Friederike Mainz: If you apply the social division into economy, law and culture/human development to the human body, where do you see the heart, the nervous system and so on?
Karin Michael: The centre that perceives and thinks would primarily be the nervous and sensory system. This must be allowed to remain uninfluenced and free. The area that supplies everything and keeps it in motion – that is, the economy – is represented by the metabolic-limb system. Love and community – the very essence of the social sphere – are the connecting link; that is the heart. Justice must also prevail within it.
You place the heart – that is, love – within the social sphere. The social sphere is also the realm of justice. These are not necessarily equated with love. But is love the heightened form of just relationships?
We tend to relate feelings to ourselves. If we consider this from the fundamental perspective of the development of egoism, we look first to our own well-being. The next step is illustrated by the beautiful image of mother and child, when this feeling extends from the mother to the child. It is even more beautiful when we allow this circle to grow ever wider, so that at some point we develop a feeling for humanity that is akin to that for the child. Steiner described how egoism is, as it were, transformed by having expanded to the point where it can extend to humanity – or, ideally, to the Earth and the planet as well. This sense of care then becomes one with everything that surrounds us. So one must begin with one’s own feelings, so that it is authentic and truly permeates our consciousness. And then it is a matter of developing the ability to rise above oneself – ever further.
How do you see this playing out with children and young people, your area of expertise?
When you become a parent for the first time, the love that pours out over a child is simply wonderful. You really give everything – your sleep, your nutrition; the mother, quite literally, her very physical being. Physiologically, you expand to encompass another human being. This is a prime example of how love can help us develop social skills. The family is the very archetype of social life. The influences we absorb there form the foundation for all our future social behaviour. The family is the nucleus of social competence. The significance of what this care entails becomes tangible in medical care. Involving parents in medical processes is always highly effective. It is often very small things, such as applying a topical treatment for earache or a foot massage to help the child fall asleep. It always has a better and more profound effect when parents are involved.
Why is this more effective?
For me, anthroposophic medicine is the medicine of warmth. There is a physical warmth that does us good, but there is also a social warmth. This has an incredibly powerful effect when a person receives care and attention. It begins with the first bonding after birth. It is lovely to observe, for example, how a child who is still breathing irregularly and with difficulty is placed on their mother’s or father’s chest, and how the warmth and skin-to-skin contact help to regulate their breathing and cardiovascular system. That is always the aim in neonatology: to bring the child into this close human-to-human contact as quickly as possible. So much can happen through human warmth. It is a fundamental principle that we can also observe clearly later on. When a loved one or someone familiar is present, a person experiencing breathing difficulties, for example, finds it easier to breathe again.
What happens in the body?
There are now initial studies on oxytocin levels in relation to such phenomena. This is well understood in the context of bonding: through skin-to-skin contact, not only does the child develop a sense of regulation and a strong bond with their parents – the parents also release higher levels of oxytocin, the so-called ‘love hormone’. This has also been observed in people following a heart attack: if a loved one is with them during acute treatment, the outcome is better. Oxytocin levels are higher in such cases, and this promotes the healing and regeneration of heart muscle cells following damage. Research is currently investigating how this can be utilised to support the healing of heart muscle cells through the administration of oxytocin. It is even better, however, when a person is there – because that leads to a more comprehensive healing process.
“This safety net in which we are supported is, at its core, a social one.”
If we look at the opposite phenomenon: when is oxytocin not released? What inhibits or interrupts this?
Unfortunately, we are also familiar with this from the very beginning of life. Separation in emergency situations – for example, if the mother needs surgery after giving birth – is difficult. Separation triggers the release of stress hormones. It impairs breathing and weakens the immune system.
What impact do social isolation and loneliness have during adolescence or adulthood?
Unfortunately, we have seen very clear examples of this since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Social isolation has led to a sharp increase in loneliness, particularly during adolescence – an age when, as part of healthy development, young people need to distance themselves somewhat from their parents and grow into ‘chosen families’, that is, friendships and peer groups. This process has been significantly disrupted. Instead, children and young people were forced to retreat into the internet and into isolation. The result was an incredible rise in depression, anxiety and social phobias. Loneliness often exacerbates depression – if not actually causing it – as well as anxiety. Anxiety and loneliness are frequently closely linked. Anxiety is often alleviated by being surrounded by people and feeling as though one is being held within a safe network. Intuitively, anyone would give another person a hug if they realised they could no longer control their fear. This closeness – this sense of being held – remains, just as after birth, a fundamental hallmark of protection. And this safe network in which we are held is, at its core, a social one.
You worked as a senior consultant for a long time. What changes have you observed in children and young people?
Children’s lives have changed dramatically. These days, virtually everyone carries a smartphone with them as if it were an extension of their body – including parents, many of whom work with digital media as part of their jobs. As a result, children experience significantly less, or hardly any, time during which they receive an adult’s undivided attention. Even straight after birth in the delivery room, instead of a moment of undivided bonding, the first videos and selfies are taken to share the news with the whole world. So right from the start, there’s a sense of ‘detachment’ and a much wider circle of attention. You’re immediately drawn in different directions and aren’t just there for and with that one child. When a child is born, up until that point communication has only taken place physically between mother and child. The first forms of eye contact, learning to read facial expressions, making sense of sounds – all of this has yet to develop. If a child looks into an adult’s face seeking a friendly smile, but receives no response because the adult is looking at their smartphone and getting annoyed by a message, it is deeply unsettling for a child’s searching soul! If they repeatedly receive conflicting or unclear messages about something they are only just beginning to understand, it is hardly surprising that children are learning less and less to understand others on a deep level. The breakdown of relationships and divided attention – where you never know for certain: ‘Am I being addressed right now or not?’ – change children. I believe that the fact we are talking more and more about autism spectrum disorders is linked to this phenomenon. I don’t actually see full-blown autism any more frequently than I used to. But today, children face much tougher conditions when it comes to learning the ability to read others, form relationships with them and make communication work. We can also see this in the figures on speech and language development disorders, the need for speech and language support, and later on, support with reading and spelling. Children simply no longer have as favourable conditions as they did thirty years ago.
