Articles on Primal Therapy, psychogenesis, causes of psychological traumas, brain development, psychotherapies, neuropsychology, neuropsychotherapy. Discussions about causes of anxiety, depression, psychosis, consequences of the birth trauma and life before birth.
Friday, January 13, 2012
On Scary Movies
There is a story today about the film Mission Impossible……with Tom Cruz which has been shoved aside in sales by the new film, the horror film THE DEVIL INSIDE. So why is that? Wait a minute. The film is about exorcism; and that is about getting rid of your inner demons through shake, rock and roll and a little screaming. In my patois it is called abreaction. So what does the film do? It installs terror in you and then tells you how to get rid of it: exorcism. This is no different from what is happening world-wide to those who try to follow my therapy through getting patients to smack the wall, scream and get angry. All that is missing from their therapy and the film is context, the origin of the terror.
In the film they give you a context, a symbolic one that stands for the deep terror inside so many of us. It riles up the fear and then shows the ways to release it. And that is one major reason it is so popular. You can be terrorized safely in a warm environment and live through someone else’s catharsis. What a great formula. You can walk out of the theater relieved and calmer and the price was very paltry.
The difference in Primal Therapy is context, connecting with the generating source, the imprinted memory of that terror; therein lies true liberation. So the film goes through the motions of getting rid of the pain without really doing it; and that is what so many clinics do in the name of Primal. You don’t even have to hurt, and that is so attractive but such a chimera.
Why context? Because the origin of the terror, the imprinted memory, lies there and only there. Any other attempt to shake off the terror will fail.
Dear Dr Janov, I'm myself a french emotionnal intelligence coach, therapist and also a christian exorcist. That's not the first time I see your point of view on this subject
ReplyDeleteI can attest that during an exorcism which in fact is quite far from what you see in scary movies, something really happened for people. Something that the exorcist doesnt create for them. You don't ask people to shout and to cry, Something happened and people can connect themselves with deep feelings. My point of view is that when an emotionnal trauma happened NEVROSE began and at this moment negative entity can also came with the person. I watched a video from a french TV programm where you were inteviewev in 1982. The sequences of primal therapy really looks a like an exorcism.
So I mean maybe it would be interesting to see that some separate point of view could be reunified : a therapy could be reinforced by an exorcisme and the contrary is also right. Scott PECK, the famous american pyschiatrist and psychotherapist praticed himself some EXORCISM (he writed about the subuject in his book PEOPLE OF THE LIE). So I know what you call abreaction and I don't think real exorcism praticed by a person who could open his mind over than his own religious believes is the thing you wrote about. Thanks again for the quality of your work.
Yes it does look like primal but it is a million miles away. What you do is abreaction, the release of energy of an imprint without the direct connection that makes it have sense and changes the brain and physiology. You get temporary relief but that is never curative. Why not do it right. Read life before birth to understand more of the neurophysiology of all this. J'espère que tu restes pas dans le noir; il y a tellement de gens qui insistent que la relâche d’un sentiment c'est la même chose que vraiment le sentir. Art
DeleteI will read our last book. Merci de ta réponse . You know things can happen at different level. Once again if you don't stay at the psychological or physiological level to go to the energetic/spiritual level (nothing to do with religious believes) exorcisms don't cure NEVROSES its cures from negative entity which are frequently linked to NEVROSES. I would like sharing with you that you can be connected with God/The Energy/ The Source without being related to organized cult or religions and be afraid of the final punishment !!!
DeleteDr. Janov,
ReplyDelete“In the film they give you a context, a symbolic one that stands for the deep terror inside so many of us. It riles up the fear and then shows the ways to release it. And that is one major reason it is so popular. You can be terrorized safely in a warm environment and live through someone else’s catharsis.”
Just yesterday I wrote about the worthlessness of CT, and how “friends” are used (what are friends for) to talk about your feelings (acting up and out). I do believe talking about our feelings (3.line) we go in circles and must repeat, over and over again. CT contributes to this condition and stays in business depending on it. In addition you are labeled (compulsive, aggressive etc.) that does nothing other than provoke more pain.
People think going to a “therapist”, I’m in a protected (warm) environment … they know what they are doing… they are professionals … I have to obey.
I was so close to feeling and releasing the pain and the therapist put the lid back on the rising deep terror. Then he told me, go to a movie, go shopping. Go out and do something good for yourself (catharsis). My question was, will it erase my pain? No he said, but it will help you function better in society. I thought, that is the road to nowhere, I’m going in circles.
Why do we seek symbolism? Is it a temporary escape from the buried pain - yes?
Movies, therapists, religion, gurus, high fashion, everybody delivering a high price catharsis because they know the vulnerable will fall for it. They make money and one continues carrying the pain.
What would happen if we (temporarily) stay completely isolated from the outside world, from all symbolism, enlightenment and catharsis? Wouldn’t we have to jump the threshold and ultimately face our deep inside terror and feel our pain?
Sieglinde
'the devil inside' may have outsold 'mission impossible' but it certainly hasn't outsold one of the world's largest cults: scientology, of which tom cruise is an avid member. while they are subjected to brainwashing (authoritative hypnosis) the victims aim to consciously re-experience painful or traumatic events in their past in order to free themselves of their limiting effects. basic ammeters are used to detect changes in a person's state of mind. the religion claims to be scientific, but provides no evidence of success other than subjectively written statements (this is true for all psychotherapies, except for real primal therapy which offers evidence of permanently normalised vital signs and hormones).
