Hellinger distinguished between two levels of consciousness: individual consciousness (what I “feel” as right or wrong according to my personal history) and co-consciousness or clan consciousness, which is the group sense of belonging and operates above individual will.
Co-consciousness decides who belongs and who doesn’t, what burdens “fall” to each member, what destinies must be repeated until closure. It is responsible for invisible loyalties: the descendant carries out orders dictated by the clan consciousness without even knowing they exist.
Understanding that many “personal” decisions —the partner we choose, repeated failures, inherited symptoms— respond to co-consciousness and not individual will is liberating: it allows us to distinguish what is ours from what belongs to the clan, and begin to move with more freedom.
Clinical example
A woman doesn’t understand why every time her career prospers, she enters an emotional crisis. Individual consciousness says “I want success”; co-consciousness says “you cannot be happier than your mother.” As long as that second voice is not recognized, the individual one cannot advance.
Illustrative case, anonymized and composed from frequent patterns in Family Constellations sessions.
Evidence and contemporary voices
The term 'co-consciousness' or 'clan consciousness' does not appear in peer-reviewed academic literature of systemic psychology as an empirically validated construct. Within the framework of Bert Hellinger's Family Constellations, it refers to a supposed collective sense of family loyalty that transcends individual consciousness, influencing transgenerational dynamics. However, systematic reviews on Family Constellations, such as Repisalud (2023), conclude that there is no evidence of efficacy or safety for mental disorders, classifying it as a pseudotherapy without a coherent theoretical model. In rigorous systemic psychology (Minuchin, 1974; Bowen, 1978), related concepts such as self-differentiation or family loyalties are studied through clinical observation and validated scales (e.g., FACES IV), but lack connection to Hellingerian 'co-consciousness.' Institutions like the Spanish Association of Clinical Cognitive Behavioral Psychology (AEPC) and SAVECC denounce its basis in pseudoscientific ideas such as morphic resonance (Sheldrake, 1981, not replicated). There are no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that measure 'co-consciousness' as an independent variable.
Verifiable quotes
- "It does not have a scientific, coherent, or even moderately realistic explanatory model of reality." — González Alaejos, J., Family Constellations, a dangerous pseudoscientific method (2016).
- "The limited available evidence does not allow for the conclusion that Family Constellations is a safe intervention." — Repisalud Authors, Efficacy and Safety of Family Constellations in Mental Illness (2023).
Researchers and Key Figures
- Bert Hellinger — Founder of Family Constellations — Theorist of systemic loyalties and clan consciousness
- Françoise Dolto — Systemic Psychoanalysis — Influence on transgenerational trauma (non-Hellingerian)
- Murray Bowen — Georgetown University — Differentiation of self and family systems
Auditable Sources
Open Notes and Debates
The term 'co-consciousness' integrates pseudoscientific concepts like the collective unconscious (Jung, 1968, non-empirical) and morphic resonance (Sheldrake, 1981, refuted due to lack of replicability), promoting conservative views and victim-blaming (e.g., justifying violence as 'family balance'). Methodological criticisms highlight the absence of controls, group suggestion, and ethical risks, with no longitudinal studies or objective measures (SAVECC, 2023).
Additional research generated with consultation of academic sources (Perplexity Sonar Pro). Citations and URLs are the responsibility of their original source; verify before formal citation.
Bibliography
- Love's Orders — Bert Hellinger. Herder, 2001.
- Acknowledging What Is — Bert Hellinger. Herder, 2000.
- Family Constellations: Order, Hierarchy, Balance — Brigitte Champetier de Ríos. Editorial Grupo Cero, 2005.
These books are in the reference library that nurtures Constelando el Origen.
Site articles discussing this topic
Related terms
Invisible loyalty
Unconscious commitment to the suffering or destiny of an ancestor, which the descendant carries unknowingly, out of systemic love.
See entryFamily system
A living set of all clan members—living, dead, excluded, unborn—and the deep bonds that govern it.
See entryOrders of love
The three systemic laws formulated by Hellinger: belonging, order, and balance. The basis of the entire method.
View detailsSystemic identification
An unconscious mechanism by which a descendant “takes on” the emotional identity of an excluded ancestor and lives their destiny as if it were their own.
View detailsA session that names what hurts
If you recognize this dynamic in your own history, a Family Constellation can reveal where it comes from and what movement brings it into order. Daniela respectfully accompanies each case.
Sessions in Spanish only