The Birth of Guilt and Shame - A Tantric Perspective on the First Murder in Human History

How ancient Tantra can make you your own anthropologist

Civilization is like a thin layer of ice upon a deep ocean of chaos and darkness. Werner Herzog

In an era where psychological discourse often revolves around familiar themes, it is refreshing to delve into a subject that touches on the very roots of human emotion—Guilt and Shame. These feelings, which many of us grapple with yet struggle to understand, may have origins far deeper than personal experience or societal conditioning. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, offered a profoundly speculative theory on this matter in his seminal work Totem and Taboo.

Freud, though not an anthropologist by trade, sought to understand the neuroses of his patients through a broader, anthropological lens. He compared their internal conflicts with the behaviors and societal structures of indigenous tribes, seeking parallels that could illuminate the origins of human psychology. Central to his theory was the idea of the “primal horde” and the first murder in human history—a patricide that, according to Freud, laid the foundation for all subsequent human society.

The First Murder: The Creation of Guilt and Shame

In Totem and Taboo, Freud posits that the origins of totemism and taboo can be traced back to a singular, catastrophic event in the early history of humanity. A group of brothers, expelled from their primal horde by a dominant and tyrannical father, eventually banded together to overthrow him. This act of patricide was not just a murder; it was a seismic event that fractured the fabric of early human society.

After killing their father, the brothers consumed him in a symbolic act that Freud likened to the communal eating of a totem animal, a practice found in various tribal societies. This act of consumption was both a form of communion and an attempt to assimilate the father’s power. Yet, it also generated profound feelings of guilt and shame—a recognition of the gravity of their crime and the violation of a deep-seated taboo. In Freud’s words:

“In the beginning, there was the act. The deed created the social structure, the morality, and the religion.”

This act of patricide, Freud argued, was the birth of the Oedipal complex, a central tenet of his psychoanalytic theory. The guilt and ambivalence generated by this primal crime became the foundation of all religious and societal structures. The brothers, unable to bear the weight of their guilt, sought to atone for their crime by establishing totemic religions and taboos that prohibited further violence against the father figure. These taboos were essentially the first laws, and the totem, a symbol of the father, became an object of worship and reverence.

Guilt and Shame as the Cornerstones of Civilization

Freud’s theory suggests that guilt and shame are not merely personal emotions but are deeply embedded in the very structure of human society. They are the emotional remnants of the first murder—the killing of the primal father—and the subsequent need to regulate human behavior through the establishment of laws and moral codes.

This perspective offers a radical view of human psychology. It suggests that the feelings of guilt and shame that we experience today are echoes of this primal event, reverberating through the ages and shaping the development of civilization itself. The implications are profound: if guilt and shame are foundational to human society, then the ways in which we deal with these emotions are central to the functioning of that society.

Criticisms and Alternative Perspectives

Freud’s theory, while groundbreaking, has been met with considerable skepticism, particularly from anthropologists and other psychologists. One major criticism is the lack of empirical evidence supporting the idea of a primal horde and a patricidal event at the dawn of human history. Anthropologists have pointed out that Freud’s ideas are based more on speculative reasoning than on concrete evidence from the field.

Claude Lévi-Strauss, a prominent anthropologist, critiqued Freud’s notion of totemism as overly simplistic, arguing that totemic systems are more complex and varied than Freud’s theory suggests. Lévi-Strauss believed that Freud’s psychoanalytic approach failed to account for the full diversity of totemic practices across different cultures.

Despite these criticisms, Freud’s ideas continue to provoke thought and debate, particularly in the realm of psychoanalysis and cultural theory. The notion that a singular, primal event could give rise to the complex web of human emotions and societal norms remains a compelling, if controversial, idea.

The Essence of Forbidden Yoga: Rituals of Self-Discovery

At Forbidden Yoga, our rituals are deeply rooted in the exploration of what it means to be human. These rituals are not merely exercises in sensuality; they are intense investigations into the origins of our behavior as a species. We aim to uncover the roots of emotions such as guilt, shame, violence, love, and passion—emotions that have shaped humanity throughout history.

During these rituals, we do not approach this exploration intellectually. Instead, we engage in a form of mimicry, where participants immerse themselves in ritualistic practices, often within groups, where partners are frequently rotated. This process allows us to look deeply into the origins of human behavior, not just focusing on the darker aspects like the origins of guilt and shame, but also celebrating the beauty of life itself. Through these rituals, participants often experience a profound sense of being alive, as the body releases chemicals in the brain that are rarely accessed in modern society—chemicals that induce intense ecstasy.

Our mission at Forbidden-yoga.com is to explore the full spectrum of human experience. We want to uncover both the dark history of humanity and the ecstatic potential that still exists within us. By participating in these rituals, we ask ourselves: do we still have access to this ancient wisdom? How can we unlock this ancient hologram of human existence?

Sigmund Freud’s exploration of the primal roots of human behavior offers a glimpse into this dark yet enlightening journey. But after Freud, the focus on this kind of deep self-exploration grew silent. The ancient Tantrics, whoever they were, had a genius approach to becoming your own anthropologist. Instead of traveling to distant lands like the African Serengeti or digging deep into the earth, they practiced an anthropology of the body. This practice brings to light the unconscious behaviors that drive our actions—why we feel jealousy, hatred, or love—and makes them conscious.

This is the essence of the rituals and practices you can see at ForbiddenYoga.com They are not simple games centered around sexual penetration; they are far more profound. They challenge you to confront and understand the deep-seated emotions and behaviors that define us as humans.

If you’re interested in these forbidden yoga practices, you can contact us in several ways. You can subscribe for free here on Substack to stay informed, or support our work with a paid subscription for $12 per month or $108 per year. For those looking for a more immersive experience, you can sign up for our intense one-year work-study program in ancient Tantric Laya Yoga, or inquire about a customized, bespoke retreat. These retreats are crafted for either a single client or a couple and involve actors cast internationally to participate in your personalized retreat experience.

Please note that due to the high demand, we can no longer offer free consultation calls. To ensure that we provide quality time and attention to those truly interested, also the first consultation for a Sensual Liberation Retreat must be paid for. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to guiding you on this transformative journey.