The Crisis of Growth
Beezone in conversation with a Freudian Professor*
December 18, 2024
Introduction
This Beezone Library dialogue discusses Freud’s concept of the animistic stage of child development, where a child believes their thoughts control reality. The conversation connects this infantile “omnipotence of thought” to modern anxieties, arguing that unresolved childhood vulnerabilities manifest in collective behaviors like nationalism and unquestioning faith in science. This unresolved desire for control, they contend, fuels conflicts and hinders personal and societal growth. Ultimately, understanding this early developmental stage is presented as crucial to comprehending human history and culture. The discussion concludes by suggesting that confronting these deep-seated fears is essential for maturity.
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Beezone: I’ve been reflecting on Freud’s essay The Uncanny, (1919) particularly his idea of the animistic stage and its implications for individual and collective psychology. It seems to me that this early stage of development, where the sense of self and the world has not been developed, holds the key to understanding much of modernity’s struggles. Can we explore this?
Freudian Professor: Absolutely. Freud’s concept of the animistic stage describes a time in childhood—and, by extension, in humanity’s history—when there’s no clear boundary between self and world. This lack of differentiation fuels what Freud called the “omnipotence of thought,” the belief that desires or thoughts can directly shape reality. It’s a compensatory mechanism for the child’s profound vulnerability.
Beezone: That vulnerability interests me. A newborn is so tender, so utterly dependent on others for survival. It makes sense that the infant, in its defenselessness, would seek some form of safety, a kind of inner omnipotence to counteract the overwhelming sense of helplessness.
Professor: Exactly. The desire for omnipotence (saftey) arises as a psychological response to that vulnerability. In infancy, the child experiences moments where its needs seem magically fulfilled—crying leads to feeding, discomfort to soothing. This creates the illusion that the child’s desires directly control the external world. It’s a powerful, albeit unconscious, way to cope with feelings of potential injury, helplessness, and of course, annihilation (death).
Beezone: And yet, as the child grows and begins to differentiate between self and world, that illusion is challenged. The external world doesn’t always conform to the child’s fantasy. Frustration arises, and with it, a struggle for orientation. Is this where Freud saw the seeds of repression?
Professor: Yes, repression plays a central role here. The child’s early omnipotent desires—and the fears that accompany them—don’t simply vanish. Instead, they’re repressed into the unconscious. But they don’t stay silent. These unresolved dynamics resurface later, often in disguised forms, influencing adult behavior and cultural phenomena.
Beezone: This brings me to what seems like a profound connection between this early stage of development and modernity. Couldn’t the unresolved vulnerabilities of infancy explain the growth of our collective behaviors—our ideologies, wars, even our faith in science?
Professor: That’s an interesting insight. Freud often compared individual psychological development to the evolution of human culture. Just as the child progresses through animism, religion, and rationality, humanity has moved through similar stages. But the psychological residues of earlier stages remain. Modern ideologies, whether political. religious, or scientific, often reflect the same desire for control and mastery that drives the infantile need for safety, omnipotence.
Beezone: It seems to me that our belief in science—though rational on the surface—often carries an undercurrent of magical thinking. We expect science and technology to solve all problems, to rescue us from our vulnerabilities. Isn’t this just another form of the omnipotence of thought?
Professor: Precisely. While science is based on empirical methods, the cultural attitude toward it often borders on mystical. The belief that technology will save us from existential threats—whether climate change or mortality—mirrors the child’s belief in the power of thought to control reality. It’s a modern expression of the same unconscious drive.
Beezone: This omnipotence, whether in the form of religious dogma or scientific hubris, seems to fuel much of the conflict in our world. Nation-states, for instance, behave like collective egos, defending themselves against perceived annihilation. Wars and ideological battles feel like manifestations of unresolved infantile fears, don’t they?
Professor: Freud would agree. He saw civilization as a fragile construct built atop humanity’s primal drives. The tensions you describe—between vulnerability and omnipotence—are deeply ingrained in the collective psyche. They surface in tribalism, nationalism, and even global conflicts, where the quest for dominance mirrors the child’s struggle for control.
Beezone: So, in a sense, modernity’s crisis is one of growth. We’re still grappling with the unresolved vulnerabilities of our infancy, projected onto the global stage. The promise of science and technology, while profound, often becomes another way to avoid confronting our deepest fears.
Professor: That’s well stated. The crisis of growth is both personal and collective. Freud’s work reminds us that true maturity requires not just external progress but also an honest reckoning with our internal vulnerabilities. Without that, we risk repeating the same patterns—whether in our individual lives or as a global society.
Beezone: This is why understanding Freud’s animistic stage feels so crucial. It’s not just about childhood psychology; it’s a map for understanding the undercurrents of human history and culture. Perhaps, by revisiting these ideas, we can find a way to move beyond the illusions of omnipotence and toward a more enlightened mode of being.
Professor: I couldn’t agree more. Freud’s insights offer a profound opportunity for self-awareness—both individually and collectively. By recognizing the echoes of our infantile past in the structures of modernity, we might begin to navigate the complexities of the present with greater clarity and compassion.
- in preparation for:
