Bodynamic Character Analysis guide

We learn as children to ignore any elements of reality that make our caretakers anxious so we can
preserve our bond with them. If our own emotions appear to cause stress to our parents then we will
unconsciously learn to suppress them compromising our own authenticity. Children instead of learning
emotional regulation will then learn emotional dissociation, through ignoring their feelings much like their
parents do. Avoiding feelings by either giving up on them or holding them back, is what causes
psychological defenses to form. People who use defenses to ignore their feelings, lose the information
feelings provide. ​Feelings and desire no longer mobilize their actions; anxiety and defenses do. ​If
expressing certain feelings were dangerous in a past relationship, the body is inclined to react as if it is
still dangerous in the present.

Humans, unlike many animals when they are born, are completely dependent on a caregiver (usually their
mother) for survival. That survival is implicitly a form of relational survival where in order for the child to
feel secure, it must feel adequate emotional support and receive appropriate mutual connection. This is
the signal that the child’s basic biological needs such as food, water and shelter will be met. The desire
for approval is the primary governing factor in early human relationships. Threats of perceived emotional
rejection are interpreted by the body as a direct threat to survival and immediately summon a defensive
response.

Having learned implicitly that certain feelings make a caretaker anxious the child uses defenses when
those feelings arise. These defenses, learned in childhood, become strengthened through countless
repetitions forming patterns which take the shape of ​character structures by adulthood. ​Character
structures reveal how we learned to maintain a relationship all the while compromising our core
feeling self. ​They are shaped in an attempt to escape pain. Since they are formed at such a young age
most people assume that character structures are simply “how they are” not realizing change is possible.

There are two types of defenses. Repressive defenses are ones we employ to keep our own feelings at a
distance creating barriers to self-intimacy. Tactical defenses are used to keep others at a distance and
create barriers to relational intimacy.

The worst thing about character structures is that they limit our ability to be in mutual connection
with ourselves, with others, and with the world; they keeps us from being able to commit to life. It
is important to realize that while character structures are compromises in authenticity, they are
fundamentally creative survival strategies. They served an important purpose during our childhood years,
and it is important that we have compassion for those aspects of ourselves and others. It is only through
compassionate affirmation of our suppressed selves that we can re-own the parts of ourselves that we
have lost.

The ​Bodynamic system is a revolutionary therapy created by a team of twelve Danish therapists led by
Lisbeth Marcher over the span of several decades and 15,000+ case reports. It was developed to help
people regain their lost dignity and achieve their maximum potential as a human being.
Phases of Development:

1. Existence​ (2nd trimester – 3 months): where a basic imprint of one’s right to exist and feel safe in
contact is formed.
2. Need​ (1 month – 18 months): The right to sense ones own needs, express them and have them
met.
3. Autonomy​ (7 months – 2.5 years): Curiosity & impulses drive the impulse for mobility. Child
learns to crawl and walk in order to explore the world, while keeping contact and accessing
support when needed.
4. Will​ (2 – 4 years): The ability to make choices and choose direction using one’s power, as well as
navigating relationships
5. Love/Sexuality​ (3 – 6 years): Where the child learns to love in a romantic way and learns to
integrate heart and sexual/sensual feelings.
6. Opinion Forming​ (5 – 9 years): The child learns to open up the world through thought, and
learns to deal with rules, norms and culture.
7. Solidarity/Performance​ (7 – 12 years): Where the child finds a place in culture by learning how
to be a member of group and community; by exploring solidarity and competitive impulses.

Polarity Spectrum

All character structures exist on a spectrum which is contingent on the type and ​timing of nurture the child
receives in development. Overwhelming emotional stress that existed ​early within a particular phase of
development creates a certain kind of psychological and emotional resignation which is then mirrored
physically in the body. This results in character deficiencies and a loss of emotional and psychological
skills. When the child has the opportunity and support to develop emotional and psychological resources
but then emotional stress came ​later on in a particular phase of development, this will result in a “holding
back” typically of anger, and a type of emotional armouring occurs. This is then also reflected in the
neuro-somatic organization of the body.

