Physical Dynamics of Character Structure: Bodily Form and Movement in Analytic Therapy

by Alexander Lowen

If body structure and temperament are related, as anyone who studies human nature can determine, the question then Can one change the character of an individual without some change in the body structure and in its functional mobility? Conversely, If one can change the structure and improve its mobility can we not effectuate those changes in temperament which the patient demands? In his emotional expression, the individual is a unity. It is not the mind which becomes angry nor the body which strikes. It is the individual who expresses himself. So we study how a specific individual expresses himself, what is the range of his emotions and what are his limits. It is a study of the motility of the organism for the emotion is based on an ability "to move out."

368 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1958

About the author

Alexander Lowen (1910–2008) was an American physician and psychotherapist. The story of his life is a story of how he honored the body and healed his mind-body split. It is also the story of how, along the way, he helped mankind.

During his lifetime, Lowen earned four college degrees: his Bachelor of Science; his Bachelor of Law (L.L.B); his Doctor of Sciences of Law (J.S.D.); and his medical Degree (M.D.). He developed Wilhelm Reich's beliefs into Bioenergetic Analysis and created a large and viable organization, the International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis (IIBA) to sustain and promote his therapeutic approach. The IIBA now has over 1500 members and 54 training institutes worldwide. Bioenergetic Analysis is now practiced not only in the United States, but also in Canada, Europe, Latin America, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and other countries.

Dr. Lowen has authored 14 books (translated to as many as eight different languages, collectively) as well as numerous articles and other professional publications. He also has presented his ideas in untold numbers of interviews, on video and audio tapes, and lectures worldwide. The establishment of the Journal for Bioenergetic Analysis gave him much satisfaction since it provides an ongoing forum for examining and furthering the ideas he pioneered. When asked during an interview in 2004 what has given him the most meaning in life, he responds without hesitation, feeling the pleasure and life of the body.