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The history of humanity is full of moments where human lives have been jeopardized by war. revolution, earthquakes, or other upheavals. Fear of death is a universal phenomenon shared by all living beings, but for some people, anticipating future dangers tends to produce more fear of present and
future threats.
In cases of acute anxiety, two psychological phenomena can take place: a reduction in motor activity and/or an increase in uncontrolled activity. The first could be a sort of psychological paralysis; the latter is disinhibition (Beck & Emery, 1985).
In situations of grave and continuous stress and strain, some individuals regress to infantile passivity, as if unconsciously hoping that the threat will be reduced. They regress to the role of infant on the unconscious assumption that infancy was the most safe period of life. How far people
regress varies from case to case; sometimes the regression is to a stage of infancy, sometimes it goes to a neonate state or prenatal condition (Wolman, 1978).
During the Second World War and the Israel War of Independence, I saw some adult men, soldiers, developing incontinence, disturbed speech, and exhibiting many other symptoms resembling infantile behavior.
The infantile regression served the unconscious purpose of taking the individual out of
touch with the dangerous reality and bringing him back to the imaginary world of childhood.
In some cases, certain psychological defense mechanisms take place, such as rationalization.
Rationalization leads to the belief that there are divine supernatural forces that can protect the individual and take him out of the danger zone. There have been several reported cases of people who in time of
danger suddenly became extremely religious.
Some of my patients in times of danger have talked to God; they have made all sorts of promises in order to secure God’s graces and intervention in their troubles.
This kind of daydreaming and parareligious feelings is quite common (Wolman & Ullman, 1986).
These phenomena sometimes take on mass dimensions. In times of war, threat, and danger, many people regress waiting for messiahs, practicing astrology, joining groups for meditation and believing in the supernatural powers of a guru.
The fear of overwhelming external danger facilitates regression into infantile passivity, daydreaming, and hopes of supraparental intervention. Passivity deepens one’s feeling of helplessness and invokes a greater feeling of guilt.
Feeling helpless and guilty makes one further regress, and the whole process can continue as a progressive demoralization of the individual or the group, which further decreases the ability to face assaults coming from without. Assaults from within decrease one’s powers and therefore reduce one’s ability to face external dangers (Kaplan & Sadock,1985; Spielberger, 1966).
Blaming others decreases one’s feeling of guilt, but it does not increase one’s feeling of power; it creates more dissension and dissatisfaction, and the hostility is directed not against the true enemy but against allies, friends, and leaders who are accused of not doing enough.
