Customer Reviews

The New Primal Scream: Primal Therapy 20 Years On (Abacus Books)

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What an amazing book this is! Janov's theories seemed radical when he first espoused them, in the early 1970s - many people in the fields of psychological and physiological medicine scoffed at them then, and many still scoff at them today. This has historically been the reaction to new schools of thought, to anyone who dares to think `outside the box'. Here, Janov writes of his theories, lays out the research he has conducted that bears them out, and speaks of the things he has learned in the twenty years that ensued between launching his therapy and the book's publication. The language he uses is sometimes a bit difficult for a layman to comprehend in one reading, but I found it to be more than worth the extra effort. As I read this book, Janov's theories appealed to me first at a `gut' level - as I progressed through it, what I was reading began to soak in, and to appeal to me on a deeper level.

Janov's premise is that the neuroses that plague all of us to one degree or another are primarily caused by the repression of primal pain by our minds and bodies - and he logically aims to tackle the causes of our pain, instead of simply attempting to treat the symptoms. Our bodies are made up of a complex network of systems - psychological and physiological. Rather than working as entirely separate entities, Janov shows how they interact and intertwine. What he refers to as primal pain - those traumas that impact our systems at the very deepest levels - alters not only our emotional outlook, but the physical systems of our bodies as well. His research shows that traumas that have been thought for years to affect us only psychologically also affect our immune systems, hormonal balance, and other physiological systems. These traumas, which are too much for us to bear at the time they occur, are attacked by our bodies' systems of repression - and the effect is imprinted on our lives in a way that, if not dealt with and released, will cause all sorts of mental, emotional and physical problems. Events which occur in our adult lives can trigger repressed memories of earlier traumas, causing the repression system to spring into action again - even though at this point in our lives there are healthier methods for our systems to utilize.

The repression system is a vital component of our survival mechanism - without it, the traumas we experience not only in early childhood, but also during the months in the womb, would be too much for us to bear. The problem is that as we grow older, and become more able to deal with these various traumas, the repression system continues to treat us as children, protecting us from feelings that we would be healthier accessing, processing and releasing. It is the continued repression of deep, primal feelings that makes us sick in many ways: emotional problems, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, colitis, even cancer; he also sheds light on the nature of addiction.

Primal therapy involves helping the patient to discover the traumas that are the root causes of this repression, then to access and FEEL these traumas at the deepest level. In this, Janov intends that the patient actually RE-LIVE the trauma involved - unimaginable pains, from a difficult birth process to cold, unloving parents, to unspeakably damaging experiences such as sexual abuse and incest - and react to them and thus release them from the repression system, freeing vital parts of the mind to address the needs of the patient as they exist in the present. Even the process of deep, child-like crying can not only release repressed feelings, but also trigger reversals in hormone balances and immune system dysfunction that are so vital to total health. Patients who have successfully completed the therapy have been found to not only improve on emotional levels, but to feel better physically as well - physiological ailments that have plagued them for years, apparently untreatable by more traditional methods, have lessened or disappeared completely.

If this sounds too good to be true, try to keep an open mind. Janov cites numerous examples from case histories, and years of research to back up his claims. The therapy is not for everyone - he states this in no uncertain terms at several points in the book. Think about it - how likely is it that someone who discovers that their emotional and physiological problems have their roots in sexual abuse that occurred beyond the reach of their conscious memory would want to go back to that horrible time and actually RE-LIVE what they experienced? It's not something that sounds very appealing. Janov says that we have to hurt in order to heal - and anyone going into this therapy has to be completely aware of that aspect of it. He also warns, sternly, that there are many practitioners out there in the world who have read his works, even studied with him for a brief time, and have gone on to practice their own version of the therapy - with disastrous results. He cautions against what he terms as `the worst forms of charlatanism' which have sprung from those who have only a partial understanding of his methods, and attempt to put them into practice too soon, either for motives of self-profit or impatient eagerness to `save the world'. Damage can be done to the patient if the therapy is dispensed by those who have not been properly trained.

The book is nothing less than a revelation. Janov's methods might not be the path for everyone - but his theories are sound, and can be more universally applied than the therapy itself. Just reading this book can open the mind to the possibilities - understanding what makes us sick can help us find the road to wellness. All of us hurt to one degree or another - and this book can be a valuable key to unlock the door to healing.

Arthur Janov is a brilliant man. He is without doubt the greatest psychologist since Sigmund Freud, and his discoveries are of equal, if not greater, value. This book might well be ahead of it's time, because the material Janov tries to cover is both complex and at the very forefront of psychology. The complexity of his material has resulted in criticism and misunderstanding of his work, which is a shame, because his discoveries are of profound importance to the future well-being of the human species.

This book is a complete update and rewrite of a subject Janov first visited over thirty years ago, when the original book, "The Primal Scream", was published. In "The New Primal Scream", Janov explains as clearly and eloquently as his subject allows how repression of early trauma is the cause of innumerable physical and psychological illness, and how reliving (relieving) the repressed trauma can heal both body and mind.

The book is important not only because it provides a way to heal people suffering from mental disorders of all kinds. But also because it explains how neglect, lack of love, and modern birth practice is the root cause behind anxiety, depression, drug use, compulsive behavior, and more. In an age where millions of people are on antidepressives, and more and more children get diagnosed with ADD and ADHD, this book finally answers the questions to what causes these disorders, and how to avoid them.

