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{{other uses|Primal Scream (disambiguation)}} | ||
| {{short description|1970 book by Arthur Janov}} | |||
| '''''The Primal Scream''''' (]) is a book by ] Ph.D, the inventor of ]. It is subtitled, '''Primal Therapy: The Cure for Neurosis''.' Some editions of ''The Primal Scream'' featured ]'s painting ] 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. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5}}</ref> The first page of the 1977 ABACUS edition contains a brief biography of Janov, mentioning that he spent seventeen years practicing insight therapy before developing Primal Therapy, and his membership of the American Psychological Association and the California State Psychological Association. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 1}}</ref> On the fifth page, Janov dedicated the book to, 'my patients, who were real enough to recognize that they were sick and wanted to end the struggle, and to the youth of the world - the real hope of mankind.' <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 5}}</ref> The acknowledgments section is on page seven. In it Janov thanked his research assistant Mrs. Karol Markley, Mrs. Ann Farnell Blow, his children Ricky and Ellen, Tony Velie, and his then wife Vivan Janov, the 'person who truly made this book possible.' <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 7}}</ref> --> | |||
| {{Infobox book | <!-- See Misplaced Pages:WikiProject_Books --> | |||
| | name = The Primal Scream. Primal Therapy: The Cure for Neurosis | |||
| | image = The Primal Scream (first edition).jpg | |||
| | caption = Cover of the first edition | |||
| | author = ] | |||
| | country = United States | |||
| | language = English | |||
| | subject = ] | |||
| | publisher = ] | |||
| | pub_date = 1970 | |||
| | media_type = Print (] and ]) | |||
| | pages = 446 | |||
| | isbn = 0-349-11834-5 | |||
| }} | |||
| '''''The Primal Scream. Primal Therapy: The Cure for Neurosis''''' (1970; second edition 1999) is a book by the psychologist ], in which the author describes his experiences with patients during the months he developed ]. Although Janov's claims were questioned by psychologists, the book was popular and brought Janov fame and popular success, which inspired other therapists to start offering primal therapy. | |||
| ==Summary== | |||
| ''The Primal Scream'' contains an introduction, twenty one chapters, two appendixes, a bibliography and an index. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 15}}</ref> | |||
| This book gives an account of the development of ]. The book starts with an account of a group therapy session in 1967, during which a young man (Danny Wilson) underwent some kind of emotional catharsis during the therapy session. The young man was encouraged by Janov to call out for his mommy and daddy, which he did, only to fall into involuntary convulsions. After which, the young man announced "I can ''feel''", and he then had some kind of emotional resolution. | |||
| In the remainder of the book, Janov develops a general theory of neurosis. Janov claims that neurosis is caused by repressed emotional pain from childhood trauma, and can be cured by reliving and expressing. Janov claims in the book that {{em|all}} neurosis is caused by repressed childhood emotional trauma, and that reliving is the only effective cure which really addresses the root cause of the problem. | |||
| 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. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 9}}</ref> Janov likened the scream to what one might hear from a person about to be murdered. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 9}}</ref> Janov suggested that the scream could 'change the nature of ] as it is now known.' <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 9}}</ref> 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!". <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 9}}</ref> After some reluctance and hesitation, Wilson followed Janov's instruction. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 9}}</ref> As a result, Wilson became upset, had convulsions, and finally uttered a loud scream. Following the scream, Wilson declared that he could feel. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 10}}</ref> 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. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 10}}</ref> Janov wrote that he and Hillard were both shocked by this, but afterwards Hillard gained insights and seemed to understand himself. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 10}}</ref> Janov said he developed ] as an outgrowth of his explanations of the changes he observed in his patients. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 11}}</ref> | |||
| The book contains numerous testimonials but little scientific evidence. The book is based upon Janov's theorizing after experimenting with his patients from 1967 to 1970. | |||
| ===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. <!-- All chapter titles are capitalized in the 1977 ABACUS edition. --> <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 13-15}}</ref> | |||
| ==Influence and reception== | |||
| Chapter 17, 'Sexuality, Homosexuality, and Bisexuality' deals with ] as one of its main subjects. Janov compared homosexuality to ], identified it as a ], and denied that homosexual acts are sexual, insisting that they are a denial of real sexuality. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 302}}</ref> | |||
