How would you explain to a modern age man that touch separates life from death? – Give him examples and documentation and hope For best.
One of the first examples in history was from the 13th century, Italy. An Italian emperor named Frederick II was known for his love for science and languages. His wisdom and sharp tongue enabled him to take over Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth in 1225 without shedding blood.
In one of his scientific1 experiments, the king claimed that infants who would not hear a language would develop a special one- the language of the gods. He did not hesitate and chose random orphans for the experiment, gave them shelter, food, and drink however prevented them from being treated and interacting with other humans. The result was unequivocal: the orphans did not survive and it is unnecessary to mention that they did not speak the language of the gods.
Another example comes from World War II. The war claimed many victims, leaving many children and babies orphaned. At the time, two psychoanalysts documented2 the development of events at an orphanage in New York. They noticed that there were not enough nurses to take care of the needs of all the children and babies. As a result, untreated babies developed antipsychotics and depression. This is especially common in infants, who are unable to verbally explain their feelings, as an adult can do.
In this context, it is important to mention that most psychoanalysts are not allowed to physically touch patients, as this contradicts the neutral point of view a therapist should have.
Another example is the picture of this text. What do they sell?
These are only a small part of the testimonies that illustrate the importance of human contact to one’s mental well-being, and in some cases even save lives.
The picture is money transfer, Telegram.
1King Frederic – Coulton’s (1907) translation of part of the Chronicle. An edition of the original chronicle, Cronica Fratis Salimbene de Adam Ordinus Minorum, appears in Monumenta Germaniae Historiae, XXXII, Scriptores, ed. by O. Holger-Egger, p. 350.
1https://www.digma.com/digma-images/video-scripts/fredericks_experiment.pdf
2 Spitz, R.A. and Wolf, K.M. Anaclitic depression: An inquiry into the genesis of psychiatric conditions in early childhood. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child. Vol. 2. International Universities Press, New York; 1946 (2:313–342)
