The predicament of the human young is immensely increased by still another biological circumstance—namely, by the fact that he is born at an earlier, less matured stage of physical development than any other mammal. These two interrelated circumstances, namely: the atrophy of the instinct of self-preservation; and the immaturity of apparatuses at birth. This chapter demonstrates that the syndromes of early infantile psychoses, both the autistic as well as the symbiotic type, represent fixations at, or regressions to, the first two developmental stages of "undifferentiation" within the early mother–child unity. The pre-symbiotic, normal-autistic phase of the mother-infant unity gives way to the symbiotic phase proper. The symbiotic phase is followed by the so-called separation-individuation phase proper. The symbiotic psychotic syndrome represents fixation at or regression to the second undifferentiated stage of the mother-child unity, which is the stage of delusional omnipotent symbiotic fusion with the need-satisfying object.
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