When Kristen, Mike, and myself did the infant research, we found that virtually every baby who had craniosacral fascial strain cried/screamed during CFT/IDM, especially at the first visit. Since we were just holding, supporting, following their movements, and waiting for them to release, we knew that we were not hurting them. Whatever pain they had must have been coming from inside of them. We wondered if an emotional aspect was at play during our therapy.
To help us understand this concept, Kristen did some research into The New Primal Scream by Dr Arthur Janov. Dr Janov believes that the nine months of birth trauma leaves an imprint that can lead to a repression of feelings throughout life. If his theories are true, then CFT/IDM at birth can not only help with structural physical issues, but can also relieve the emotional repression of the birth trauma to allow human beings to fully express their feelings. So the crying/screaming that may horrify the family, could possibly result in the greatest psychological freedom that anyone could ever have. Maybe that is the reason we had truly happy babies at the completion of CFT/IDM. As three massage therapists, we are not qualified to draw conclusions in the psychological world. But Dr Janov’s theories appear to be completely compatible with our work.
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