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A Critique of deMause's Psychogenic Theory of History

Charles Gouaux
Volume 26, Number 4, Spring 1999

[A Reply by Lloyd deMause]

Lloyd deMause is the best contemporary conscience in our nation today and maybe for this century. For well over thirty years, he has researched human growth and failures to grow, pulling back our eyelids so that we see ourselves both personally and as necessary members of our particular culture with its conscious and unconscious wishes, fantasies, and actions.

DeMause believes that a psychogenic theory of history requires the recognition of human emotions as motivators of individual and cultural lives, just as a psychohistorian's emotional life motivates him and determines both his topic and his slant on it.1 We strive to grow, prosper - and theorize as best as we can. An emotionally-driven theory, I believe, is the only theory of cultural change that makes sense and has predictive power. DeMause's contributions to this theory, notably that psychogenic historical changes have occurred "because of successive generations of [improved] parent-child interactions,"2 have earned him the title of the father of modern psychohistory.

DeMause is offering us "the first social theory that posits love as the central mechanism for historical change Love [nurturing children, ourselves and others] produces the individuation needed for human innovation - that is, for cultural evolution."3

Love may be for deMause the central mechanism for change, yet his focus seems to be primarily on a trauma-based psychology which he says accounts for the fact that the vast majority of children throughout history have been emotionally, physically, and/or sexually abused. This abuse-induced trauma makes the child fear his potential self because of parental disapproval.4 People's childhood abuse determines the quality of the parenting of their own children. The bridging of childhood and parenthood is the unconscious which contains "both wishes and traumatic memories of abuse and neglect."5 Now, "we can explain social changes for the first time."6

As a result of childhood abuse we develop "false-alarm systems"7 and social alters. The former - an over-responsiveness to later possible trauma - leads to reenacting our childhood trauma by victimizing others to reduce the anxiety associated with our dissociated trauma. The latter have the "central task of organizing and carrying out both [our] idealizing and persecutory fantasies in society "8 in a delusional group trance. Our alters are maintained by "collus[ion] with others,"9 "restaged in historical group-fantasies,"10 elaborated in our social, religious, and political institutions, and make us incapable of "empathy, kindness and love."11

We delegate to our leaders the responsibility for knowing our social alters, inducing in us a delusional group trance, manically acting-out our repressions, and serving as our poison containers.

DeMause observes "that there is a direct correlation between traumatic childhood[s] and the ability to go into [a group] trance."12 "The most important psychodynamic of history," says deMause, "is people's ability to switch deep[ly] into their social alter, identify with the perpetrator and periodically persecute helpless people who represent one's own childhood self."13

While group leaders induce our delusional trances and prevent dissolution of our individual and national identities, group trances, deMause believes, prevent the outbreak of severe pathology.

When our leader is strong, deMause argues, he protects us from engulfment fears. However, when our leader is weak, "all growth is dangerous, and desires for merging and fears of maternal engulfment increase ."14

Growth produces anxiety and panic because our parents are/were threatened by our increasing separateness and independence compared to their insecure dependence.

"Cultural evolution is determined by the reduction of growth panic through the evolution of more supportive childrearing."15 A society, deMause says hopefully, "where parents really help their children to individuate"16 would be a society without growth panic, engulfment fears, and "delusional enemies."17 Such a society is possible, at least partly, "when we recognize these delusional historical group-fantasies ."18 DeMause thinks that this will happen when "our personal responsibility return[s] to us, as empathy returns to our social lives."19

Despite deMause's massive and careful research and profound insights, I question whether he has shown a complete psychogenic theory of history. It seems to lack a balance where healthy, constructive processes have as least as much influence on change as defensive, destructive ones. He voices few strong hopes for the growth of society in healthy directions.

DeMause considers history to be a "waking nightmare"20 which has "most of its origins in problems of insufficient human love ."21 "[H]umanity is a species with extremely fragile selves,"22 and "nearly everyone constantly carr[ies] around [growth panic] during their daily lives."23 "[S]ociety is founded upon the abuse of children ,"24 and "only by being our delegates are leaders followed ."25 Finally, "all groups experience growth, progress, and social development with fears ,"26 and "all social rituals"27 have "poison-cleansing [as] a central purpose ."28 These statements seem extreme and absolute.

An adequate psychogenic theory considers as its proper subject, I think, the psychogenesis of love. DeMause recognizes the importance of love yet does not base his theory on it. One must begin with emotional health and then look at pathology, not the other way around. The result of a strong focus on pathology is a theory that fosters hopelessness and perhaps weakens its contribution to positive cultural change.

With love as the focus for cultural change, some of deMause's ideas seem inadequate. For example, it is difficult for me to consider a false-alarm system at the heart of our social behaviors. It seems more accurate that at the heart of personal and social behavior is a loving and growing self which uses this system to protect itself. If deMause's belief were true, we would at best go in psychological circles, at worst only regress. It seems to me that love and growth are at the heart of social behavior with a false-alarm system defending against a perceived too rapid and extensive social progress.