ReplyDeletescientology is a very clever cult in that it convinces it's members to disregard real science, in favour of a larger-than-life science; one that encompasses the entire universe and human immortality. it is more logically acceptable than the well-established religions, and more attractive than primal.
if you find it hard to believe in exorcism, and you are not interested in a lone clinic in santa monica, you can always join tom cruise in his valiant attempt to rid the world of all psychiatric drugs and return each man, woman and child to a galactic sense of self.
jesus janov, how do we help people to search in the right direction? i never knew how crazy this world really is until i started reading this website.
Richard If you find the answer please let me know because it beats the s----out of me. art
Deletebeats the hell out of me too, though i must admit i enjoy Cruise as an actor; also Chick Corea as a musician; speaking of movies, has one on PT ever been attempted?
Deletegrumpy: We are working right now to finish a film of one and a half hours. Art.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteOh dear oh dear oh dear! Mr. God strikes again.
Since I got onto this blog 18 months ago my belief in Mr. God has rather waned and I have become suspicious of the ability of 'believers' to really empathise deeply enough. As long as their 'faith' for them remains such an idealization, all situations they put themselves into will colour that situation.
Mr God is like Mr Dad isn't he? Everything is ok as long as you believe that Mr God (Mr. Dad)is looking after you.
I still find comfort in prayer, occasionally, but that's really just the way my limbic system has been programmed with the Lords' Mantra. . . Y'know, when the shit's hitting the fan or the boat's sinking or the frightening Primal feelings overload; etc, etc.
I don't deny it but I also don't trust "Wise Men of God". These types always rely on that unseen power to justify their position; 'on the phone to Mr. God. . .
Anyway, people who say they're Christian, do they actually keep Christs' precepts? Or are they just 'would be Christians'?
I know a fair few agnostics and atheists who are more adept at Christian values than those who insist on their belief in Mr. God.
This thing about Scott Peck: I've read all his books and I have been involved in community building, it works, but you don't need Mr. God to do community building. Also "People of the Lie". . . Well, Art has talked about them quite a bit too. Once you get into Primal feelings and Primal Theory you can not carry on with what is essentially a cognitive approach to psychos or anyone else. The Judgements we like to make end when our true feelings surface. The logic of labelling and attempting to change behaviour ceases to have value after a re-living experience. It's a different paradigm altogether. It is not merely 'Non-Judgementalism'. It is a unique conscious acceptance of the truth about pain.
Paul G.
Yes, Primal Therapy is unfortunately a very generic term; I prefer Janovian PT, and refer to it as such when describing your therapy Art.
ReplyDeleteWhat about hating horror films?! I don't like being scared. Jacquie
Jacquie: OK from now on it will be Janov's Primal Therapy. thanks art
DeleteFrom being "crazy"… crazy for everything and everyone… to feel so afraid that she pray for her life. Aida becomes part of her feeling she could not even imagine was associated with the little girl in her. Her mother committed suicide in a way of ritual by drinking a bottle of poison which she begged her son to pick up from the kitchen… which she then drank in front of all her children. What to say?
ReplyDeleteAida was placed in a convent and then adopted to Sweden. She has all her life expressed her hatred for whatever there was to hate... hate as a lid on for the horrible experience of being left by her mother in this horrible way. Fear Aida experienced was/is from the moment she saw her mother take her life... she has been paralyzed by her behavior as a defense against a terrible event... this horrible pain... pain of losing her mother and no one came to rescue... an event that is now likely to open up awareness of what else may be hidden.
She was left alone for all what there was of pain and has so been ever since. Aida was left to a big hell. No one would come to her rescue… not until she got help through primal therapy… and then discover that the assistance of help only existed in the little child who had/has this horrible memory.
She feels now “satisfied” about it ... satisfied for what there is left for her in life ... satisfied not to have to wear this hell ... satisfied to know what was happening and what impact it had/has on her life. In a slow pace… step by step… she gets to know of this hell ... hell which now gives her "something" to live for… live as she knows how this pain infected her life… pain for what pain was intended to do ... meant for at the moment... to relieve suffering from an even worse knowledge... knowledge of losing her mother. The symptoms of pain is not in par with what the pain contains of been lifesaving… pain for all what pain was intended to do ... protect from an knowledge that her mother killed herself in front of her.
Frank
If we look at the idea and language development from a primal therapeutic perspective… the result is exactly what one would expect... a result not at all expected otherwise. That an Intellectual development would be natural when we in primal therapy experience its effect is excluded... excluded when the experience of feelings are so much more important for the purpose of survival… feelings repressed by the capacity ideas perform for survival. It is the unfortunate circumstance to prove... prove the reason of the “human success”... success as a consequence for missing feelings... success that proves madness for the technical development… a sophisticated technological development in order to wipe out all humanity.
ReplyDeleteIs not this primal therapeutic “understanding” enough… there's not much future left for humanity.
Frank
An email comment: "Yep!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's like psychological homeopathy (IMHO)...give the exact [mimicked] problem by means of another source to get rid of the original problem.
Your newsletters are the ONLY ones I really keep...ad infinitum. Do you know Ellie van Winkle? I just happened to discover her now (after her death unfortunately)."
And my answer: No I donno van Winkle. Why? art
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