ACTIVITAS NERVOSA SUPERIOR

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

P ERSPECTIVES ON P SYCHOTHERAPY

THE O RIGIN S OF A N XIETY, PAN IC AN D RAGE

A TTACKS
Arthur Janov
The Primal Center, Santa M onica and Claremont Graduate University, USA

Abstract
This is a report of clinical observations over forty five years. We d escribe the d ifference betw een lim bic
fear versus brainstem terror. The earlier a patient relives events from child hood , and infancy, the
d eeper into the brain he m ay reach. In the process, the affective responses becom e m ore exaggerated ;
for exam ple, m ild hopelessness becom es suicid al hopelessness, fear becom es terror, and anger becom es
rage. The responses becom e m ore prim itive as they em anate from a brain t hat is m ore p rim itive; old er
and pre-hum an. (Janov, 2011) That prim itive brain insid e of us provid es all of the responses that existed
hund red s of m illions of years ago. In som e respects w e are still that alligator or shark w ith no pity or
rem orse, just instinct. Those prim itive responses are pre-em otion, before m am m alian caring and
concern evolved , and they d o allow us to m urd er w hen evoked . They also perm it panic attacks w hich
evolved to be life-saving in situations w here rapid and vigorous responses m ea nt survival. A person
respond ing w ith rage or terror is overw helm ed by his brainstem activity and is reacting exactly like the
alligator d oes. These d eep and early processes have largely been ignored in clinical w ork and m ust be
revisited .
Key w ord s: A nxiety; Limbic fear; Panic attacks; Primal therapy

1. IN TROD UCTION
In m y p reviou s w ork, I have d escribed the d ifference betw een lim bic fear versu s brainstem
terror; that is, the earlier a p atient goes w hen reliving events from child hood , and infancy, th e
d eep er into the brain he reaches. In the p rocess, the affective resp onses becom e m ore
exaggerated ; for exam p le, m ild hop elessness becom es su icid al hop elessness, fear becom es
terror, and anger becom es rage. The resp onses becom e m ore p rim itive as they em an ate from
a brain that is m ore p rim itive; old er and p re-hu m an (Janov, 2011) the brainstem .
That p rim itive brain insid e of u s p rovid es all of the resp onses that existed hu nd red s of
m illions of years ago. In som e resp ects w e are still that alligator or shark w ith no p ity or
rem orse, ju st instinct. Those p rim itive resp onses are p re-em otion, before m am m alian caring
and concern evolved , and they d o allow u s to m u rd er w hen evoked . They also p erm it p anic
attacks w hich evolved to be life-saving in situ ations w here rap id and vigorou s resp onses
m eant su rvival. A p erson resp ond ing w ith rage or terror is overw helm ed by his brainstem
activity and is reacting exactly like the alligator d oes (Panksep p , 1998).

Correspondence to: Arthur Janov, e-mail: Primalctr@mac.com

Received February 26, 2013; accepted March 13, 2013; Act Nerv Super (Praha) 55(1-2), 51-66.

51

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

Those resp onses are often cau sed by a birth trau m a w here a 130 p ou nd m other is given
anesthesia that su p p resses so m any of the fu nctions of a 6 p ou nd fetu s, inclu d ing breathing.
(Lew it, 2009; Singer, 2004, p 141, 215-228). This com bined w ith a m other w ho sm oked to
p rod u ce an oxygen d eficit in the fetu s. (Cannon, 2008, p . 797-802; Fent, 2008, p . 138-145) The
breathing ap p aratu s is im p aired ; that m ay be im p rinted and end u re for a lifetim e. It is an
im p rint of im p end ing d eath --terror. Fright becom es a p erm anent accom p anim ent. And
p hobias and com p u lsions m ay be the lifelong resu lt.
What I am d iscu ssing are d angers for the baby that m enace his life. H is system reacts w ith
terror becau se that is the highest level of brain d evelop m ent, at the m om ent, and becau se
those events are m ost often life-threatening. Key biologic set-p oints are altered , leaving a
vu lnerability to d isease later on. (This inclu d es cortisol levels, natu ral killer cells as w ell as
im ip ram ine bind ing, all research w e have d one, and d iscu ssed in m y Prim al H ealing) (Janov,
2007).
That heavy d ose of anesthetics to the m other d u ring the birth p rocess can shu t d ow n the
babys resp iratory system and bring him near d eath. This is the tim e of rap id brain
d evelop m ent w here trau m a can have long-lasting effects. It sets u p a p rototyp e and
afterw ard can be the origin of m igraines and high blood p ressu re, as the circu latory system is
com p rom ised . So later u p set can trigger off a m igraine as the vessels constrict as a d efense,
and a m em ory of w hat the vessels need to d o p hysiologically w hen u nd er threat constrict.
This is the sam e biologic reaction that p rod u ces p u p illary constriction w hen view ing scenes
of horror. We w ill d iscu ss this fu rther u nd er the section called resonance (H od ie, 2010, p . 430437).
For p u rp oses of this article I w ill concentrate on low er brain p roce sses, om itting the very
im p ortant lim bic system . It is w hat I call the first -line that has often been neglected or
ignored . The second line p rocesses feelings/ em otions, w hile the third line is largely
cognitive, intellectu al and also p rocesses belief syste m s. Thou gh highly interconnected , each
level has ind ep end ent fu nctions.
When I m ention going d eep er, it is sp ecific to ou r Prim al Therap y w here p atients over
the m any m onths d o d escend d eep er in the brain and rem ote p ast to tou ch on (relive) those
low er brains. We see that p atients ap p roaching first-line-brainstem im p rints have m ajor
sp ikes in brain-w ave p atterns, blood p ressu re, bod y tem p eratu re and heart rate; the am ou nt
of change tells u s on w hat level the p atient is op erating; rad ical alterations are inevitably first
line. N ot only that, bu t there are key behavioral effects: loss of breath, certain p hysical
m ovem ents not exclu d ing fetal p osition, bringing u p a great d eal of m u cou s, obviou s
su ffocation, and m ore. They are in the grip of that low er brain stru ctu re. (For m ore on this,
p lease read m y Life Before Birth, Janov, 2011.) When w e d id brainw ave stu d ies years ago w e
fou nd that a p atient on the verge of first-line p ain had skyrocketing brainw aves; am p litu d e of
w aves m ou nted as m any m ore neu rons w er e recru ited to help w ith p ain and rep ression. The
latest stu d y, the fou rth w as m ad e u nd er the d irection of E. M. H old en (Janov, 1996).
There are tw o w ays that w e becom e in tou ch w ith first line. One, to be so fragile and
d efenseless that the d eep im p rints rise tow ard consciou s/ aw areness; or tw o, p atients slow ly
d escend over tim e (often m onths) to arrive at the first line. This is w here p anic lies, and w e
see p anic su rging forth as p atients com e in contact w ith brainstem im p rints.
The p anic victim feels threatened bu t he d oesn't know w hat he is afraid of. Or som etim es,
that he is even afraid . It som etim es d oesn't feel like fear; it is som e u nknow n feeling of fright
that seem s so alien. She is p anicked over w hatever lies in her brainstem . The reasons cou ld be
any nu m ber of things: a m others terror d u ring p regnancy translated to her baby, su ffocation
and near d eath as the m other is given heavy d oses of anesthetic d u ring birth, a fright, as w ith
one of m y p atients w ho w as involved in a seriou s au to accid ent in her eighth m onth. When I
w as in grad u ate school I learned abou t anteced ent -consequ ent reactions. All it m eant w as
that if there is a resp onse, som ething cau sed it. When there is rage and terror, som ething
cau ses it. These are not ord inary reactions; they a re p rim itive in the fu ll m eaning of the term .
So far w e have not know n w hat that m eant. The m ore w e learn abou t the brainstem and

