CranioSacral Therapy: The Imprint of Losing a Twin

-Written by Cherry Cheung(RCST)

Dr William Emerson, PhD, is a pioneer in pre- and perinatal psychology who has spent many years exploring the experiences of babies before and around birth. Through his clinical work with infants and families, he has drawn attention to the possibility that the loss of a twin may be more common than we realise.

Some theories suggest that many pregnancies may begin with more than one baby, although not every pregnancy develops into the birth of twins. When one baby does not continue to develop or is lost during pregnancy, the surviving baby may have experienced the presence — and then the absence — of a sibling before they were even born.

For some people, this experience may remain outside conscious memory. Yet they may carry a deep and difficult-to-explain feeling of sadness, longing or something missing from within. Some practitioners describe this as “Divine Homesickness” — a sense of longing for someone or something that we cannot quite name.

This is not a clinical diagnosis of depression, nor does feeling this way necessarily mean that someone has experienced the loss of a twin. However, from a pre- and perinatal perspective, some practitioners believe that an early experience of loss may sometimes be reflected later through emotional patterns, relationships, or a heightened sensitivity to rejection, abandonment or being left alone.

When the Body Holds a Story

In my CranioSacral Therapy work, I have met clients who have unexpectedly connected with sensations, emotions or imagery relating to their earliest life experiences. Sometimes, during a session, a person may describe a powerful sense of having once shared the womb with another baby — a brother or sister who did not continue the journey into life with them.

They may have no conscious knowledge of ever having had a twin. And yet, during the session, something may emerge through their body's sensations, emotions or inner experience. I find these moments deeply moving.

A Story of an Unspoken Loss

One of my clients was a man in his fifties who had experienced periods of deep sadness since childhood. He would sometimes find himself crying without understanding why.

During one CranioSacral Therapy session, as I gently placed my hands on his back, he suddenly began to cry deeply.

He described a very clear feeling that there had once been another baby — a twin brother — who had been “living” behind him.

For him, the experience was both surprising and deeply familiar. It felt as though something he had been searching for throughout his life had suddenly come into awareness.

As he allowed himself to feel the sadness, there was also a sense of relief. He felt that he was finally able to understand his grief in a new way — as though he had been carrying an unspoken sense of loss without knowing where it came from.

After the session, he also noticed something about his everyday behaviour that he had never really thought about before.

He often bought things in pairs.

Even when ordering a coffee, he would sometimes automatically order two cups. Only when he was holding both cups would he realise what he had done.

Of course, a habit like this does not prove that someone has lost a twin. But for him, it became a meaningful personal symbol — something that helped him reflect on a story he had never consciously known.

A Journey Back to the Womb

Another client, a woman in her thirties, had lived with a high level of anxiety for as long as she could remember.

During one session, her body naturally curled into a deeply fetal position, as though returning to the posture of a baby in the womb.

When I gently placed a hand near her abdomen, she experienced a strong sense of connection with the umbilical cord — the physical link that had connected her with her mother.

She suddenly became aware of another baby who had once shared that space with her.

When I gently asked whether she could sense his presence, she quietly said:

“Now I know… he suddenly disappeared.”

Her body tightened as she spoke. There was a profound sense of confusion and sadness.

For her, this experience opened a new doorway into understanding herself. Rather than trying to force an explanation, we simply allowed her body to express what was arising, gently and without judgement.

Healing Begins with Awareness

Experiences such as these can be deeply personal.

We cannot always know exactly what happened during our earliest time in the womb, and not every sensation, emotion or image that arises during therapy should be taken as a literal historical memory.

What matters to me is how we meet the experience.

CranioSacral Therapy offers a quiet, non-invasive space where we can listen to the body with curiosity and compassion. We do not need to force memories to appear, nor do we need to find a definite explanation for every feeling. Sometimes, simply becoming aware of something that has been carried silently for many years can bring a new sense of understanding. And awareness can be the beginning of healing.

When we gently reconnect with the emotions, sensations and stories that have been held within us, we may begin to create space for them to be felt, understood and released in their own time.

Perhaps healing is not always about discovering exactly what happened.

Sometimes, it is about finally giving ourselves permission to acknowledge what we feel — and discovering that we no longer have to carry it alone.

With gentle awareness, compassion and loving presence, we can begin to move towards greater wholeness, inner peace and a deeper sense of connection with ourselves.