Product Description

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK "[Janov's] work is potentially among the most important research in any field over the past century. It could possibly offer more relief from suffering that any other treatment." —Dr. Geoffrey Carr, Professor and Clinical Associate, Simon Fraser University

"Dr. Janov is the discoverer of a remarkable feeling therapy that taps into the feeling side of the brain." —Dr. David A Goodman, Director of the Newport Neuroscience Center

BOOK DESCRIPTION Neuroscience and psychology—two fields which should complement each other in the treatment of mental health problems—have taken widely divergent paths. While neurologists work to find the answer to the human condition in minuscule neurons, psychologists study behavior to the exclusion of the brain itself. Primal Healing at last bridges the gaps between neuroscience and psychology.

Dr. Janov's professional life changed in a single day when he heard an eerie scream welling up from the depths of a young man who was lying on the floor in therapy. In 1970, Dr. Janov published The Primal Scream, a major breakthrough and worldwide bestseller.

The culmination of more than 30 years of research in human psychology, Primal Healing clearly explains how, for true healing to occur, you must access the deepest levels of your brain, where imprinted memories and pain lie, and fully relive the primal experiences that drive your behavior.

Utilizing compelling case studies, Dr. Janov shows how the brain and nervous system can be imprinted by trauma during birth and early childhood, and how these imprinted memories give rise to all manner of physical and mental dysfunction. When you are able to access these subconscious memories, you can liberate yourself and improve your health.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #374076 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
"ÝJanov's work is potentially among the most important research in any field over the past century. It could possibly offer more relief from suffering that any other treatment." -- Dr. Geoffrey Carr

About the Author
Dr. Arthur Janov has done more than 30 years of scientific research in neurology and psychotherapy, including studies in neurochemistry, brainwave patterns, vital signs, infrared visions, and immunology. His 11 books, including his recent best-seller The Biology of Love, have been translated into 24 different languages. Janov has served on staff at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital Psychiatric Department, and is currently Director of the Primal Center in Venice, CA. His work has also been the subject of a PBS special in the United States and documentaries in Germany, England, France and Sweden.

Customer Reviews

Former patient endorses it
First, a confession: I have not read this book.
On the other hand, I have thoroughly read at least a half-dozen of Art Janov's early books (and translations thereof, and consider Prisoners of Pain to be the best, most straightforward, dispassionate yet passionate exposition of his theories). I was a patient at his center in Paris, France in the early 80's and have followed up over the years with therapists trained by him and his staff.
Primal Therapy is not a panacea, an instant cure-all or a miracle formula; and for God's sake, it's not about screaming! It is about allowing oneself, in a secure environment, to be vulnerable and to release long-repressed hurts, frustrations, and deep emotional and physical pain. It is not about helplessness; it enables the patient to take responsibility for his/her adult life without being under the compulsion of issues unresolved since childhood. It is a difficult, imperfect, painful (and yes, expensive) process.
I'm pushing 50 now, enjoying excellent athletic health, a decent professional career, a challenging but enduring marriage and the most priceless relationship with my children that I can imagine. Knowing myself and my mental health condition a quarter century ago, I take none of this for granted; I credit a great deal of it to what Art Janov's Primay therapy enabled me to do for myself and my family.
It's not a fraud.
[...]

LIGHT YEARS BEYOND ANY OTHER PSYCHOTHERAPY!
PRIMAL HEALING is a book for people who want to feel better, make smarter choices, and live more satisfying lives. That's what Primal Therapy is doing for me, and I'm sure it can do the same for you and nearly anyone else.

I am currently going through Primal Therapy at Dr. Janov's Primal Center in Venice, CA. I can honestly say that it is the greatest adventure of my entire life. My only regret is that I didn't start the therapy 20 years ago.

When I started at the Primal Center, I was taking Vicodin every night for pain in my legs, hips, and back. My anxiety was such that I would cringe with a jolt of fear whenever the phone or doorbell would ring. I was frightened of driving. I was scattered and disorganized. I was depressed, in agony, and filled with hopelessness. I had difficulty reading and could read at most for five or ten minutes at a time. It all seemed like one big chaotic nightmare.

After only one month of Primal Therapy, most of the physical pain I suffered was gone. I might add that this pain plagued me my whole life. I'm not certain when I stopped cringing at the sound of the phone and doorbell. I just noticed one day that I didn't do it anymore. Nowadays I'm simply curious to see who is there. I still don't like driving very much, but I'm no longer afraid to drive. These days I can look around in my office and see that it is in pretty good shape. It used to look like I'd thrown a hand grenade in here. I feel good almost every day and more often than not, I feel great. My relationship with my wife is many times better than it was before therapy. We now shower together every day. This might not seem like much to you, but we had never showered together in all the years of our marriage. It is now an event we both look forward to each day. We love to wash and pleasure each other. We have become very familiar with each other's bodies, which just makes good sense now we are older and more vulnerable to certain diseases. It also makes us closer than we have ever been. I'm much less scattered now and can read with full focus for hours at a time - and enjoy it.

I'm sure you've guessed by now that I'm not an unbiased reviewer. Primal Therapy is very dear to me. I'm livin' it, and lovin' it.

But I'm not writing this review to promote Primal Therapy. Unfortunately, at this time only a select few can have good Primal Therapy. There are too few therapists (in part because the training period is so long and rigorous) and too little time. Despite this, the implications of all the research and experience associated with Primal Therapy are not only many and profound; they are available for everyone to benefit from. This knowledge could revolutionize obstetrics, child rearing practices, and our education system. The effects of this would be to reduce mental illness, crime, drug use, and a host of other social afflictions. This would in turn revolutionize our prison system and law enforcement policies - not to mention our nation's foreign policies.

During my life I have experienced a variety of psychotherapies including Client Centered Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Reevaluation Therapy, Tavi Group Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, Feeling Therapy, Eclectic Therapy and even acquired a degree in psychology. With that I can assure you that Primal Therapy is not only the most effective, it is the only therapy that is real science, integrated with neuroscience so that the therapist can clearly evaluate the patient's progress. Because of this I can fully trust any of the therapists at the Primal Center because they all know where I stand in the course of my therapy. I'm sure the day is not far off, whenever you hear the word psychotherapy; you will know they are referring to Primal Therapy.

I have read all of Dr. Janov's books, including GRAND DELUSIONS, the one he has made available on his website [...]. Each of his books represents a step forward in his group's research of the theories and techniques of Primal Therapy. However, his latest book, PRIMAL HEALING, is as special today as was THE PRIMAL SCREAM in 1970. It is my opinion that if you are going to read only one of Janov's books, PRIMAL HEALING is the one. It is my favorite because it is a clear and precise compendium of all his work over the past 35 years. Just as THE PRIMAL SCREAM represented a quantum leap over all existing psychotherapies in 1970, PRIMAL HEALING today represents a quantum leap over THE PRIMAL SCREAM.

Finally I will simply say that if you want to be at the cutting edge of human advancement, PRIMAL HEALING is a book you must read.

Janov's knowledge deepens in Primal Healing.
This book is the summary of Primal Scream and Primal Fear (both by Dr. Janov). The book mixes brain chemistry with Psychology and merges science with Psychology. This book is written for people who want to understand the healing process in both terms of Psychology and science. This book does not specifically tell you how to heal yourself, but it sheads light on the healing process in the brain. Janov also goes against Cognitive (talk) therapy and explains why it can't heal deep repression. I agree with Janov's theories. However, I'm not sure that birth or prebirth trauma can effect our feelings. Janov is very refined in his writing style and has backing evidence for many of his theories. Good read.