52

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

ancient p arts of the lim bic system , inclu d ing the am ygd ala, the m ore w e com e to u nd erstand
these exaggerated reactions.
We now are learning that so-called anger m anagem ent therap y is u seless against rage.
Rage op erates on a m u ch low er level than cognitive-style therap y that focu ses higher u p . We
d ont w ant to m anage feelings; w e w ant to feel them . Bu t w hen there is no know led ge of
d eep levels w e resort to m anagem ent. Ju st another w ay of hold ing them d ow n w hen they
need to be exp ressed .
The central system , the brain and sp inal cord , m atu res in sequ ence: from first line (the tail)
and then higher (the head ). And w e relive in exactly the op p osite m anner: head before tail.
Reverse evolu tion; w e are governed by the ru les of biology.
By the fifth w eek of gestation w e find synap ses are connecting nerve cells. A few w eeks
later the w hole fetal bod y can cu rl, tw ist and tu rn. At ten w eeks h e can m ove his fingers. H e
begins to m ove enou gh to be recognized by the m other at abou t eighteen w eeks. The
em otional brain is d evelop ing in the last trim ester and m onths after birth. What hap p ens
then affects ou r em otional life p erm anently. Dam age d u ring this tim e can som etim es lead to
those w ho seem to have no feelings, no concern nor em p athy p sychop aths (Anand , 2000, p
69-82; Kap lan, 2008, p . 249-256).
There is a qu estion as to w hen w e first becom e alert or consciou s. It seem s to be arou nd
th
the 24 w eek of gestation. That is w hen the thalam u s and its nerve circu its to the cortex are in
p lace; the cortex can get inform ation from below . That m ay be the beginnings of global
aw areness.
There are three brains in ou r head . Thu s the term The Triu ne Brain as o u tlined and
exp lained by Pau l D. Maclean, the grand father of m od ern neu rology. (Maclean, 1990) The
first p art of the brain to d evelop is w hat I call the first line. In the first line lies all of those
instincts and p rim itive reactions. When there is trau m a at birth or d u ring gestation, long
before w e have an intact em otional brain, ou r reactions are cod ed and stored d ow n on the
first line. And w hen w e ignore this level there is no chance of a cu re becau se w e have not
gone d eep enou gh in the brain, in the u nconsciou s, to call it w hat it is: terror. As it w end s its
w ay to the top level w e give it a nam e: anxiety. We then d eal w ith anxiety attacks becau se w e
are u naw are of their real nam e terror or their d eep sou rce the first line.
There are p lenty of attem p ts at im p rovem ent in conventional therap y, w hich is good , bu t
the p roblem is obd u rate, and w ill last a lifetim e, as d oes the im p rint that hold s the m em ory in
storage and also hold s the sym p tom in its grip and w ont let go u ntil generating sou rces are
exp erienced . First line is the fou nd ation for ou r p ersonality. As it evolves it shap es or d istorts
the feeling and later the thinking system s.
Accord ing to the early w ork of Melzack and Wall, there is a gating system in the brain that
has a sp ecific fu nction. Ou r clinical w ork find s the gating system has a d ifferent fu nction
from w hat they d escribe. It is m ainly to block off p ain and terror from reaching higher levels
of consciou s/ aw areness. In brief, to keep u s u nconsciou s of threatening im p rints. (Melzack
&. Wall, 1965). Their w ork w as the beginning of the gate control theory. When the baby
su ffers great trau m a d u ring those early tim es the gating system w eakens and w e have "leaky
gates." The trau m a, w hen excessive, cau ses the brain to u se u p m ajor su p p lies of rep ressive
chem icals, su ch as serotonin. This im p airs the p rop er fu nctioning of the inhibitory system ,
ou r d efense system (Teicher et al., 2006). N ot only d oes trau m a exhau st serotonin, it d am ages
p arts of the brain that p rod u ce it, as w ell as d am aging the p rod u ction of d op am ine and
ep inep hrine. Tranqu ilizers tend to rep lace w hat w as u sed u p originally; serotonin is fou nd in
Prozac and m any tranqu ilizers. Their fu nction is to block serotonin u p take so w e retain
su p p lies over tim e. It seem s that it is sim p ly bu ttressing w hat w as exhau sted in the original
battle.
When ou r p ain levels are high, and therefore w e are less d efend ed , w e m ay arrive at age
thirty w ith a p anic attack, w hich becom es a m ystery. And it is a m ystery becau se its origin
lies d eep in the brain. We can now u nd erstand its p rovenance: a rem ote nervou s system . It is
resp onsible for so m u ch of ou r aberrant behavior as w ell as op aqu e and refractory sym p tom s.
We now see in ou r clinical p ractice all those p rim itive instincts that su rge forth w h en p atients