| ''The Primal Scream'' was a popular success.<ref>{{cite book |author=Laing, Adrian |title=R.D. Laing: A Life |publisher=HarperCollinsPublishers |location=London |year=1994 |page=165 |isbn=0-00-638829-9 }}</ref> It reportedly sold more than one million copies internationally,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ejas.revues.org/3022|title=Up Against the Wall: Primal Therapy and 'the Sixties'|first1=Paul|last1=Williams|first2=Brian|last2=Edgar|date=2008 |access-date=12 January 2017 |work=European Journal of American Studies}}</ref> and was read by tens of thousands of people in the United States.<ref name="Mithers" /> ] reported in '']'' (1988) that Janov sent pre-publication copies of ''The Primal Scream'' to celebrities such as ] and ], and that Lennon subsequently underwent primal therapy with Janov, which provided the basis of his first proper solo album, ].<ref>{{cite book |author=Goldman, Albert |title=The Lives of John Lennon |publisher=Guild Publishing |location=London |year=1988 |pages=381–2 |isbn=978-0688047214 }}</ref> According to '']'', ''The Primal Scream'' "attracted wide attention in newspapers and magazines" and made Janov a celebrity.<ref name="NYTimes" /> The fame and success it brought Janov inspired many therapists who had not met him to offer imitation primal therapy, and led to the proliferation of programs offering happiness through radical personal transformation.<ref name="Mithers">{{cite book |author=Mithers, Carol Lynn |title=Therapy Gone Mad: The True Story of Hundreds of Patients and a Generation Betrayed |publisher=Addison-Wesley Publishing Company |location=New York |year=1994 |page= |isbn=0-201-57071-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/therapygonemadtr00mith/page/54 }}</ref> | |||
| Early reviews in the popular press were mixed. The book critic Robert Kirsch cautioned about Janov's "hyperbole" and "evangelic certainty" in the '']'', but nevertheless called him an impressive writer and thinker and concluded that ''The Primal Scream'' was "worth reading and considering."<ref name="NYTimes" /> ''The Primal Scream'' was praised by the '']'' and the ''Berkeley Gazette'', both of which compared Janov to Freud.<ref name="Kovel" /> However, psychologists immediately questioned the assertions Janov made in the book, pointing out the "unverifiability of its central claim of the existence of primal pain and the lack of independent, controlled studies demonstrating the therapy’s effectiveness".<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/02/obituaries/arthur-janov-dead-developed-primal-scream-therapy.html|title=Arthur Janov, 93, Dies; Psychologist Caught World's Attention With 'Primal Scream'|first1=Margalit|last1=Fox|date=2017 |access-date=10 October 2017 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> | |||
| The two appendixes are titled, Appendix A: Tom, and Appendix B: Instructions for New Primal Patients. <!-- The word appendix and the immediately following letter are capitalized in both cases, but the second half of each of the titles ('Tom' and 'Instructions for New Primal Patients') are in lower case letters. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 15}}</ref> --> | |||
| Erin Shoemaker criticized Janov's ideas about ] in the gay magazine '']'', noting that clinical studies contradicted Janov's view that girls become lesbians through being seduced by older women and that Janov did not have a clear idea of what constituted "real" behavior.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Shrink Shopping|first1=Erin|last1=Shoemaker|date=1976 |journal=The Body Politic}}{{subscription required|via='s Academic Search Complete}}</ref> The psychoanalyst ] argued in ''A Complete Guide to Therapy'' (1976) that ''The Primal Scream'' shows that Janov is one of several figures in the ] who have come to be seen as savior figures. He credited Janov with tapping a "bedrock of great emotional power."<ref name="Kovel">{{cite book |author=Kovel, Joel |title=A Complete Guide to Therapy: From Psychoanalysis to Behaviour Modification |publisher=Penguin Books |location=London |year=1991 |page=188 |isbn=0-14-013631-2 }}</ref> ''The Primal Scream'' was reviewed in '']'' in 2012.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Primal Scream|date=2012|journal=BMJ|doi=10.1136/bmj.e696|last1=Jeyapaul|first1=P.|volume=344|pages=e696|s2cid=72690954}}{{subscription required|via='s Academic Search Complete}}</ref> | |||
| Appendix A: Tom deals with the case of 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. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 397}}</ref>; 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. <ref>{{cite book |first=Arthur. |last=Janov |year=1977 |title=The Primal Scream |publisher=Abacus |location=New York |id= ISBN 0-349-11834-5 |pages= pp. 422-423}}</ref> --> | |||
| ==Criticism== | |||
| * section includes some sources that are specifically critical of ''The Primal Scream''. | |||
| * is a website that has several pages dealing directly with the claims made in ''The Primal Scream'', including links and quotations of relevant in-print material. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| *] | |||
| ==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
| {{reflist |
{{reflist}} | ||
| ===Books=== | |||
| *Janov, A. ''The Primal Scream'' (1970) ISBN 0-349-11829-9 | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Primal Scream}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 06:00, 3 January 2025
For other uses, see Primal Scream (disambiguation). 1970 book by Arthur Janov.jpg) Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Arthur Janov |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Primal therapy |
| Publisher | Dell Publishing |
| Publication date | 1970 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 446 |
| ISBN | 0-349-11834-5 |
The Primal Scream. Primal Therapy: The Cure for Neurosis (1970; second edition 1999) is a book by the psychologist Arthur Janov, in which the author describes his experiences with patients during the months he developed primal therapy. Although Janov's claims were questioned by psychologists, the book was popular and brought Janov fame and popular success, which inspired other therapists to start offering primal therapy.