Continuum

1. Existence
Mental

General Attributes:
 ● Schizoid
● Dissociation – Splits into head & thoughts; schizoid
● Child feels unwanted/threatened by annihilation
● Feels connected to others through thoughts
● Avoids physical/emotional contact; becomes “emotionally absent”
● Existential Terror/Rage of annihilation at the core (holding deep)
● Fear of fragmentation
● Feels isolated
● Make energetic contact
● Thinks philosophically
● Defense: Intellectualization, Rationalization

Physical Attributes:

● Energy is drawn to the bones

● Eyes unfocused, looking into distance
● Takes up little space
● Uncoordinated when moving

Need to Learn:

● To feel body, emotions and concretize understanding

● Build capacity for emotional closeness

Emotional

General Attributes:

● Hysteric
 ● Flight toward life – Splits into body & emotions; hysterical
● Child felt secure at one point, but now, no longer feels wanted
● Sense of having lost paradise, and of desperately wanting to regain it
● Child flings itself toward intense contact and high emotional charge in an attempt to ensure it’s
own continued existence, and that of the world
● Feels connected to other through emotions
● Clings to emotional contact/expression
● Becomes activated when conflict is sensed
● Insists on emotional contact
● Feels lonely

Physical Attributes:

● Energy is located around bones and skin, but lacking in the muscle layers in-between
● Skin looks flushed or has a more reddish hue due to increased blood flow to the skin
● Eyes are focused, fixed on foreground and background simultaneously
● Their energy takes up a lot of space
● Powerful activity in their movement

Need to Learn:

● Accept and appreciate contact without powerful emotions

● Distinguish between reality and intuitions by by precisely naming their feelings and emotions

Read more about early mental existence…

Read more about late emotional existence…

2. Need
Despair
General Attributes:

● Mother is emotionally absent and does not meet needs of child; ex. A child left alone to cry
for hours on end.
● Does not recognize their OWN needs
● Feels abandoned; left behind
● Waiting for nourishment to come
● Can love others, but has difficult taking love in from others; cares more about others than
self
● Energetically & emotionally merges with others and environment, loses self
● Frequently engages in projective identification (defense)
● Is very good at mirroring others
● Tendency towards a pollyanna outlook on life; glass half full
● “If you’re happy, then I’m happy.” ; “It’s all OK.”
● Makes use of superficial platitudes, such as “Love is all there is.”
● Tend to “babble” more
● Don’t take in or absorb energy
● Can result in anorexia.

Physical Attributes:

● Eyes yearning/sucking seeking expression

● Lips tend to be Full & ‘loose’

Need to Learn:

● To feel deeply what they need

● How to take contact in and absorb it so it lasts. Build capacity for satisfaction
● Distinguish between their own needs and others; differentiate themselves from others &
environment
 Distrust

General Attributes:

● Mother only half-meets the needs of the child

● Paranoid, distrustful, bitter, irritated, injured, pouty, cynical
● Is certain others will not fulfil their needs.
● Feels misunderstood. Takes what they can get.
● Able to recognize their needs, however bitter that they are unfulfilled.
● Pessimistic; glass half empty
● “If I have to tell you my needs, it’s already too late.”
● Knows their needs but it only feels right when they are met spontaneously.
● Makes emotional but unarticulated demands. Typically will not ask for help.
● Gives freely but is bitter over not receiving.
● Rejects what they receive as wrong/not good enough. Takes in, spits back out.
● Typical Defenses: Complaining, Ruminating
● Nothing will ever satisfy them.
● Manage their energy and feelings by rejecting
● Can result in bulimia.

Physical Attributes:

● One eye sucks in, other pushes away.

● Lips tend to be pursed

Need to Learn:

● That they themselves know what they need

 ● To communicate their needs with specifics
● Build capacity for satisfaction when needs are met

Read more about early need – despairing…

Read more about late need – distrusting…

3. Autonomy
Non-verbal activity changing

General Attributes:

● Mother takes over & dictates feelings and desires by smothering child (helicopter parent)
● Child gives up on own desire & impulses
● May act from other people’s desires/impulses
● Waiting to be swept off their feet. Seeks and wants others to stimulate them.
● Exhibits charming child-like innocence and playfulness.
● “Tell me a story.”
 ● Sensitive to control, power and manipulation. Has issues with “authority”.
● Commitment phobic
● Tends to experience self as helpless & others in ​control;​ omnipotent transference
● Don’t know what it’s like to receive help without being overtaken
● Changes plans abruptly without saying anything. Does so subconsciously.
● Avoids unpleasant feelings by walking away without talking
● Despise boxes; prefers the “freedom” of ambiguity
● Feel empty inside. The “Void”.

Physical Attributes:

● Doe-eyes
● Appear to be very well “anchored”
● Has a waddle like walk & grover arms; energy triangulates into the lower body/legs

Need to Learn:

● To connect and act from their own impulses.

