We announce our arrival in the world as separate individuals with the cry. The cry, and the environmental response to the cry, determines the initial atmosphere in the consciousness of the neonate. This paper will discuss cry and response, its evolutionary and inter-specific significance, neurological underpinnings in the “communicational brain”, and its role in the development of language and mental life. The paper goes on to consider the role of emotional expression and investment in communication and development, as well as the idea that people are not only flesh and blood but also “living symbols”. The implications for psychotherapy will be discussed.