Prototypes of Defences1

While protoytpes of defences—defined in the literature as 'early direct reflex action of a purely physical nature' (Greenacre, 1958)—are hitherto determined mostly in terms of analogy, this paper attempts to highlight the genetic path from somatic defensive pattern in infancy to psychic elementary defences by establishing the anticipatory process as mediator between both. Its thesis is that basic psychic defences are variegated and attenuated anticipatory repetitions of postnatal somatically-determined defences against disintegration. This does not equate psychic with physiologic processes but refers to some interaction, to 'connections and interdependences' as Freud expressed it. Experienced somatic processes are psychic phenomena.

The anticipatory process underlies Freud's concept of thought. He has specifically applied it in the definition of danger and anxiety as well as repression. Signal anxiety he defined as anticipatory repetition of trauma of birth, including the somatic corollaries such as heart palpitation, etc.; repression proper as anticipatory repetition of primary repression, the response in the traumatic situation (Freud, 1933). This invites closer examination of the anticipatory process as well as that of trauma.

The biological prototype of trauma is the failure of homeostatic regulation leading to physiological shock. That the postnatal phase is a traumatic one is established by the majority of child observers (Hoffer, 1954); A. Freud, 1948; (Spitz, 1946); (Ribble, 1944); et al.). On the predominantly physiologic level of the postnatal phase in which homeostatic regulation is inadequate, anteceding somatic reflex-like responses forestall threatening disorganization. The behaviour of the newborn presents, therefore, fewer signs of shock than anticipatory defensive responses forestalling it. Numerous child observations (Ribble, 1944); (Spitz, 1946); (Mahler, 1952); (Leitch and Escalona, 1949); (Greenacre, 1958); et al.) point to a h