Imprints: The Lifelong Effects of the Birth Experience [Paperback]

Arthur Janov (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Putnam Pub Group (T) (November 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399510869
• ISBN-13: 978-0399510861
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #944,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Arthur Janov is one of the world's leading psychologists and author of 11 books, including the international bestseller, The Primal Scream and his newest book, Primal Healing, published in November 2006. He is the Founder and Director of the Primal Center in Santa Monica, California. He has been elected to the Academic Hall of Fame of Claremont Graduate University.

Dr. Janov received his B.A. and M.S.W. in psychiatric social work from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Ph.D. in psychology from Claremont Graduate School. Before turning to Primal Therapy, he practiced conventional psychotherapy in his native California. He did an internship at the Hacker Psychiatric Clinic in Beverly Hills, worked for the Veterans' Administration at Brentwood Neuro-psychiatric Hospital and was in private practice for 1952 till 1967. He was also on the staff of the Psychiatric Department at Los Angeles Children's Hospital where he was involved in developing their psychosomatic unit.

The course of Dr. Janov's professional life changed in a single day in the mid-1960's with the discovery of Primal Pain. During a therapy session, he heard (as he describes it), "an eerie scream welling up from the depths of a young man who was lying on the floor". He came to believe that this scream was the product of some unconscious, intangible wound that the patient was unable to resolve. Since then, Dr. Janov has devoted his professional life to the investigation of that underlying pain and the development of a precise, scientific therapy that could mitigate its lifelong effects.

Dr. Janov has been conducting revolutionary research in the field of psychotherapy for more than three decades. As the originator of Primal Therapy, he has treated thousands of patients and conducted extensive research to support his thesis that both physical and psychic ailments can be linked to early trauma. He has concluded that patients can dramatically reduce such debilitating medical problems as depression, anxiety, insomnia, alcoholism, drug addiction, heart disease and many other serious diseases. In 1970 he introduced his radical new approach to therapy to the general public in his first book, The Primal Scream, which became a best-seller and has since sold more than a million copies worldwide.

In the last 30 years Primal Therapy has established itself as the only therapy producing deep changes in a host of psychosomatic symptoms and psychological problems. As Director and Supervisor of Research with the Primal Foundation Laboratory, Dr. Janov was the first psychologist to submit his results to scientific scrutiny. Studies at Rutgers, the University of Copenhagen, St. Bartholomew's Hospital in England and the University of California at Los Angeles have all supported his theory that Primal Therapy can produce measurable positive effects on the function of the human brain and body.

Dr. Janov and his wife, Dr. France D. Janov, co-director at the Primal Center, have lectured worldwide on Primal Theory and Primal Therapy, including to the Royal College of Medicine, London, England; Hunter College, New York; Karolinska Medical and Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden. His work has also been the subject of a PBS special in the United States and of documentaries in Germany, England, France and Sweden.

The latest research conducted at Dr. Janov's Primal Center on the effects of Primal Therapy on the brain was performed by Dr. Erik Hoffman, former Professor of Neurophysiology at Copenhagen University. This research has shown very clear changes in the brain as a result of feeling.

Dr. Janov has authored twelve books. His latest is "The Janov Solution, Lifting Depression through Primal Therapy- published September 2007. These books have been translated into twenty-four languages, throughout the world.

In 1989 in an effort to expand the Primal network, Dr. Janov established Dr. Janov's Primal Center in Santa Monica, California with his wife, Dr. France Janov.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Documented Evidence Of Birth Trauma, January 8, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Imprints: The Lifelong Effects of the Birth Experience (Paperback)

I read this book back in the eighties when it came out. Since then, I've probably read it three more times. Janov has written many books on primal therapy and early childhood trauma. Obviously, this book is more specific to birth and its life-long effects. We owe Janov a lot of thanks for his research into early trauma.

Most people are skeptical. After all - if we can't remember something - how could it affect us?

But it does. Most people go through life never understanding their symptoms. Their symptoms always seem to be some mysterious "it" they can never explain. That mysterious "it" is early trauma that has yet to be resolved. Too bad mainstream psychology has never accepted what Janov has discovered, even though it is well documented.

That being said, there are a couple of mistakes Janov has made in his conclusions about the resolution of early trauam. (1) Only a trained therapist (read expensive) is capable of safely helping people access & resolve their earliest traumas. (2) You must eventually be able to feel the full emotional intensity of the original trauma.

This has been proven wrong with Redirecting Self-Therapy (RST) as discovered by retired neuroscientist Ellie Van Winkle. Her therapy is producing the same results as Primal Therapy - but as a free self-therapy. Ellie has proven that anger - and only anger - must be discharged to completely resolve past traumas. Ellie's therapy offers a unique way of doing this. One does NOT have to experience/feel the other emotions of the original trauma - like fear or catastrophic loneliness. It is only suppressed anger that need be expressed. RST has been called "primaling made easy" by some. It is much faster and easier than Primal Therapy. Can't provide a link here, but you can do your own search later for Redirecting Self-Therapy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biirth imprints are real, & we can heal them, maybe?, August 17, 2006

By 

micheal sunanda "mspun" (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Imprints: The Lifelong Effects of the Birth Experience (Paperback)

this book i read in '80s after 3 years of Primal sceam therapy at home with family & friends into self-healing. It helped me learn how birth effects all humans, tho few truely believe it with feeling compassion for newborn or remember birthing with mother. Only one other book explains lifelong birthing patterns into adulthood relationships by 2 Rebirthers, that Janov always rejects as spiritual illusions of bias defences. I disagree for me, but maybe true for others? The midwives & homebirthers also know some patterns of imprints, tho its so deep & forgotten,most deny birth-trama lasts long now. However PTSD is now considered normal for hospital-born babies, grown up & sleep-walking thru life unconscious of most causeffects patterns & cycles. Real crying & screaming are natural instincts of babies & children, that adults have lost & forgotten how good it feels afterwords, even realizing the causes of pain & lettingo into flowing, growing & glowing love!