● To self-stimulate rather than relying on others for stimulation.

Verbal activity changing

General Attributes:
 ● Mother does not support child as they become mobile
● Can’t dare how much something means to them
● Constantly creates power struggles; Can’t tell them what to do; Has issues with “authority”.
● Commitment phobic
● Changes topics in conversation frequently and abruptly to avoid uncomfortable feelings; skittish.
Does so subconsciously.
● Quick to boredom therefore tend to keep busy
● Stereotypical jock; often involved in sports or something competitive/power struggle like; bully,
combative
● “Just messin with ya”
● Often Charismatic, skitzy like Robin Williams
● Feel shame when asking for help (therefore usually won’t) or not knowing the correct answer
● Inability to ask for or accept help
● Show too much interest/ in them and they get scared of being taken over
● Try to do everything themselves
● Shallow; has trouble going “deep”

Physical Attributes:

● Magnanimous eyes
● Appear to be very energized & impulsive
● Has a superman like posture; chest puffed out; energy triangulates in the upper torso of the body

Need to Learn:

● Feeling and taking in support from others

● Slow down, relax and connect with their centre, the origin of their impulses

Read more about early autonomy…

Read more about late autonomy…

4. Will
Self-sacrificing
General Attributes:

● Mother treats child with the attitude “do for me, not for you”
● Child gives up own sense of power to serve/please others
● Child is crushed/smothered when using his/her own power
● Child is unable to choose for themselves and act from core
● Defense: Projection of will
● Experience themselves as inadequate because they believe they should know without
asking or learning.
● “You ​make​ me feel xyz.” ; omnipotent transference
● Gives up power in one way to gain it in another
● Gains power by taking care of people in a one-up one-down relationship; self-worth
derived from this
● Leads with “unconscious compassion” and an open heart….yet underneath harbors lots of
resentment
● Blames others for not helping
● Can’t grasp consequences, resulting in difficulties with choices and planning
● Prone to black and white thinking
● Feels temporary pseudo-power through “hard work” and continuous activity of “doing”,
“willing” and “efforting”
● Burdened & proud, altruistic, devoted & patient; martyr
● Experiences guilt, shame and low self-esteem easily
● Tends to be masochistic & enduring
● Very self-critical; self flogging; thousands of times a day; often leads to depression
● Assumes connection will be lost/relationships will end when they go into their own power
Physical Attributes:

● Carrying an invisible yoke across their shoulders; tail drawn between legs
● Pained-Compassionate expression on their face; apologetic

Need to Learn:

● Give up the fantasy of being able to remove/solve others’ problems.

● Ask others about their expectations instead of believing they know them.
● How to feel and emobdy their own sense of power using bodynamic ego functions &
associated muscles
● Accept criticism of their actions without confusing it with criticism of their personality

Judgemental

General Attributes:

● Mother isolates child when he/she acts with their own will & power
● Child is unable to feel connected to family when they use their own will & power
● Critical, Judgmental and often have disgust expression
● Chronically irritated, cross their arms, blame a lot
● Feel only powerful on their own and then tend to do things full blast
● Feels that nearly everyone around them is stupid & dumb
● Experiences that “it’s the others’ fault”
● Act on unarticulated rituals, rules and plans.
 ● Task is more important than their own needs
● Overly optimistic about time needed to complete a task
● Continuous “doing” and “willing” and effort. Must be done well.
● Do not like to be told what to do. Instantly resist.
● Tend to hold-on and push through
● Letting go feels threatening & dreadful
● Defense: Blaming
● Feel that it’s all on them
● Rigid & stubborn
● Holding back on anger, strong emotions & vulnerability results in lots of upper back & neck
tension
● Bruxism; undifferentiated muscle tension, tight hamstrings
● Can’t relax unless all work is complete…which it never is…

Physical Attributes:

● Analyzing/Judging look in the eyes

● “Bull necked”
● Resting Bitchy Face or Resting Asshole Face

Need to Learn:

● Compassion by melting the armour around the heart using the bodynamic ego functions &
associated muscles
● Experience problems as solutions waiting to be found as opposed to burdens

