The Primal Scream

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Primal Scream (disambiguation).

The Primal Scream (1970) is a book by Arthur Janov Ph. D, the inventor of Primal Therapy. It is subtitled, 'Primal Therapy: The Cure for Neurosis.' Some editions of The Primal Scream featured Edvard Munch's painting The Scream on the cover. See, for example, the 1977 edition published by ABACUS. This edition does not reproduce the entire painting, focusing on the screaming figure at its center, holding up its hands to its head. Both the title of the book and its author's name are in large capital letters. [1]

The Primal Scream contains an introduction, twenty one chapters, two appendixes, a bibliography and an index. [2]

The introduction, "The Discovery of Primal Pain," describes how Janov heard what he considered a remarkable scream from one of his patients, a twenty-two year old college student, identified with the pseudonym Danny Wilson. [3] Janov likened the scream to what one might hear from a person about to be murdered. [4] Janov suggested that the scream could 'change the nature of psychotherapy as it is now known.' [5] According to Janov, despite the fact that neither his patient nor he himself could see the sense in such a childish act, he asked Wilson to call out "Mommy! Daddy!". [6] After some reluctance and hesitation, Wilson followed Janov's instruction. [7] As a result, Wilson became upset, had convulsions, and finally uttered a loud scream. Following the scream, Wilson declared that he could feel. [8] Janov claimed that several months later he tried the same procedure on a thirty year old patient, identified with the pseudonym Gary Hillard, who also screamed. [9] Janov wrote that he and Hillard were both shocked by this, but afterwards Hillard gained insights and seemed to understand himself. [10] Janov said he developed Primal Therapy as an outgrowth of his explanations of the changes he observed in his patients. [11]

Contents

[edit] Contents

[edit] Chapters

  • 1. The Problem
  • 2. Neurosis
  • 3. Pain
  • 4. Pain and Memory
  • 5. The Nature of Tension
  • 6. The Defense System
  • 7. The Nature of Feeling
  • 8. The Cure
  • 9. Breathing, the Voice, and the Scream
  • 10. Neurosis and Psychosomatic Disease
  • 11. On Being Normal
  • 12. The Post-Primal Patient
  • 13. The Relationship of Primal Therapy to other Therapeutic Approaches
  • 14. Insight and Transference in Psychotherapy
  • 15. Sleep, Dreams and Neurosis
  • 16. The Nature of Love
  • 17. Sexuality, Homosexuality, and Bisexuality,
  • 18. The Basis of Fear and Anger
  • 19. Drugs and Addictions
  • 20. Psychosis: Drug and Nondrug
  • 21. Conclusions. [12]

Chapter 1, The Problem, begins by defining a theory as 'the meaning we give a certin observed sequence of reality.' [13] Janov complained about the proliferation of different therapeutic theories and approaches, writing that 'What we have lacked is some kind of unified structure that would offer concrete guidelines on how to proceed with patients during each and every hour of therapy.' [14] Janov insisted that all neuroses had the same cause and responded to the same treatment. [15] Janov then criticised Freud for what Janov considered to be his belief that people are born neurotic, and that people with the strongest defence systems are the best able to function in society. [16] Janov contrasted this view with his own, that, 'There is a state of being quite different from what we have conceived: a tensionless, defense-free life in which one is completely his own self and experiences deep feeling and internal units.' [17]

Chapter 16, The Defense System, asserts that any defense is neurotic. [18] In it Janov compared drug addiction to homosexuality: 'Because he [the drug addict] cannot manage to defend himself as other neurotics do, he develops a direct relationship with the needle: Pain. . .needle. . .relief. Remove the needle, and there is the Pain. The penis serves the same purpose for the homosexual. Both represent relief from tension.' [19] Janov claimed that, 'Irrespective of the pain involved in the use of the needle or in intercourse as practiced by male homosexuals, the symbolic feeling is pleasure, or more correctly, relief.' [20]

Chapter 17 , 'Sexuality, Homosexuality, and Bisexuality' deals with homosexuality as one of its main subjects. Janov identified homosexuality as a neurosis, and denied that homosexual acts are sexual, insisting that they are a denial of real sexuality. [21]

The Primal Scream has two appendixes. Appendix A: Tom deals with a patient Janov called Tom. It was included in a separate appendix because Tom's treatment was the subject of a documentary about Primal Therapy. [22]; Appendix B: Instructions for New Primal Patients contains seven instructions for primal patients. These are to abstain from smoking and drinking, to abstain from drug use, to stop tension-relieving habits, to be totally alone for twenty-four hours before therapy, to do exactly what the therapist says, to not work or go to school during the initial phase of therapy, and to attend a group of post-Primal patients. According to Janov, Primal Therapy would not be effective if these instructions were not followed. [23]

[edit] Published positive reviews

(quoted from the book jacket)

 This section needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2008)

The Berkeley Gazette wrote, 'Several times a century a book appears which holds promise of reshaping society...One such book has just been released which in the field of psychology could wield as much influence as the early writings of Sigmund Freud and probably work to a much better end.'

Publishers Weekly wrote that The Primal Scream was, 'A provocative and important book.'

Robert Kitsch, Time Book Critic, wrote 'Dr Janov is an impressive writer and thinker. Certainly, it is a work worth reading and considering.'

[edit] Criticism

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  2. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 15. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  3. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 9. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  4. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 9. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  5. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 9. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  6. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 9. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  7. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 9. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  8. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 10. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  9. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 10. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  10. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 10. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  11. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 11. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  12. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 13-15. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  13. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 19. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  14. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 19. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  15. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 20. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  16. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 20. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  17. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 21. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  18. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 58. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  19. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 61. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  20. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 61. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  21. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 302. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  22. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 397. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 
  23. ^ Janov, Arthur. (1977). The Primal Scream. New York: Abacus, pp. 422-423. ISBN 0-349-11834-5. 

[edit] Books

Languages