The impact of trauma on boundaries from the developmental perspective: normal and pathological symbiosis

Longing for oneness is a universal phenomenon that begins at birth and affects cognitive and emotional development. The desire for oneness according to Harrison (1979) has its origins in the infant-mother relationship. Mahler (1972) refers to this phenomenon, as “the mainspring of man’s eternal struggle against fusion and isolation” (p. 338). And indeed, symbiosis and individuation are the two poles between which an individual oscillates throughout life (Mahler, Pine, & Bergmann, 1975).