Read more about early will self-sacrificing…

Read more about late will judging…

5. Love/Sexuality
Romantic
General Attributes:

● Mother negates sexual component of love

● Child denies sensual/sexual feelings and identifies with romantic & heart feelings
● Repressed sexuality
● Wound is in the pelvis, results in poor pelvic energy
● Experiences their love as pure, untainted by sexual desire
● Coquettish – flirty however waits for other to initiate contact
● Waiting for their prince charming/princess, so they can “give” their heart away when they
arrive
● Thoughts and feelings wrapped up in fantasy
● Wants reality to be different than it is
● Defense: Denial
● Paradoxically uses sex to get love/connection
● Female version: Charlotte from Sex and the City
● Male version – chivalry, white-knight
● Romeo & Juliet, Beauty & the Beast

Physical Attributes:

● Neck is held high

● Gaze is innocent/flirty in females, proud in males
● Sex organs are “hidden”/”drawn back”

Need to Learn:

● Integrate fantasy and reality without giving up on either

● Feel sexual arousal/desire in the lower part of their body as opposed to in the heart

Seductive
General Attributes:

● Mother focuses on sexual component of love

● Child identifies with sexuality and represses feelings of love
● Gaze is straight on undresses you with their eyes
● Wound is in the heart.
● Guards/protects heart from deeper intimacy
● Paradoxically shows love to get sex
● Female version: Samantha from Sex and the City
● Male version – Don Juan, womanizer, player

Physical Attributes:

● Neck is held straight

● Gaze is seductive
● Sex organs are forward, exhibited

Need to Learn:

● To have friendships without sexualizing them

● Drop the guard around their heart and open to feelings of greater heart intimacy

Read more about Early Love/Sexuality – Romantic…

Read more about Late Love/Sexuality Seductive…
 6. Opinion
Sullen

General Attributes:

● Parents ignore/shun child when he/she begins forming their own opinions
● Child loses contact when forming independent opinions
● “If I have an opinion, something will go wrong.”
● Has difficulty forming, holding and articulating opinions
● Passively opposes opinions of others; Passive- aggressive
● Non-verbally insinuates another’s opinion as foolish
● “Whatever!”

Physical Attributes:

● Difficulty rotating spine

● Sways from side-to-side
● Slightly raised eyebrows and a passive, given up and know-all expression in the eyes

Need to Learn:

● to feel supported in their opinions, how to form them and hold on to them using bodynamic
ego functions & associated muscles
 Opinionated

General Attributes:

● Parents reject child when he/she cannot explain or argue their point of view
● Identified with being right and will fight for it
● Holds onto opinions irrespective of logic or correctness
● Forward leaning
● Argumentative, stubborn, snobbish
● Actively seeks to confront others
● Picks arguments and tries to persuade others
● Unable to examine and self-reflect on own point of view

Physical Attributes:

● “Ready to fight” expression in the eyes

Need to Learn:

● Letting go of the feeling of the need to be right

Read more about Early Opinion – Sullen…

Read more about Late Opinion – Opionated
 7. Solidarity/Performance
Leveling

General Attributes:

● Parents/peers/teachers put child down when he/she begins to perform well

● Child experiences a loss of worth and dignity related to performance
● Child often is often shamed/ignored when he/she begins to shine
● Does not want to stand out by being special
● Very concerned with fairness, equality, and conformity
● Identifies with group and tries to maintain status quo
● It’s a sad dog that doesn’t wag its own tail.
● Ideologically akin to Communism, Socialism, Collectivism
● ‘Social Justice Warriors’
● Everyone gets a ribbon for competing; Everyone is a winner.
● Will often engage in shaming to level the playing field

Physical Attributes:

● Face: focused with a searching look

● Appears to have a soft expression in the eyes

Need to Learn:

● To come out and feel secure in their uniqueness

Competitive
General Attributes:

● Parents/peers/teachers reward child with contact/connection when he/she performs or competes

● Child begins to see performance as the best way of getting connection
● Child learns it’s value is not inherent but only related to how well he/she performs/achieves
● Ballet and soccer Moms & Dads are notorious for creating this structure or parents who demand
nothing less than an A+ academically
● Very image conscious and social status driven
● Driven to acquire status and/or symbols of status; ex. position at work, coming first in a
competitive sport, letters behind name (academics), fancy cars, jewellery, big homes, lots of
shoes, designer everything, make-up, physique, etc.
● Competes with others for best position, often competes with self
● Ideologically akin to Capitalism, Darwinism
● Often become over-achievers in order to try and maintain connection
● Has difficulty fitting into groups
● Hogs the ball in soccer, or the puck in hockey, or the ball in basketball; has difficulty passing and
being a “team” player
● Obsessed with performance & being clever
● Vindictive; Retributive; Jealous

