical intake impulses (eating and drinking) and bodily elimination impulses (Excretion and urination).Basically, if you corrupt the child’s intake and/or elimination processes, they may begin to lose will and command over such processes and succumb to the parent. The “flow” of these processes is frequently disrupted, resulting in excessive food or drink intake under parental compulsion or pressure to eliminate according to predetermined timelines. Sometimes the infant begins to “hold in,” and the body takes on a “pressure cooker” appearance, which corresponds to the Endurer’s inner psychic world, which fears intrusion, control, smothering, and loss of freedom by others.The Endurer appears in life as a self-depreciating, self-defeating, and frequently self-torturing or self-humiliating individual who appears to have a need to suffer and torture others in their pain. This personality type will have a need to whine and complain, as well as a sense of sorrow or a lack of genuine pleasure. They may also appear with a fixed smile, which they were compelled to put on for their parents as children and which is now unknowingly in them the “expected thing to do.”

Relationships: Consolidators can feel close and offer and receive warmth in relationships, but the connections still have a sense of stress and strain. Relationships are dominated by conscious or unconscious attempts to get appreciation and approval, permission to feel, and respite from guilt. This is accomplished through exaggerated pleasing, servile, and submissive behavior (which the recipient may see as hostile, domineering, and disdainful), self-deprecating attitudes and behavior, frequent moaning and complaining, or directly provocative behavior. A consolidator may also combine with a more verbally critical character structure (such as a communicator), allowing the complaining to be “contracted out” to the partner. They will stay with you to the end because leaving you would be too difficult. They are willing to put up with a great deal of maltreatment. They are dependable and laid-back. They are also noted for being extremely submissive and low-key. They are regarded to be low maintenance and readily delighted in relationships.

Sexuality: The Consolidator has a powerful sexual desire. As this individual is constantly seeking pleasure and release, both of which are deeply desired but also inhibited, extreme concern with sex and frequent masturbation are prevalent. Pornography is often a source of interest. The desire to transform pain, subjugation, and humiliation into a release or way to achieve “pleasure” is frequent. Surrendering to love is regarded as both potentially liberating and potentially crushing, with pain regarded as a vital part and pleasurable feelings in love and sex regarded as “too much.”

Career: A masochist might engage in self-destructive actions, as a result of which they may end up damaging their profession or career. These people also struggle with taking on leadership roles and thus want to always have a supervisor. They prefer to be second-in-command because it allows them to execute to their greatest ability.

Psychological Functioning: Feelings are generally predominant and intensely felt, but they are trapped in, literally packed within by huge armoring, resulting in prolonged agony, suffering, and anxiety. Negative impulses (including wishes to punish, crush, or be sadistic to others) and their expressions are strictly forbidden in this framework, and are followed by significant feelings of guilt, shame, and humiliation if any self-assertion is expressed, as well as a dread of erupting violently. Positive sensations of love, including laughter and joy, are quite active, but they are encased deep within and prevented from fully expressing themselves; pleasure and any great surges of energy are viewed as a threat (of exploding or the bottom falling out). Extreme efforts are taken to be polite, pleasant, attractive, subservient, self-sacrificing, and ingratiating in order to conceal a significant amount of underlying animosity and spitefulness; negative feelings are primarily communicated through passive-aggressive conduct or provocative attitudes. The will is weakened by the constant holding pattern, but it is strong enough to express its resistance (to the parents’ crushing will) through stubbornness, defiance, and passive refusal (to move, to be successful or happy, etc.); the will is also frequently directed to make the individual appear foolish or eccentric, or to dissimulate, so there is considerable inner doubt about one’s own intelligence or wisdom. The mind can be quite tidy, but it is usually obsessively so, with much rumination on details to deflect from feelings. An insufficient sense of self caused by the rejection of spontaneous, assertive sentiments and profound emotions of inadequacy; self-assertion is severely constrained and there is emotional burden (feeling oppressed, “stuck in the mud,” “too difficult to move”). Unconsciously connected with sadism, spite, and animosity, but consciously identified with attempting to please. Disguised exhibitionism paired with self-derogation and self-deprecation, as well as a continuous desire to harm oneself. Fears of abandonment stem from a perceived dependency on others for stimulation as well as “decompression” from stimulation and pent-up sentiments. Fears of abandonment stem from a perceived dependency on others for stimulation as well as “decompression” from stimulation and pent-up sentiments.

Body Structure and Posture: An Endurer’s body is often shorter, thick, and muscular (to contain assertiveness and unpleasant impulses), with chronic tension in the body; excessive body hair may be present. The neck is short and thick (due to a “turtle-like” pushing in of the head). The shoulder muscles are enlarged (to bear burdens) and the buttocks are pulled in and squeezed together (to restrain the temptation to goof up and let out), causing the pelvis to move forward. The waist is short and thick, enclosed, compressed, and collapsed (from drawing in and down from the top and up and in from the bottom to restrain impulses to let out); hips and thighs are frequently big and heavy in women; and the belly frequently balloons in men. The abdominal compression affects the entire diaphragmatic segment, making exhalation difficult and impeding the function of all organs in the area. The person’s posture and motions are typically awkward or clumsy, with frequent little accidents (messing up) and a general uncomfortability in the body. As the entire pelvic floor contracts, there is anal and vaginal tension and spasticity (producing acute pain and difficulty to freely experience pleasure). Because of the stagnant, retained energy charge, the skin has a brownish tone; acne may be severe. Chronic tension sites include the neck, shoulder girdle, pelvis and buttocks, and the majority of the big muscles. Sore throats, diarrhea, constipation, hemorrhoids, and digestive difficulties are examples of chronic physical diseases of the throat and colon/anal region. Suffering is visible in the eyes, which is frequently accompanied by obsessive smiling.

Energy Patterns: An endurer is fully charged energetically, but their energy is strictly regulated (though not frozen), so they are “boiling” on the inside. Energy flowing upward and downward is suffocated at the neck and waist (creating compression), and energy discharge outlets are closed (throat, anus, genitals). The highly charged energy has become stuck in the skin. A highly charged individual on the inside, but a tightly wound individual on the outside. Very sluggish, lethargic, and bogged down.