Reviewed by Thelma B. Freedman, M.A.
In JRT Issue 11, Fall 1993
Voices From the Womb presents case studies from Michael Gabriel’s fifteen years of practicing prenatal and perinatal therapy and the conclusions he has drawn from this experience. Since Verny’s pioneering work, The Secret Life of the Unborn Child, was published in 1981, a more or less steady stream of evidence has developed that demonstrates the importance of pre- and perinatal experiences on the infant. The Gabriels’ book extends this evidence and is what I consider the most useful book for therapists on the subject.
The book is well organized. In his Introduction, Gabriel gives us an excellent overview of the field and of his methods of working with pre- and perinatal material. In this section he refers the reader to his three Appendices, which describe in detail his findings about possible prenatal conditions, the infant’s choices of responses to those conditions and Gabriel’s therapeutic processes for releasing the negative responses. Although these Appendices are at the back of the book, as a therapist I turned to them immediately and read them straight through; they are invaluable for a deeper understanding of the cases Gabriel presents.
The cases in this book are not merely “magic cures” briefly presented. They have been chosen to illustrate specific points or problems, and a full chapter is given to most. All are carefully analyzed and the course of treatment explained. Gabriel’s conclusions are thoughtful and drawn from what his clients tell him, a major strength of the book; he does not superimpose any other ideas on his clients’ reports.
In addition to the pre- and perinatal experiences of his clients, Gabriel discusses the impact of the spiritual dimension in which his clients report existing before they join the fetus in the womb. This spiritual dimension is, of course, familiar to most past-life therapists, although the pre- and perinatal experiences may not be. Thus, Gabriel presents a continuum of experience as formative of the person: the spiritual dimension, the prenatal experiences, and the birth and neonatal experiences.
This is where I have a caveat with this book. Although Gabriel mentions past-life experiences once or twice, he seems to me to give them much less than their due. One could conclude that Gabriel considers that all personality characteristics are formed in the pre- and perinatal states. Reading his cases carefully, however, I can generalize that the “style of approach” to life is learned in the womb and during the birth experience, the sense of self-worth and confidence or, alternatively, of self-doubt and low self-esteem. These elements of personality seem strongly connected with the experiences Gabriel discusses.
Other personality characteristics, however, such as likes and dislikes, goals, fears, skills, tendencies, and all the other intangible elements of what we call personality, seem much less connected with the pre- or perinatal experience. Nor are the physical problems that past-life therapists so frequently see. These elements continue to seem based on past-life experiences more than on the pre- or perinatal experiences.
This is not an argument against what Gabriel presents. On the contrary, his findings suggest that past-life therapists should probably expand past-life therapy to include the pre- and perinatal states and the spiritual dimension before the “joining” with the fetal body, if they do not already do so. Gabriel does not discuss doing this, but as life is a continuum, all parts of that continuum are important.
As a therapist’s guide to using these states in therapy, the Gabriels’ book is invaluable and the best I know of. They describe specific techniques and demonstrate their uses through the numerous cases presented. In addition to the three Appendices, which are of special interest to therapists, the book contains an excellent bibliography, useful to therapists and the general public alike.
For the interested lay reader, the book is jargon-free and should be fascinating and perhaps helpful as well. And, of course, for expectant parents, this book is a necessity (and contains a chapter especially for them). If you know any, give it to them instantly!
ISBN-13: 978-0944031094