Physical Attributes:

● Face: focused with an expression of goal-directedness and performance

 ● Appears to have a hard expression in the eyes

Need to Learn:

● To feel that they have value irrespective of their status/achievements/performance

● Te be OK with being an ordinary group member

Read more about Leveling…

Read more about Competitive/Performance…

Summary:

Solutions:

Tailor made strategies need to be individualized for a person to reach their full potential. Late structures
are inherently easier to work with as there are already pschyo-emotional resources in place. For the most
part it merely involves a process of letting go. Conventional ​ISTDP therapy​, personal development
programs such as ​Landmark Forum or even entheogenic plants such as Ayahuasca can be used with a
relatively high degree of success even though they lack inherent precision.

When it comes to early character structures however, only Bodynamic therapy provides sufficient tools to
make serious progress due to it’s unique childhood neurodevelopmental approach. In this case a skilled
Bodynamic therapist who can guide a person to discover and utilize somatic emotional resources that
simply were not learned in childhood is necessary. Also since the damage was done in mutual
connection, it can only be fixed via properly attuned mutual connection. Compassion and positive
affirmation for the lost and disavowed aspects of the self is critical here.

The Bodymap:

The Bodymap is the single most

powerful self discovery and development tool ever created. The purpose of the bodymap is to figure out
what issues from childhood are holding a person back emotionally and psychologically in terms of their
well being.The process takes about 3 hours as approximately 150 muscles and fascia are tested
individually for their elasticity. Every muscle and fascia is associated with a single or multiple character
structures as well as ego functions.

Muscles that are hypo-responsive are signified by the colour blue and indicate emotional issues that were
overwhelming in early childhood leading to a resignation in the muscle and an underdevelopment of the
associated emotional psychological function. Muscles that are hyper-responsive are signified by the
colour red and indicate emotional armouring in response to stress. The bodymap is an empirical tool to
help determine the development and neural patterning of a persons limbic system as manifested
anatomically through the body.

It’s important to note that how hypo/hyper-tonic a muscle is has nothing to do with it’s flexibility, physical
strength or it’s size. It has more to do with the level of engagement of the muscle and whether it is
chronically under-engaged or chronically over-engaged. This is determined mostly by a persons 24/7
subconscious emotional states.

While a bodymap is highly advantageous, it is not necessary to make significant progress. A skilled
bodynamic therapist can utilize knowledge of the character structures and apply a trial and error method
to see which muscles and their ego functions have the intended effect.
1. Awareness

Becoming aware of feelings, emotions and sensations in the body and where they are located is the first
step in resolving issues.

2. Compassionate Affirmation

Having compassion and affirming the parts of the self that have been disavowed. This is most powerfully
accomplished with a trained therapist who can have compassion and affirm the parts we may not even
recognize in our selves that we have exiled. Understanding the unfulfilled emotional desires of each
character structure is critical for this to happen as compassion needs to be tailored to specific aspects of
ourselves and the associated emotions.

3. Work with hypo-responsive muscles

In Bodynamics muscles that are hypo-tonic are typically worked on first. They represent lessons of
appropriate childhood development that are missing. Muscles and their associated
psychological/emotional function are considered psychological and emotional “resources” that help
people in daily life. Typically armouring is a result of a lack of resources in other areas. These resources
are usually built up first before the compensating armour is “melted” away in order to ensure healthy
integration and regulation without catharsis. Hypo-responsive muscles are simply activated while using
the associated psychological-emotional-ego function and tracking internal emotional responses.

4. Work with hyper-responsive muscles

Hyper-responsive muscles are typically worked on last through the use of physically stretching the muscle
and letting go of the emotional tension that is held in association with it.

Additional Notes:

● People often will use the terms “depression” and “despair” interchangeably. However a clear
distinction must be made between these two concepts as solving them requires two completely
different strategies. Despair is the feeling of hopelessness that comes along with a feeling the
attuned contact is likely never possible. Despair exists primarily in the ​early need character
structure.
● Depression is the result of consistent self-attack and mismanagement of anger and appears to
show up most prominently in the Self-sacrificing character structure. To be successfully resolved
a sense of power needs to be built up in an individual using bodynamic ego functions &
associated muscles as well as some of the ISTDP protocols around re-directing anger and
appropriate containment and expression can be a great adjunct.
● Narcissism is primarily an attribute of the three following structures: Late Existence, Late
Autonomy and Late Performance.