53

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

d escend d eep in the nervou s system . They keep u s on the qu i vive all of the tim e alert w hen
w e shou ld be trying to sleep , over - reacting w hen it is not called for. Freu d called it hysteria
(Breu er & Freu d , 1895).
We see now that w hen w e act in the p resent and there is a resonance d ow n d eep w e react
to both tim es at once: over-reaction. The resonance m ay be terror from a carrying m other
w ho sm oked and d rank and w ho w as effectively killing or d am aging the baby from
d im inished oxygen. That and m any other configu rations consp ire to incu lcate terror in the
baby that is im p rinted and sealed in as a (p rim al) m em ory. When there is a p anic attack or
rage attack w e m u st look to that brain for u nd erstand ing and cu re. It is only w ith that brain
that w e can find cau ses and answ ers.
It is not ju st anxiety that is ap p arent bu t seriou s m ental illness, as w ell; the resu lt of
horrifying and inescap able exp eriences in the w om b, (very early in w om b -life). It is clear that
the exp erience is inescap able w hen m other is infu sing d ru gs into the fetu s and low ering his
oxygen. Patients d ow n on that level (and I know how rid icu lou s that m ay seem to the
u ninitiated ) exhibit again the terror. They feel like they are d ying. They are ind eed
ap p roaching d eath. That is the m em or y that end u res and show s u p years later w hen the
gates w eaken in p anic attacks.
What is m ore im p ortant is that after a reliving, all key signs d escend below baseline, as
long as it is an actual reliving. This is never the case w ith those w ho are in abreact ion (the
release of the energy of a feeling w ithou t p rop er connection). The p oint here for ou r
d iscu ssion is that w hen a p atient d escend s d eep into brainstem / first line, w e see the terror
and rage that w e d o not see w hen they relive on the lim bic/ feeling level alone. H ere it is still
anger and fear; it is only w hen w e go d eep er that it becom es p rim itive terror and rage.
Patients again on that level are in the grip s of terror, they m ay gasp and w rithe, u ntil they
m ake the connection. It is origins and generating sou rces that m ay u ltim ately lead to cu re.
Let m e qu ickly ad d a p oint that m ay seem p arad oxical: it is a p ain that d oesnt hu rt all that
m u ch. It is both a hu rt and relief, at the sam e tim e. It is a great relief to be rid of som ething
lu rking in the backgrou nd of ou r lives w ithou t cease, som ething that shap es ou r lives,
interests, choices and reactions. We d ont know w hats there bu t it leaves in u s a m alaise and
a chronic ap p rehension that is inexp licable. Becau se it is p reverbal it takes tim e to learn w hat
it is and w hat to d o abou t it. We need to be carefu l abou t how d eep to go and w hen. Going
too d eep abru p tly can be d angerou s, as in the m ock p rim al p ractice of rebirthing. It is for this
reason that ou r p atients are never led or forced to those lev els; it hap p ens au tom atically as
a resu lt of the techniqu es w e have learned over fou r d ecad es.
As feelings m ou nt, the reliving p rocess m ay start w ith p sychotic-like statem ents before
p atients are fu lly into the im p rinted m em ory. As the terror rises tow ard
consciou s/ aw areness, they m ay have the thou ght, I am going to d ie! They are trying to kill
m e. And the cu re involves reliving. Why? Becau se w hen the feeling rises fu lly it can connect
to consciou s/ aw areness. And connection is the summum bonum of cu re. The p ain and terror
have finally been lived and exorcised . They are no longer a threat, w hich is w hy ad vanced
p atients no longer su ffer anxiety attacks.
The goal of ou r therap y is to retrieve m em ory, not only of the scene or the p lace bu t of the
feelings belonging to them ; that is w hat has been rep ressed and held in storage, the p ain and
terror. When p atients exp erience those feelings they becom e integrated . They are aw are of
the feelings even thou gh they m ay not know exactly w hen it hap p ened originally. It i s the
feeling that cou nts. Actu ally, I m ean the sensation. Sensations p re -d ate feelings by m illions
of years. Previou sly their valence cau sed them to be rep ressed (otherw ise there is overload ),
and thereby m ad e them an alien force, u nable to integrate w ith the rest of ou r system . When
they are fu lly felt they are now p art of u s. It is how the first line connects. We connect, in
short, on the level of the trau m a and in that context only. And as the reliving goes on, there is
a continu ou s d rop in vital sign s, arriving below baseline.
We m u st never skip step s, forcing som eone to m ake som ething verbal w hen it lives on a
d ifferent non-verbal level. There is also connection to the neo-cortex w here w e are aw are of
the feeling and how it d rives u s. We are consciou sly/ aw are of it all. Qu ite d ifferent from

