New Ideas in Psychology

[ Removing Compulsion ] [ Purification ] [ Eliminating Weakness ]

[ Social Abreaction ] [ Examples ]

Abreaction is not a new phenomenon of the twentieth century.

It has existed from historical times, perhaps even from the first moment that primitive man created society. Therefore neither Fascism nor Nazism are new phenomena. It is only the content of social abreaction that changes as eras change ; the process itself is invariable.

In the person, the two abreactions of guilt and pride can follow one another. So too these two abreactions can follow one another in social abreaction. The difference between the change within the person and the change within society lies in the time that is taken to assimilate the abreactions. The effects of abreaction on the person may last for weeks or months, whereas the effects of social abreaction may last for years or even decades.

I give examples of dramatic historical change involving social abreaction.

1) The most decisive shift in ancient thinking occurred in Athens in the fifth-century BC.
Socrates switched philosophical thought from cosmological themes to themes of morality and virtue. This event took place in the aftermath of Athens’s defeat in the war with Sparta. The change of fortune of Athens led to a change in philosophical reflection. Social abreaction was the backdrop to philosophical ideas that became centred on what is good in life and what is to be rejected because it produces weakness in character. Resentment underpinned Plato’s criticism of art.

2) The French Revolution of 1793 illustrates both abreactions.
The first stage of change ended in the white terror (Fascism) of Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety. This was then followed by the red terror (Nazism).

3) After World War II the British Labour government created the National Health Service.
This was a product of the catharsis generated by the end of the war. With hindsight we can see that if the Health Service had not been created at that moment then it would never have been created at all due to unfavourable political conditions in modern times.

4) The 1960s were the era of the hippie generation.
This was a time of social catharsis. Inevitably the tail-end stage of resentment led to the flight into rigid social conventionality and respectability, and even into Thatcherism ; or else into conservative religion or religious cults. As an ideology, Thatcherism represented abreactive resentment aimed at sections of the population that were deemed to be degenerate, plus abreactive bitterness over the prospective loss of political freedom if Britain became too closely attached to a European parliament.

5) The break-up of the old USSR from 1989 onwards.
Initially the ending of communist party domination produced a social catharsis. When this ended it was followed by the rise of right-wing politics, an increase in anti-Semitism, and violence towards women. Always during abreaction society seeks scapegoats. And abreactive bitterness has propelled various political regions to declare their independence from Russia.

These two laws are laws of social change ; they are absent in times of social stability. Can the social turmoil be controlled, even ameliorated ? Yes. The social catharsis (the jazz age) generated by the end of World War I.. led to Fascism and then to Nazism. This meant that World War II was inevitable. Each defeated generation passes on its bitterness to the next generation. So why did World War III not occur ?

The decisive factor that stopped the transmission of bitterness to the next generation after World War II was the Marshall Plan, the economic rebuilding of western Europe funded by America. The lesson to learn from this result is that in an age of rapid social change it is essential for some degree of government funding into community projects to be established on a regular basis. This funding will ameliorate the worst excesses of economic and social de-stabilisation, and hence will soften the intensity of social abreaction.

Why does social abreaction happen ?
When growing up, each child has to repress some of his/her potential. This is what is meant by social conditioning – only some character traits and attitudes are deemed to be desirable. Then in a period of social change, when rules of social conduct have to be adjusted to the new situation, some of this repression is released. This change in social norms initiates the social abreaction.

Conclusion

Abreaction is a frequent experience of daily life. People seek excitement and joy, but end in finding resentment and bitterness. When a person has insight into the cause of a problem, then the abreactional process leads to the ending of that problem. But when there is no insight, problems remain and the unending craving for pleasure (including sexual pleasure) leads to unending unhappiness.

By understanding why unhappiness occurs, the person comes to realise that only by making relationships harmonious is there a chance of avoiding sorrow. To attain to harmony in relationships requires that weaknesses of character be eliminated from oneself. Unfortunately this is a very painful process.

The resolution of resentment and bitterness is the subject of the last chapter on abreaction, A5 : Forgiveness and Acceptance, beginning with the article Souring the Mind.

[ E1 [ ] E2 ] [ E3 ] . [ Table of Contents ] . [ A1 ] [ A2 ] [ A3 ] [ A4 ] [ A5 ]

[ Glossary ] [ Links ] [ References 1 & 2. ] [ Appendix 1 & 2. ]

[ Profile ] [ Acknowledgements ] [ Index ] [ Home ]

Copyright © 2002 Ian Heath
All Rights Reserved

The copyright is mine, and this book is free to use. It can be reproduced anywhere, so long as the source is acknowledged.

If you want to write to me, go to the Table of Contents page
and use the address at the bottom.

www.emotion.discover-your-mind.co.uk/index.htm.

.