THE ANATOMY OF MENTAL ILLNESS: The Scientific Basis of Primal Therapy

by Arthur Janov ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 28, 1971

Psychologist Janov has become something of a vanguard cult practitioner ever since Primal Patient John Lennon advanced some of those primal screams over the frequencies. This is a supplement to the earlier book (1970) which was faulted for its immodest and not too scientific contentions here again assumed by the subtitle while altogether defeated by the initial neurophysiological presentation unless you are professionally equipped to differentiate between scientific fact and what passes for it: ""Understanding hippocampal function is central to a comprehension of the nature of the neurotic split. . . . Another pattern characterizes this arousal in the hippocampus -- a theta rhythm -- and the theta rhythm is closely associated with the desynchronized arousal pattern of the cortex."" More simply Janov claims that all pain promotes nervous activity (proceeding to neurosis and psychosis) stored up in memory known here as the limbic system and further revealed by the tension released in dreams and hallucinations (much of this is lifted from the current sleep research findings). There is a great deal about Birth Primals (every difficult birth -- natural makes it relatively painless) and the earliest incidents of pain and deprivation (Freud and Rank re-garbled) and his casework (open end) which makes it possible to relieve that pain (i.e. via the scream) and the need for drugs, cigarettes, liquor and other excesses which are the props of the neurotic/psychotics of our time. ""Well, well, well.

Pub Date: Feb. 28, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1971

Categories: NONFICTION