54

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

aw areness w hich is solely third -line. Too m any therap ies d eal w ith aw areness and not
consciou s/ aw areness. It is w hy insights m ake only su p erficial change.
Becau se the first line is the fou nd ation of so m u ch later b ehavior, w hen it is felt it p rovid es
so m u ch insight into a w id e variety of behavior. Those insights are based on d eep stru ctu res
bu t are eventu ally u nd erstood on the highest level.
We cannot m ake p rogress on the third -line cognitive level alone. We can becom e aw are of
w hy w e act the w ay w e d o bu t nothing changes biologically; thu s getting w ell only in ou r
head . Ou r biology has been left ou t of the therap eu tic equ ation. It is like being aw are of a
viru s, w hich u su ally d oes not kill it. So again, connection m eans liberation of feelings in
context. That last caveat, in context, is im p ortant. There are those w ho scream and w rithe and
cry ou t of context, as in an exercise. They m ake no p rofou nd change, bu t w hen the p atient
slow ly d escend s to d eep levels over tim e and reacts to the stim u li and events on that level
w ith the neu rological cap abilities of that era, there is p rogress.
Consciou sness m eans all levels of the brain w orking flu id ly and in harm ony. N o levels are
kep t estranged from the others. We are one in the neu ro-biologic sense of the term . And
that shou ld be the aim of seriou s p sychotherap y consciou sness not ju st aw areness.
Som e tim e ago there w as a stu d y of anxiety states that fou nd alterations in the
lym p hocytes of the im m u ne system as thou gh the system w as u nd er attack; and it w as by
alien u n-integrated forces. As the anxiety left there w as a norm alization of lym p hocytes. It
w ou ld seem that rep ressed feelings becom e an alien force, a m enace that m u st be com bated
ju st like an invad ing viru s. Is it any w ond er that p eop le w ith anxiety com m only su ffer
im m u ne d iseases?
The theory of three levels is illu strated by p aranoia or bizarre id eation, often fou nd in
p sychosis. What w e have fou nd is that, as feelings rise, there is som etim es p aranoia: I am
going to d ie, or I am d ying. It is the d irect analogu e of the early im p rint. It is not bizarre
id eation w hen p laced in context. It is a d irect ou tgrow th of a m em ory of w hat hap p ened to
u s. In p aranoia it can becom e, They are trying to kill m e. A d rastically w eakened gating
system , as w ith the chronic u se of m ariju ana, allow s the d eep feelings too facile access to
higher levels w here id eation and belief take over to block, bind and absorb the feeling. We
often see p aranoia in those w ho take hallu cinogens. Fee lings are u nleashed w hile the d efense
system is w eakened . Paranoia often ensu es. We m u st think of it as third line d efense. Und er
d ru gs su ch as LSD or m ariju ana, it is still the sam e m em ory im p rint at base, only the cortical
m ind is forced into a m ore elaborate confection. Deep feelings and sensations have been
p rem atu rely u nleashed . I am d ying becom es they w ant to kill m e. Often there is the
leitm otif of d eath. This establishes for u s the origins of som e p sychoses: the su rging forw ard
and u p w ard of those d eep im p rints (w here d eath w as im m inent), and the collap se of the
gates. It forces the neo-cortex to concoct all sorts of strange notions to cap tu re and encircle
the feelings and give them som e sort of rationale. So instead of feeling horrific p ain and
terror the cognitive brain concocts an elaborate fantasy/ d elu sion. (Thom son, 2007, p . 85-113).
The p erson can ju stify his terror they are ou t to get m e; they w ant to kill m e instead of
feeling naked terror. To reiterate: there is an im p rint of im p end ing d eath, on the first line. It
w end s its w ay to the neo-cortex w here it p rovokes a cognitive d efense they w ant to kill
m e. The im p rint is real; the id eation is not. The treatm ent m u st involve the first line, not ju st
the p aranoid id eation. The kernel of this id eation is nearly alw ays d eep brain.
The p ain and terror arise bu t before there is com p lete aw areness and a fu ll -blow n attack
there is strange id eation. The cortex is p u shed to its lim its; the last refu ge of the d efense
system . We can u nd erstand m ore abou t killer rage: w hen there is trau m a in the p resent the
third line w eakens and is infu sed w ith d eep brain im p rints. The p erson acts -ou t becau se
there are no d efenses, for the m om ent. And w e know that the first line is involved becau se of
the im m ense rage w e see. In ou r p atients the vital signs rise significantly w hen the first line
im p rint is ap p roaching.
With connection, there is an actu al living again of the rep ressed im p rint and the
p ain/ feeling becom es integrated ; the vital signs fall in u nison, not sp orad ically as hap p ens in
abreaction w here there is no connection to the im p rint, the generating sou rce. This d rop

55

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

inform s u s that a feeling in the session w as com p lete. The d anger is gone for the m om ent.
The inner, im p rinted d anger has been faced an d felt and integrated . Feelings, w hen
inord inately p ainfu l and terror -rid d en, are a p erm anent m enace. The system is u nd er attack
by them , so w hen they begin to rise w e hear they are attacking m e. It is not they. It is the
feelings.
Connection m eans fu ll exp erience. It can be exp erienced u niqu ely on the non -verbal level
(heart rate and blood p ressu re), or on the level of consciou s/ aw areness w here there is a
cortical connection and com p lete u nd erstand ing of the feeling. Feeling and integrating the
cau ses of behavior p revents them from being acted ou t: My m other alw ays need ed to know
w here I w ent so now I d ont u se m y tu rn signals becau se it is nobod ys bu siness w here I am
going. The act-ou t is w hat is generally know n as neu rotic behavior. The cu re requ ir es a
com p lete reliving exp erience to origins, w hich m eans connection. Ou r therap eu tic task is to
help p atients feel the p ain/ terror and bring it to fu ll exp erience. We can exp erience terror
w ithou t a label; bu t the aim is to d im inish or erad icate rep ressio n w hich hold s the feelings in
p lace (see: EGG stu d y of am p litu d e and frequ ency in p atients of a feeling therap y. UCLA
Brain Research Bu lletin, Don Walter, 1973).
One w ay w e control ou r hyp otheses is to m easu re vital signs, w hich w e d o w ith every
session. Feeling the terror p hysiologically can bring d ow n the vital signs on its ow n. Over
tim e there is also a significant d rop in cortisol levels and enhanced natu ral killer cells. (see
m y book Primal Healing for d iscu ssion). The key m etabolic changes also inclu d e a p erm anent
one-d egree low ering of bod y tem p eratu re; since bod y tem p eratu re is factor in ou r longevity
and the w ork of ou r bod ies it is an im p ortant ind ex. It all m eans that w e are getting to the
p ain and u nd oing rep ression.