I find it impossible to believe that the most influential psychodynamic of history is our ability to enter into our defensive social alters. The most powerfully motivating psychodynamic of history is, in my opinion, our ability as parents to outgrow our past, help our childen have better lives than we had, and thus have better lives ourselves. Parents' and children's love is self-generating. Love is "completely permeated and saturated with [healthy] rationality [and irrationality], purpose, personality, and morality."29

Growth produces panic in part because of the existence of unconscious, unintegrated feelings of loving and being loved. Social alters function also, I believe, as a defense against loving, being loved "too much," and feeling too healthy and real. Also, growth produces panic when we experience alone a new world of meanings which we couldn't have imagined before. We feel anxious and confused about what is real.

For far too long, the reality of the repression of good feelings has been neglected by psychoanalytic theory, and this is perhaps my major criticism of deMause's thought. He focuses too frequently on child abuse, neglect and abandonment, and too infrequently on the causes of the evolution of healthy parent-child relationships. Part of our unconscious contains repressed good feelings and memories because they are "too good" to be integrated with those feelings we had with our early primary care-givers. When secondary attachment figures offer greater emotional warmth and closeness than our primary attachment figures, then a very painful incongruence occurs. This incongruence requires that the good feeling associated with the former be denied, repressed, and largely unavailable for emotional support of the person and group. Good feelings and memories previously unacknowledged in our consciousness cause us to feel disoriented, confused and anxious about whether the new, good feelings will prevail. We need to reorient our self image and our new view of the world to a more hopeful, joyful global perspective.

Psychoclasses, in my view, are more comprehensive concepts than primarily shared childrearing modes.30, 31 They represent also a quality of life reflecting our relationships not only with our parents and children, but also with ourselves and others. Most of us can advance, I believe, to another psychoclass, and most of us can help our children advance to another psychoclass. The basis of my hope is that we have advanced psychohistorically, with important changes made now more in decades than in centuries.32

Health involves knowing that, all things being equal - and they never are - we can be as prosperous, successful, and happy as we dare to be. When asked what made him happy, George Burns replied: " a good cigar, a good meal and a good woman - or a bad woman: it depends on how much happiness you can handle."33 And that is the crucial personal question we, as individuals and nations, ask ourselves. How much happiness can we handle?

Happiness and personal security are associated with mothers - (and I would expand deMause's theory to include fathers as well) - who are protective of and feel warm wwith their children;34 encourage autonomy and independence in their children;35 and can securely enjoy a child's ecstasy. They emotionally discern the difference between the child's defensive idealization and genuine "reverence and awe."36 These mothers have the "capacity for tolerating [the child's] hatred, envy, and terror of loss."37

Happiness and self-satisfaction are correlated with self-liking,38 intensely, fully-felt experiences, "empathy with oneself,"39 the capacity to wonder about one's self and others,40 high self-esteem,41, 42 extraversion,43 "relationship satisfaction,"44 and empathic accuracy.45 They entail the capacity to regard others highly,46 to be satisfied and intimate with others,47 to be able to depend emotionally upon passionate48 romantic partners, and to expect positive feedback and comfort from compassionate emotional intimacy.49 Happy people open up50 and put less emphasis on achievement and professional success than on closeness.51 In short, personal life satisfaction involves an "all-giving unselfish love."52

George Burns implies a question when he tells us our limitation on happiness depends on how much we can handle. What is the cause of this limitation on our ability to feel good? What underlies deMause's notion of growth panic? An antidote will help.

A University of Missouri at Columbia tailback, Brock Olivo, took a camera to the Mizzou-Colorado football game. Why? Because Mizzou was "not acquainted with winning. Losing [was] their lifestyle. Losing [had] fit them snugly ."53 Olivo knew he had to record the game in order to feel a possible win as real. "I know it hasn't hit me yet," Olivo remarked the day after, " because I'm still sane, still seeing straight."54 Why does Olivo feel he will go insane and not see straight if Mizzou wins? Maybe Olivo is not yet ready to feel how good he and his team really are. Changing his perceptions of, and feelings about, himself seem to make him feel he's going crazy. That's growth anxiety! He is feeling acute unconscious anxiety, loss, confusion, and joy about growth.

Growth and consciousness of joy in one's self and one's group means that one can see in some sense one's own "fate" and feel good about it. I chose and choose my future, and I can see the results of my own decision in my life and in those around me. Growth means self-conscious pride, satisfaction, and happiness. Growth generates joy about my own and others' happiness, without sinful feelings, guilt, shame, rage, or any other defense about my joy and the joy of others. As deMause says, seeing and growing hurt and I cry.55 How can there be growth and progress without mourning and emotionally letting go of the old? And can we stand clear consciences, happy lives, and happy children? I think so, and I believe deMause thinks so also.