If children find it difficult to ‘read’ one another – is this linked to their capacity for empathy and their ability to act in the other’s best interests?
This is how I see it: through an intensive bonding process with their parents – which extends beyond the postnatal phase – children learn to be recognised in their verbal expressions and even in their moods, and to recognise others. And they increasingly translate this into an exchange, a resonance, that enables them to interpret the other person with compassion, both verbally and non-verbally. When additional elements of communication and distractions keep creeping in – often the sound of a mobile phone notification is enough to divert attention slightly away from the conversation – the basic prerequisite for empathy, if not compassion itself, is missing. Both require undivided, unbroken attention.
‘The immediacy of an encounter allows us to sense the other person in such a way that we can develop trust and reach a decision together.’
Applied to the economy, a future worth living in depends on us no longer being indifferent to the people at the other end of the supply chain, on us caring about the planet, and on us finding an economy that works for the good of all. Listening to you, I might feel sad or frustrated because we are systematically working against precisely this ability. Do you see a connection there?
I had an experience with my nephew that was a real eye-opener for me. He works in business relations and noticed early on during the pandemic – when many of his previous client visits were switched to online meetings – that people no longer trusted him as readily; they were buying far less. After all, entering into a business relationship is also a matter of human connection and trust. Is he pulling the wool over my eyes, or can I trust him? He said: ‘I’m actually saying the same things as before; it’s about the same products, but they don’t trust me as much anymore because we no longer meet in real space and time, engaging all our senses.’ Rudolf Steiner would say: from ‘I’ to ‘I’, including the sense of the ‘I’. The way we interact, the ideas we share, and the real-life experiences we have in common also make a difference in business life. Human beings are complex sensory beings. And it is only through the immediacy of face-to-face interaction that we can truly sense the other person in such a way that we develop trust and are able to reach a decision together – as simple as a sales contract. I found it very instructive to see just how crucial the human element is, even in areas where we assume it is all about sober, predictable figures.
The connection becomes clear: the ability to read others at all is the foundation of trust. And the experience of knowing that there is someone who cares about my well-being has a healing effect.
And children are incredibly keen to trust. Real-life encounters are also lacking when it comes to developing a sense of boundaries. Whereas in the past one might have received an immediate reaction to a boundary being crossed, today we operate in a virtual space. This social trial and error is important. And the fact that one then receives only a text in reply, rather than seeing the other person’s face, makes a difference. Are they hurt? Are they pleased? How does what I say affect the other person? It is precisely where social relationships and early romantic relationships begin to develop that deeper scars are now being left on social trust and on essential psychological development processes. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we noticed – particularly among young people – just how much they missed social connections and relationships. Spaces where they were simply allowed to be themselves, where they could experiment through interactions and physical contact. The Ticino Institute, which I co-founded, is a centre that collects and researches examples of best practice in sustainable education. How should children’s development be shaped today so that we can even begin to come to terms with this cultural revolution, with the parallel worlds in which children now find themselves? Collaboration between therapy and education has become essential at every level, whether the focus is on preventing sedentary lifestyles, healthy eating or mental health issues.
Does the remit need to be broader? In other words, physical, mental and social health all together?
Yes. When you look at the figures on obesity, and consider the lack of physical activity and the general health education and upbringing of children and young people, you have to admit: we’re not on the right track in many areas. The quality of our diet is declining, as is the rhythm of eating – which I consider to be exceptionally beneficial to health, as is any rhythm, for that matter – and the amount of physical activity in everyday life. Just think of how much sedentary activity there is in schools! Something has to change so that children can even begin to connect with their bodies and their physiology. This requires initiatives such as those we are trying to implement at the Ticino Institute.
It’s also linked to the dominant economic narrative about how food is produced, how we get around, and what and how we teach in schools. Do you have any wishes for the business world with regard to the well-being of society and public health?
Absolutely. At the moment, you can see the incredible sums of money being channelled into military build-up and preparations for disaster situations. In Germany, I’m seeing what I find to be a disappointing pretence of necessity to become ‘war-ready’, rather than acting in ways that promote peace and health. I’d like to see budgets for children and young people allocated quite differently. I’d invest them in intercultural projects. How do I learn to trust that what is different can also be good? I’m firmly convinced that experiencing this as an enrichment is what peace work is all about. The second point for me is a restructuring of our education system. I very much hope that children are given more opportunities for real-life experiences – that learning takes place much more through movement, is more creative and artistic, and is based more strongly on small-group work, encounters and the gathering of practical experience. This real, multi-sensory experience, this formal immersion in the world – that is becoming increasingly difficult for children. A horticulture teacher told me that children are increasingly reluctant to get their hands dirty. This shying away from life pains me.
It’s already the case that companies are saying: ‘We need far more people who are creative, diverse and flexible’. Is what you’re saying also a call to action for the business world?
Yes!