2. RESON AN CE
We have been investigating the p rocess of resonance. The u p p er neocortical levels are
intertw ined neu rologically, and evolve ou t of those low er levels so that w hen som ething
ad verse hap p ens in the p resent it can resonate w ith or trigger related feelings on those
d eep er levels. In the sam e w ay that w hen a p atient is on the first line in the Prim al he can
su d d enly exclaim , I feel like I am d ying. The feeling is of su ch a m agnitu d e that it is
su d d enly im p elled into the top level and is exp ressed verbally. One new p atie nt in a session
w as ap p roaching first line terrible p ain, su d d enly sat u p and said , God has ju st saved m e. I
have been saved . The neo-cortex step p ed in to absorb the overload and began its d efense: I
am saved , or rather, I have d evelop ed an id ea of be ing saved so that it can stop the p ain.
The third line is sim p ly d oing its d u ty. The belief, being saved , hap p ened au tom atically as
feelings com p elled the cortical gating system to begin its d efense. Beliefs are not cap riciou s
bu t are in the natu ral ord er of things. It is not the therap eu tic goal to change the id eas, bu t
rather, to feel their u nd erp innings.
A w ife leaving the hom e is often enou gh to cau se rage in the hu sband . This is qu ite tru e if
his p arents d ivorced w hen he w as a child and the m other left hom e w ith som eone else. The
resonance factor, set in m otion by the d ivorce, can trigger off the original trau m a, ones
m other ru nning off w ith som eone else. The old and new trau m as com bine to p rod u ce
inord inate reactions. One can be engu lfed by those feelings and throu gh resonance and
becom e enraged . In an exp eriential therap y the p atient goes throu gh those very sam e
feelings, fu ry and killer rage. The d ifference is that he is in a safe environm ent w here he can
fu lly exp ress him self and feel the old trau m as that d rive it. This is not a one-tim e affair;
sessions go on m any tim es, as the p ain and terror cannot be relived all at once.
We have treated the resu lts of re-birthers w ho have d one ju st that, forced p atients far
beyond their cap acity to feel. The d am age is shattering (of d efenses) and ineffable. They
begin to have p re-p sychotic id eas: I am one w ith the cosm os. I feel the u niverse insid e m e,
etc. These sam e id eas som etim es extend to frank p sychosis.

56

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

Once there is terror installed in the evolving fetu s the genetic cells can change and becom e
ep igenetic. Those transform ed cells are the carriers of terror. They d rive neu rotic behavior
and all sorts of seriou s d iseases inclu d ing cancer (the cells that block cancer cells from
d evelop ing are nearly alw ays heavily m ethylated , ind icating early trau m a). The p rocess of
this im p rinting is carried by m ethylating the cells; ad d ing p art of the m ethyl grou p of
chem icals to the gene. The cells then carry the brand , p erhap s for a lifetim e. There is su ch a
d istance from the tim e of that im p rint to terror of sp eaking in p u blic at age tw enty, that the
sou rce is not even consid ered . What has been im p rinted is terror: terror of su ffocation,
strangling, d ep rived of oxygen and of being blocked from getting ou t. All of thes e are lifethreatening and they rem ain in p ristine form throu ghou t ou r lives read y to su rge forth. So
there is inord inate anger w hen he tries to exp lain som ething to som eone w ho d oes not
u nd erstand ; the feeling is, I cant get throu gh to you . It has resonated w ith, I cannot get
throu gh, get ou t, be free. And that is entw ined w ith a lack of oxygen; I w ill d ie if I stay here
and cannot get ou t. So there is a great u rgency to get throu gh. First line is bu rsting throu gh.
Thu s, anxiety is terror em anating from the d eep reaches of the neu raxis; m ore p recisely,
from the brainstem that controls d igestion, breathing, elim ination and other vital fu nctions.
Deep im p rints can affect all of these p rocesses and / or set u p vu lnerabilities to related
d isease, from d iarrhea to p u lm onary d ysfu nction. A first-line im p rint evokes a first-line
reaction, m eaning m id line reactions. That is how w e know w hat level is likely involved in
colitis. Since anxiety seem s to w ork in reverse ord er w ith telom eres (those cap s on the
chrom osom es that ind icate how long w e m ay live), it m ay be that exp eriencing im p rints m ay
lengthen life.
A heavy d ose of anesthetics to the m other d u ring the birth p rocess can shu t d ow n the
infants resp iratory system and bring him near d eath. This is the tim e o f rap id brain
d evelop m ent w here trau m a can have long-lasting effects. Later on in ad u lthood , there can be
a com p u lsion to try the d oor ten tim es a d ay to m ake su re the hou se is secu re. This com es ou t
of a basic feeling of being u nsafe. It can d rive the com p u lsion for a lifetim e. Or consid er the
fear of failu re, the feeling that so m any p atients have. Originally, it starts w ith fear of failing
to m ake it ou t of the w om b w ithou t great stru ggle w hen failing to get ou t su ccessfu lly cou ld
have m eant d eath. It is the stru ggle-and -fail synd rom e that d rives u s to give u p w hen faced
w ith obstacles (Glu ckm an, 2005; Lew it, 2009).
Fear is the lim bic p ortal of entre to earlier im p rints. It op ens the d oor to the terror d ow n
below , w hich is p art of ou r p rim itive brain a nd p red ates ou r em otional brain by hu nd red s of
m illions of years. Terror is m eant for rad ical and im m ed iate action; a key su rvival fu nction.
When a carrying m other is seriou sly agitated , she is activating her baby, as fear becom es
installed in him . When sh e d rinks, u ses tranqu ilizers or is seriou sly u p set and fearfu l, it
com bines w ith the p rim itive earlier activation to p rod u ce a com p ou nd ed resp onse. When the
m others em otional state goes on for an extend ed p eriod of tim e it m arks the genetic cells of
the fetu s and alters them , im p rinting the terror resp onse as an end u ring legacy. And w hen
ou r p atients relive those early im p rints the w rap p ing com es off the anxiety and it becom es
the terror it w as at the start; w e see it now for w hat it is and w as. It now has a context, an
origin and a p rop er nam e. (Mykletu n et al., 2009, p .118).
When feelings bu rst throu gh to consciou s/ aw areness later in life w e call it p anic or an
anxiety attack. It is not; it is the sam e p u re terror that w as im p rinted p erhap s d ecad es earlie r,
now filtered throu gh the gates. It m ay arrive in d isgu ised form , a p hobia or com p u lsion, bu t
at base it is still that terror. When the terror is felt and exp erienced neu rop hysiologically, the
p hobias often fall aw ay as d oes m igraine. We low er hyp ertension on average 24 p oints after
one year of therap y. It is also associated w ith the low ering of cortisol levels. (Gold m an, 1998,
p . 936-940). We are taking the p ressu re ou t of the system and norm alizing the p erson.
We need to u nd erstand that the first line is the basic fou nd ation of ou r system . It shap es
the second -line feeling system , and u ltim ately can d istort the third -line id eational one. To
solve p roblem s on higher levels w e need to retu rn to the basic fou nd ation that form ed and
help ed d e-rou te them .

