ABSTRACT
Out of all the intense activity between the males and females, fathers and mothers emerges the child. Just as in the anima and animus, there appear to be innate recognition aspects of the brain that orient to child-specific stimuli. There appears to be a variety of innate predispositions to recognize children via cues of pedomorphic characteristics, kin relatedness, infant viability, and nursing behavior, related to intact CARE systems in the paleomammal brain. In symbolism, Carl Jung argued, the Child represents the “preconscious, childhood aspect of the psyche”. The mythic child, however, despite being continually exposed to danger and destruction, contains a tremendous divine latent power within. The child image is another animate symbol. In considering these symbols, one should note that kin-relatedness and infant viability, both innate aspects of the system, may be included as part of the nuances of this imagery.