The reader of this book might at first disbelieve the claims Janov makes, or the quotes from some of his many patients, but I can assure you: his claims are true, and verifiable. I can personally attest to the existence of a birth trauma, that reliving birth is possible, and that the sheer amount of pain that can be stored inside your body defies description.

The book is thoughtfully laid out and well written, and does a good job covering the complex subject material. The material it covers is profound, and potentially has the power to change your life in ways you would never dream possible.

I think Janov's book is too full of unscientific jumps of logic. Check out www.debunkingprimaltherapy.com it is explained well there. His assertion that it is only logical to pursue pain to reverse the effects of pain is simplistic. Even if it is true that in the forward direction, trauma causes psychological problems (true I think, and important), it does not neccessarily mean the reverse is obviously true - that to reexperience pain will lead to a joyful existence that resembles the joy of young children. In my experience, the results from primal therapy also shine doubt on Janov's assertions. It is a pity, because so much of the book is valuable and important, for example the emphasis of love, and the criticisms of robotically extinguishing behaviors with behaviorism (not all behaviorism is bad though) are all good. But Janov's theory is taken to the extremes in his books, and by his followers, spoiling the valid points that they make. For example, gentle births and avoiding birth traumas are noble and correct causes. However, claiming that ALL psychological problems may have birth trauma as the underlying cause is pushing it too far. Suggesting reliving birth over and over again will reverse the effects of birth is also getting wacky. (this is found more in Janovs books after 1971). Janovs works have a tendency to draw you in with true and emotional themes, but they take you too far into his single deterministic model, and get you beleiving in things that are not proven, and actually unlikely. His model of understanding fails in some circumstances (as do all the grand theories), and in some cases evidence exists that contradicts some of the theory (for example modern research on surgery suggested mammals do better WITH pain medication, in the Primal Scream Janov suggested avoiding pain meds wherever possible, something I thing he may now disagree with, but has made no formal retraction).
I would recommend learning about all the models in psychology to put this work in context, and look at all the recent data in the field 1990 to 2006. Despite Janov's attack on Freud, Primal is a derivative of Freudian work, with some of the similar problems and benefits that come from that model. The worst thing you could do is wrap yourself in a primal blanket, and think psychology's rejection of this work is somehow repressed or a conspiracy. Mainstream psychology would correctly argue that the evidence is mostly case study from a specific skewed population of Janov followers, at a specific time in their optimism and therapy cycle. Similar miraculous reports are found in spiritual healing practices, again with believer's testimony being emphasised and published when it is positive.
In addition, rememeber this work was written a long time ago, and the diatribe against other psychological treatments is out of date (and in part unfair even at the time). However some of the criticisms of other treatments were valid, and important.
Use scientific and critical thinking to make your own decisions about this work. It's not all wrong, if you have your wits about you and you filter the information, it could help fill your life with love and improve the life of your children. Janov is right, love is the most important thing is raising children, and he does a good job of defining love between an parent and child.
On the other hand, if you take all of it to heart, and to the extreme, and then go on to destroy all relations with your family, create false memories, and spend decades trying to cry, scream and holding your breath in birth primals, it might just spoil your life.
It could go either way, so think independently for yourself.
Consider too, I may be wrong, so look at all the data with a critical eye, and draw on all areas of psychological research for clues.

when one first reads janov, one gets to see things that seem to have always been waiting in one's unconscious, but never actualized in conscious form. This is a book of feeling, different from his other books, yet directed by the same fulfillment-seeking author's sensibility. To Janov, access to consciousness means having the ability to know images and pain at once. Pain is Janov's most infinite theme, because it is our problem. He argues for its value. It should be listened to, because it is as much us as our pleasure is. He wants only for us to grow more critical and artistic, to realize our why's and what's and how's. He is as great in psychology as DeLillo is great in fiction. One may not yet want to hear his lines, but one may often need to.

This book is excellent because it explains "WHY". The book is not a "self help" book, it's an explanation of his theory and findings. I believe his theory is correct because he proves it with absolute science! It's not his opinion, it's the facts that he has found over the past 20+ years of research. He gives examples of why we feel bad, reasons that early development is where we get our "programming", and fits it into fact-based science. I stumbled upon this book when I looked up in the dictionary what the word "Visceral" really meant.

I am sorry to say that every once in a while some guy comes along who thinks he has THE ANSWER to everybody's problems. The author thinks he is that guy. So did David Koresh when I met him but that is another story. In this book Janov repeats his tired old worn out Themes of "Childhood Trauma, Repressed Pain" and the like. I consider Janov to have a serious problem with credibility as I am sure in one of his books he states "Primal People Don't Get Divorced" or words to that effect and he is in fact divorced from his first wife, Vivien. One also gets tired of Janov's constant referrals to his patients as being "nuerotics' . Also if you ain't got the cash for this Therapy Janov offers a "Finance Plan" while at the same time condemning the rampant overspending of people in today's society in his books. I give this bok 5 stars because the author has been consistent with his views for 37 years . You can draw you own conclusions from that somewhat disturbing fact.

I recommend this book due to it's great theory on pain and imprinting that I believe can help prevent imprinting lifelong pain.

However I cannot recommend Dr Janov's actual practice. My experience is that the therapists there, including himself, are pretty damaging, awful and judgemental. Many patients felt cheated by the promises in his books that they felt were exaggerations.

I found many negative details, such as therpist's misbehaviour, were kept secret from new patients. They were warned about talking to old patients.

There are reasons primal therapy didn't and will not flourish, it is not that there is a conspiracy against Janov or the therapists.