57

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

3. ON RELIVIN G
The qu estion is often raised , can w e relive events in the w om b w hile w e w ere being carried ?
When a p atient w ith leaky gates (the gates that sep arate levels of consciou sness) starts to
relive a trau m a abou t his infancy d u ring a session, there is som etim es a breakthrou gh of birth
events. The trau m a, say, of d im inished oxygen w here the m other w as given heavy
anesthetics, intru d es; the p atient w ill gag and feel su ffocated , u nable to catch her breath. So
in the m id st of exp eriencing how it felt to be sp anked or criticized as a fou r year old , there is
su d d enly a su ffocation; the p atient is literally having a near -d eath exp erience. It is called
first-line intru sion. We often see this in very d istu rbed p eop le or in d ru gs ad d icts. There are
p reverbal m em ories that can intru d e and elevate key vital signs. The exaggerated reactions
tell u s that there are p ossibly early im p rints that d rive and com p el the reaction.
In therap y, the d escent to the d eep brain is slow , m ethod ical and evolu tionary; it is
evolu tion in reverse. After one year of therap y there is a su stained d rop in blood p ressu re,
heart rate and bod y tem p eratu re. The key w ord is su stained . It is not p alliation; it is m ore
su bstantial (H offm an, 1981). We are governed by the ru les of evolu tion and biology.

4. MORE ON RELIVIN G
One w ay w e can be su re abou t reliving on the first -line is the p atient loses all his w ord s; he
cannot sp eak nor can he cry. H e is on a m ost p rim itive level of nervou s d evelop m ent, long
before there is the cap acity for w ord s and id eas. If the p atient ever says a w ord d u ring her
birth Prim al w e know it is a false exp erience. It has never hap p ened w hen the therap y is d one
p rop erly. We see this in those w ho com e to u s from those w ho claim to be d oing ou r therap y.
They have learned to scream and p ou nd the w alls and say, I hate you , d ad d y. N ew borns
d o not have w ord s.
It w as in 1965 that Melzack and Wall d escribed the gating p rocess (p reviou sly cited ). It
offered a new heu ristic for the control of p ain, and p ointed the w ay for how w e m od u late
p ain. When there is m u ch abu se, violence and neglect in a child hood hom e, the gates su ffer.
They no longer have the chem ical w herew ithal to com bat the im p rint of p ain.
When gates are w eakened the energy of hid d en feelings can ap p roach
consciou s/ aw areness. This can leave u s anxiou s and agitated and still u naw are of w hat is
hap p ening.
Leaky gates allow those early im p rinted sensations to rise, triggered off by som ething in
the p resent (d ivorce or loss of job) that evokes the original generating so u rce, and the sam e
feeling hop elessness. While w e exp erience som ething in the p resent, an old feeling from
child hood can break throu gh to u p set u s. There have been hu nd red s of stu d ies over the last
few years p ointing to w om b-life trau m a and its later effects on ou r health and p ersonality.
(see again: The Fetal Matrix, cited elsew here). The earlier that trau m a the m ore w id esp read
and d eleteriou s the effects, not exclu d ing cancer and Alzheim ers d isease.
(We are p lanning a research p roject on Alzheim ers u sing the qu estionnaire fou nd in the
back of m y Life Before Birth. Prelim inary evid ence, u nconfirm ed , p oints to a connection
betw een the d isease and terrible trau m a d u ring w om b -life.)
At the end of a session w hen the p atient has relived oxygen d ep rivation, h e m ay begin
rap id breathing to com p ensate for the lack of oxygen he exp erienced d u ring the session. Or
m ore likely, w hen a p atient is in fu ll first-line su ffocation he m ay begin w hat I call it
locom otive breathing, rasp y and hoarse, rap id as thou gh the p at ient is m aking u p for the
event by gasp ing for air. (We have d one research on this in 1992, together w ith the
Pu lm onary Laboratory of UCLA. Du e to a change in d irector the d etails of the research has
been lost. It has been film ed .)

