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Arthur Janov

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Doctor

The Resume

    (August 21, 1924-October 1, 2017)
    Born in Los Angeles, California
    Psychotherapist
    Developed primal therapy in which patients are encouraged to re-live and express repressed childhood trauma
    Wrote ‘The Primal Scream’ (1970), ‘The Primal Revolution’ (1972), ‘Primal Man’ (1976), ‘Prisoners of Pain’ (1980), ‘The New Primal Scream: Primal Therapy 20 Years On’ (1992) and ‘Primal Healing’ (2006)
    Notable patients included John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Dyan Cannon, and James Earl Jones

Why he might be annoying:

    He provided no real evidence for his theory that adult neuroses have their roots in childhood trauma.
    He also provided no real evidence that screaming and catharsis produced long-term emotional relief.
    He claimed primal therapy could cure ailments ranging from typical psychological problems like depression and alcoholism to physical conditions including ulcers, asthma and epilepsy.
    He listed homosexuality as one of the ailments primal therapy could ‘cure’ long after the American Psychiatric Association stopped classifying it as a psychiatric disorder.
    He predicted that in a few years primal therapy would replace all other therapies: ‘Primal therapy is inevitable, historically.’

Why he might not be annoying:

    One of Lennon’s best albums, ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’ (1970), was based on his experience with primal therapy.
    Pianist Roger Williams, one of his patients, called him one of the five greatest men in history.
    Tears for Fears’ name and their hit ‘Shout’ were inspired by primal therapy.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 6 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 84 Votes: 64.29% Annoying