Summary
This book gives an account of the development of Primal Therapy. The book starts with an account of a group therapy session in 1967, during which a young man (Danny Wilson) underwent some kind of emotional catharsis during the therapy session. The young man was encouraged by Janov to call out for his mommy and daddy, which he did, only to fall into involuntary convulsions. After which, the young man announced "I can feel", and he then had some kind of emotional resolution.
In the remainder of the book, Janov develops a general theory of neurosis. Janov claims that neurosis is caused by repressed emotional pain from childhood trauma, and can be cured by reliving and expressing. Janov claims in the book that all neurosis is caused by repressed childhood emotional trauma, and that reliving is the only effective cure which really addresses the root cause of the problem.
The book contains numerous testimonials but little scientific evidence. The book is based upon Janov's theorizing after experimenting with his patients from 1967 to 1970.
Influence and reception
The Primal Scream was a popular success. It reportedly sold more than one million copies internationally, and was read by tens of thousands of people in the United States. Albert Goldman reported in The Lives of John Lennon (1988) that Janov sent pre-publication copies of The Primal Scream to celebrities such as John Lennon and Mick Jagger, and that Lennon subsequently underwent primal therapy with Janov, which provided the basis of his first proper solo album, Plastic Ono Band. According to The New York Times, The Primal Scream "attracted wide attention in newspapers and magazines" and made Janov a celebrity. The fame and success it brought Janov inspired many therapists who had not met him to offer imitation primal therapy, and led to the proliferation of programs offering happiness through radical personal transformation.
Early reviews in the popular press were mixed. The book critic Robert Kirsch cautioned about Janov's "hyperbole" and "evangelic certainty" in the Los Angeles Times, but nevertheless called him an impressive writer and thinker and concluded that The Primal Scream was "worth reading and considering." The Primal Scream was praised by the Chattanooga Times and the Berkeley Gazette, both of which compared Janov to Freud. However, psychologists immediately questioned the assertions Janov made in the book, pointing out the "unverifiability of its central claim of the existence of primal pain and the lack of independent, controlled studies demonstrating the therapy’s effectiveness".
Erin Shoemaker criticized Janov's ideas about homosexuality in the gay magazine The Body Politic, noting that clinical studies contradicted Janov's view that girls become lesbians through being seduced by older women and that Janov did not have a clear idea of what constituted "real" behavior. The psychoanalyst Joel Kovel argued in A Complete Guide to Therapy (1976) that The Primal Scream shows that Janov is one of several figures in the history of psychotherapy who have come to be seen as savior figures. He credited Janov with tapping a "bedrock of great emotional power." The Primal Scream was reviewed in BMJ in 2012.
Notes
- Laing, Adrian (1994). R.D. Laing: A Life. London: HarperCollinsPublishers. p. 165. ISBN 0-00-638829-9.
- Williams, Paul; Edgar, Brian (2008). "Up Against the Wall: Primal Therapy and 'the Sixties'". European Journal of American Studies. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- ^ Mithers, Carol Lynn (1994). Therapy Gone Mad: The True Story of Hundreds of Patients and a Generation Betrayed. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. p. 54. ISBN 0-201-57071-8.
- Goldman, Albert (1988). The Lives of John Lennon. London: Guild Publishing. pp. 381–2. ISBN 978-0688047214.
- ^ Fox, Margalit (2017). "Arthur Janov, 93, Dies; Psychologist Caught World's Attention With 'Primal Scream'". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
- ^ Kovel, Joel (1991). A Complete Guide to Therapy: From Psychoanalysis to Behaviour Modification. London: Penguin Books. p. 188. ISBN 0-14-013631-2.
- Shoemaker, Erin (1976). "Shrink Shopping". The Body Politic. – via EBSCO's Academic Search Complete (subscription required)
- Jeyapaul, P. (2012). "The Primal Scream". BMJ. 344: e696. doi:10.1136/bmj.e696. S2CID 72690954. – via EBSCO's Academic Search Complete (subscription required)