The trauma of birth

In 'The Trauma of Birth,' Otto Rank posits that the experience of birth is the first and most significant traumatic event in human life, leading to lasting anxiety and influencing various aspects of human behavior, including art, religion, and psychological development.

Rank argues that this trauma stems from the transition from the womb to the external world, creating feelings of confinement, constriction, and separation.

He also discusses how this trauma can be re-experienced and resolved through psychoanalytic treatment.

The book challenges some of Freud's ideas, particularly the Oedipus complex, and emphasizes the importance of early mother-child relationships.