58

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

H eavy breathing can go on for m any m inu tes, and then relaxation. It m ay take m any
sessions for the cau se to be com p rehensible. Thou gh this heavy breathing goes on for u p to
tw enty m inu tes there never is any hyp erventilation. We have d one exp erim ents w hen the
p atient is not in a m em ory and after three m inu tes she gets d izzy and feels like she w ill faint.
H er hand s get cram p ed and she loses som e coord ination. It hap p ens system atically to those
w ho attem p t to go back to the p ast w ithou t being totally in the m em ory.
To u nd erscore: being in a p ast feeling is a total biologic state w hich p erm its d eep
breathing for a long p eriod . The p atient is engu lfed by the m em ory of d ep leted oxygen and at
that tim e need ed oxygen. It is one of m any checks w e have on the Prim al state. Patients are
ind eed in the p ast neu ro-p hysiologically. We also verify w hether the vital signs d u ring a
session are coord inated as they m ove u p and d ow n or d o they d o so in sp orad ic fashion. A
real reliving m eans coord inated vital signs. That is w hy a p atient on the verge of high valence
feeling has u niform ly high vital signs: brainw aves, bod y tem p eratu re, blood p ressu re and
heart rate.
We w atch for first-line intru sion becau se it m eans a m lange of levels that p revents
integration of a single feeling on a sp ecific level. Wit h this kind of d eep Prim al w e can see
ap nea at the end that can go on for a fu ll m inu te; no breathing w hatsoever. We can only
hyp othesize that it is a last effort to conserve oxygen. In the session w hen vital signs d rop
after reliving a trau m a it ind icates that integration is hap p ening. There is no m ore anoxic
feelings nor d eath-ap p roaching fears; no m ore p anic.
In som e resp ects a Prim al seem s to be a consciou s-com a, excep t it is also a p artially
consciou s one. The p atient for the tim e is back there, slight ly aw are of the p resent; it is a tru e
reliving. There is still a p erip heral aw areness of the p resent, bu t w hen back there she can cry
like an infant, w hich she can never d u p licate after the session. It shou ld read , cry as the
infant. It is the infant crying.
When the tw o sid es of the brain are better connected in a Prim al session, there is a
relaxation that end u res. Feeling connects them , w hile p ainfu l u nfelt feelings keep them ap art.
There seem s to be tw o sorts of connection and integration: right to le ft (horizontal) and
bottom to top (vertical). When that hap p ens w e begin to have norm alization. Erik H offm an
and a colleagu e from Ru tgers University (L. Gold stein), fou nd that the brains or ou r p atients
seem ed to equ alize after one year of therap y, a chang e of p ow er betw een anterior and
p osterior sections of the brain as w ell as betw een the right and left hem isp heres. (H offm an,
1981).
Throu gh the p rocess of resonance the early p ain is d red ged u p becau se it is in som e w ay
related to the cu rrent feelings. It m ay have som ething to d o w ith id entical or sim ilar
frequ encies. The w ork of the late Mirecea Steriad e (1996) (Bu charest) help s exp lain the
p ossible p rocess throu gh p arallel oscillations of neu rons. The early m em ory that is
resonated can take the form of hop elessness or help lessness w hen the cu rrent situ ation
leaves the p erson feeling both feelings (hop eless and help less). When the clerk at the
Dep artm ent of Motor Vehicles keep s blocking a p atients attem p t to exp lain som ething and
she says, sorry, there is nothing I can d o. Rage m ay set in, controlled by the neo -cortex.
Ostensibly, it is a Prim al abou t the DMV, w here hop elessness is felt. This m ay evoke the very
early hop elessness felt w hen trying to get born and being su ffocated w ith d ru gs, the tru ly
Prim al hop elessness. Years later w hen trying to get throu gh to som eone, in vain, that d eep
hop elessness sets in and there m ay be d ep ression as one resu lt. The feeling is I cant get
throu gh---to them , and there is nothing I can d o.
The first p art cant get throu gh exp resses the early p ain/ im p rint p erfectly. We note
how the third -line accom m od ates and rationalizes the low er levels. The im p rinted feeling,
cannot get throu gh or get ou t rem ains in p ristine form throu ghou t ou r lives. So long as the
feeling rem ains u nlived and therefore not exp erienced , it w ill be acted ou t. So long as bu ried
feelings rem ain com p artm entalized and an alien force the p erson is forced to act -ou t. H ere is
w here so m u ch trou ble lies. Som eone w ho cou ld not tru st her father w ho w as sed u ctive w ith
her, m ay be su sp iciou s of her boyfriend and his m otives. It is the first line that d rives the act -