[A Reply by Lloyd deMause]

 

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1. Lloyd deMause, The Foundations of Psychohistory. New York: Creative Roots. 1982, p. ii.
2. Lloyd deMause, The History of Childhood. New York: Psychohistory Press. 1974, p. 3.
3. DeMause, "The Psychogenic Theory of History," p. 137.
4. Ibid., p. 133.
5. Ibid., p. 125.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid., p. 129.
8. Ibid., p. 142.
9. Ibid., p. 161.
10. Ibid., p. 141.
11. Lloyd deMause, Psychogenic Evolution. Unpublished manuscript.
12. DeMause, "The Psychogenic Theory of History," p. 152.
13. Ibid., p. 159.
14. Ibid, p. 171.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid., p. 174.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid., p. 150.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid., p. 125.
21. Ibid., p. 114.
22. Ibid., p. 132.
23. Ibid., p. 133.
24. Ibid., p. 136.
25. Ibid., p. 177.
26. Ibid., p. 172.
27. Ibid., p. 175.
28. Ibid.
29. Rudolf Otto, The Idea of The Holy. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1960, p. 109.
30. Lloyd deMause, Foundations of Psychohistory. New York: Creative Roots, 1982, p. 183.
31. Lloyd deMause, "The Psychogenic Theory of History," p. 138.
32. Robert B. McFarland, "Improvements in Parenting Are Real," The Journal of Psychohistory 25 (1998): pp. 237-239.
33. George Burns, in The New York Library Book of Twentieth Century American Quotations. New York: Time Warner, 1992, p. 253.
34. John Bowlby, Attachment and Loss: Vol. 2. Separation. New York: Basic Books, 1982.
35. G. Parker, H. Tupling, & L. B. Brown, "A Parental Bonding Instrument." British Journal of Medical Psych. 52, (1979): pp. 1-10.
36. Judith L. Mitrani, "Unbearable Ecstasy, Reverence and Awe, and the Perpetuation of an ÔAesthetic Conflict'." Encounters with Autistic States: A Memorial Tribute to Francis Tustin. Eds. Theodore & Judith Mitrani. Northdale, N.J.: Jason Aronson, 1997, p. 34.
37. Ibid., p. 35.
38. Kelly A. Brennan & Kathryn A. Morris, "Attachment Styles, Self-Esteem, and Patterns of Seeking Feedback From Romantic Partners." Pers. & Soc. Psych. Bull. 23 (1997): pp. 23-31.
39. Alfred Margulies, The Empathic Imagination. New York: W.W. Norton 1989, p. 108.
40. Ibid.
41. J. A. Feeney & P. Noller, "Attachment Style As a Predictor of Adult Romantic Relationships." J. Pers. & Soc. Psych. 58 (1990): pp. 281-291.
42. N. L. Collins & S. J. Read, "Adult Attachment, Working Models, and Relationship Quality in Dating Couples." J. Pers. & Soc. Psych. 58 (1990): pp. 644-663.
43. Robert R. McCrea & Paul T. Costa, Jr., "Adding Liebe und Arbeit: The Full Five-Factor Model and Well-Being." Pers. & Social Psych. Bull. 17 (1991): pp. 227-232.
44. Michael L. Barnes & Robert J. Sternberg, "A Hierarchical Model of Love and Its Prediction of Satisfaction in Close Relationships." In Satisfaction in Close Relationships, Eds. Robert J. Sternberg & Mahzad. New York: Guilford Press, 1997, p. 91.
45. William Ickes Ed., Empathic Accuracy. New York: Guilford Press, 1997.
46. N. L. Collins & S. J. Collins & S. J. Read, "Adult Attachment, Working Models, and Relationship Quality in Dating Couples," J. Pers. & Social Psych. 58 (1990): pp. 644-663.
47. Lilah Raynor Koski & Phillip R. Shaver, "Attachment and Relationship Satisfaction across the Lifespan." In Satisfaction in Close Relationships, pp. 26-53.
48. Susan S. Hendrich & Clyde Hendrich, "Love and Satisfaction." In Satisfaction in Close Relationships, pp. 56-78.
49. Ibid.
50. James W. Pennebaker, Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions. New York: Guilford Press, 1990.
51. Kelly A. Brennan & Kathryn A. Morris, "Attachment Styles, Self-Esteem, and Patterns of Seeking Feedback from Romantic Partners," Pers. & Soc. Psych. Bull. 23 (1997): pp. 23-31.
52. Susan S. Hendrick & Clyde Hendrick, "Love and Satisfaction," p. 75.
53. Bernie Miklasz, "Vermeil Gets Hot, Takes Team to Task for 110 Penalty Yards." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Nov. 10, 1997: pp. D1 & D14.
54. Bill Coats, "MU Lifts a Boulder." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Nov. 2, 1997: pp. H1 & H14.
55. DeMause, "The Psychogenic Theory of History," p. 150.

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