The valiant battle: from chaos to integration

The birth of a new sibling can create a state of inner chaos for the first born. Conflict, aggression and regression often occur as the replaced child adjusts to his loss of exclusivity. This paper describes a short analytic sandplay case of a 5-year-old boy manifesting anger and anxiety as the birth of his new sibling approached. Throughout this individuation process, a fluid back and forth movement occurred from regression to progression, and from deintegration to reintegration (Fordham 1988), as he advanced from the regressed Uroboric phase of development, forward to the age-appropriate phase of the Patriarche (Neumann 1990). As he grieved the loss of his exclusive status, Roy worked with his aggressive feelings towards his mother and the new baby, as well as with his feelings of despair. This process developed in the context of a positive maternal transference which allowed for both moments of deep resonance, states of participation mystique, and moments of projected rage and aggression towards the 'abandoning mother'. His work in analysis resulted in an opening of the ego-Self axis, a solidifying of the depressive position, and a movement forward in development. At the end of treatment, an initiatory process into the realm of the 'Father' was activated. Roy's symptoms had diminished and he was ready to leave the regressive pull of the Great Mother and move out into the world of peers, with a strengthened ego and an expanded sense of self.