59

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

ou t of im p atience, im p u lsiveness, scream ing ep isod es, etc. It is u su ally the second line lim bic
inp u t that gives d irection to the feeling.
Those w ho relive hop elessness over tim e in therap y u nd o their d ep ression. This is
d iscu ssed in m y w ork (Janov, 2007). It is resonance that p erm its the p atient to go from one
level and then d escend to another enabling incred ibly strong reactions. It alw ays s eem s like
so incom p rehensible w hen a child is very d istu rbed , even thou gh she had good p arents and a
norm al child hood . All that w as left ou t w as the key p eriod of their lives w hich w as so
im p ortant, gestation and birth. H ere is w here w e see extrem e reactio ns that p oint to d eep
levels of p ain. It is m easu reable. Generally, the higher the valence the m ore harm fu l the
im p rint. When a d ep ressed enters therap y in a cognitive clinic she can be labeled
end ogenou s d ep ression, w hen it sim p ly d erives from an im p rin t w ell sequ estered .
The w ay w e relive w om b-life can only be w ithin the p ossibilities of w hat the first line can
d o; that is, relive the p hysiologic effects w ith no feelings p ossible, as yet. On that level w e
cant shou t nor cry/ sob. Feelings arrive later in p hylogeny and ontogeny. So w hen w e have
inord inate anxiety w hile w e are reliving som ething m u ch later in ou r child hood , it signifies
first-line breaking throu gh; an ancient brain is inform ing a higher brain of its p ain. The first
line, in brief, can only p rovid e sim p ly biologic reactions of heart, blood p ressu re, bod y
tem p eratu re, as w ell as changes in horm one ou tp u t (ou r beginning p atients w ho w ere high in
stress horm one levels, cortisol, becam e norm al after one year of ou r therap y. (see: H offm an
reference). We cannot exp ect the first line to sp eak. It sp eaks alread y, and w e are learning
that langu age every d ay. For exam p le, there is a certain foot p osition in reliving of birth;
w hen not there the Prim al is su sp ect. When w e look at a chart of the birth p rocess w e alw ays
see that foot p osition (excep t in breech birth). The face som etim es takes on a fetal m ien. It is
an ensem ble of p hysical behaviors that inform u s as m u ch as w ord s. The behavior is u niqu e
to the first line so that w e m u st not exp ect m ore m atu re behavior; and of cou rse, even in
infancy, w e d o not exp ect to see ad u lt w ord s su ch as ju stification or sp orad ic. It all
betrays the level of consciou sness op erating at the tim e.
The low er level intru sion gives the Prim al m u ch m ore force, inord in ately so, m ore than
w e can exp ect w hen the p atient relives som ething w hen she w as eight years old , for exam p le.
And w hen she is m easu red w ith a rectal therm om eter (therm istor) d u ring the session w e w ill
see significant sp ikes in m easu rem ents. This hap p ens w hen the cu rrent feeling has a strong
first-line com p onent: This can raise bod y tem p eratu re tw o d egrees.
We often see intru sion in p re-p sychotics w here there is nearly alw ays a first -line asp ect,
barely rep ressed . And for this they often need p ainkillers o r tranqu ilizers to rep ress the force.
This is requ ired only for a tim e. Med ication is the not the aim of therap y; it is a tem p orary
intervention to allow the p atient to have a single feeling to d eal w ith, w ithou t inu nd ation.
The reason w e u se m ed ication on rare occasions is becau se it help s sep arate the levels for a
m om ent so that one level d oes not tresp ass on another. Dam p ening p ain on one level w ith
m ed ication inform s u s of how each level, althou gh interconnected , has its ow n ind ep end ent
existence and its ow n p ain. There are sp ecific first line blockers su ch as Alp razolam (Xanax),
that hold first line in p lace, w hile other p ain m ed ications cannot. Certain m ed ications target
first line w hile others are m ore lim bic d irected , still others are cortex oriented . Xanax is not
sold as a first-line blocker; it is p rom oted by the p harm aceu tical hou se as anti anxiety. And
that translates to u s as a first-line blocker.
Patients are often not aw are afterw ard that they relived on the level of the first line. It is
only after m any relivings that it becom es ap p arent. The fetu s certainly is not aw are of w here
he is and w hat his su rrou nd ings are, yet he resp ond s to it. In the session he is again
resp ond ing in the sam e w ay as originally, p ossibly w ith the sam e vital sign cha nges. We have
noticed that w hen a p atient is reliving a sp ecific feeling tim e and again there is alm ost an
id entical vital signs read ing.
When the m other sm okes it m ight lead to an offsp ring w ho hold s her breath u nd er stress.
The original trau m a has set u p a p rototyp ic d efense ap p aratu s. She is again conserving
oxygen w hen stressed . When she is u p set she m ay system atically hold her breath. It is again
the Prim al/ p rim ord ial reaction to su ffocation. Migraines can also be set off as a resp onse to

60

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

red u ced oxygen first in the room , then in the w om b. Vasoconstriction is one of m any biologic
m eans to conserve oxygen.
The bod ys d efenses are rather exqu isite. Patients som etim es enter the session in a fu ll blow n p anic attack; they are breathless w ith the heart p ou n d ing severely. They w ill lie d ow n
and go straight to the first line. When the session is over they u su ally know w hat brou ght it
on and w hat to d o abou t it. It is a relief to know that one no longer has to su ffer in silence
hop eless. There is som ething th at one can d o, and that is the m essage of this article; to know
there is a p ossible answ er.
Prolonged anxiety m ay w ell cau se a p rem atu re d eath, and in ad d ition w ill d am age the
cognitive brain and d im inish its thinking/ reflective cap acity later in life. Wha t it also d oes
early on is inp u t so m u ch neu ral inform ation as to keep the p erson from focu sing on one
thing for any length of tim e. There is so m u ch stim u lation from the im p rint insid e that there
is little chance of allow ing seriou s inp u t from ou tsid e.
I u se the sequ ence of m y p atients in their reliving as an exam p le. First they feel
am orp hou s p ain and su ffering, then they attach a scene to it su ch as they d ont love m e,
(fu riou s), You bastard s, w hy d ont you love m e?! Then the p atient begs, Please lo ve m e.
And finally, It is all hop eless. It rem ind s u s of the gu nm an w ho seem s to follow the sam e
sequ ence. Often the w ife has left and taken the kid s w ho gave him love. H e is fu riou s and
w ants to kill (in Prim al) bu t actu ally d oes kill in real life. The n there is the u ltim ate
hop elessness and giving u p (in therap y the p ain/ tru th is finally felt and liberates the p atient
from the im p ortu ning im p rint) bu t in ou tsid e life the gu nm an stop s at hop elessness and kills
him self. H e has gotten rid of his anger bu t there is nothing left, now here to go w ith his
feelings and no resolu tion. Life has lost its m eaning; stu ck in the agony, no w ay to feel better,
no m ore chance for love, no reason to go on living.

5. AN GER AN D RAGE
H ere is how resonance w orks in the d om ain of anger. Som ething in the p resent m akes
som eone very angry; his w ife is d ivorcing him and trying to keep the kid s. Money is ru nning
ou t and she still w ants m ore. She refu ses to see or talk to him . She tu rns the fam ily against
him . H e has been let go at his job d u e to inju ries and has no p rosp ects for a new job. All looks
bleak and there is no alternative. All these are assau lts on d efenses. There is only so m u ch
that can be absorbed and integrated . And all this rests on a fou nd ation alread y w eakened
throu ghou t child hood , as in the case of a m other w ho leaves hom e for som eone else.
Defenses w eaken so m u ch that there is no barrier hold ing back d eep er com p ou nd ed p ain.
The p erson loses control and the consequ ences can be seriou s. Clinically, the low er leve ls
bu rst throu gh to cortical levels so that p ersp ective and critical ju d gm ent d isap p ear; he is ou t
of control becau se that is the central fu nction of the third line w hich is no longer op erational.
H ere the p roblem is on the feeling level w here there are p o w erfu l em otions. Clearly, the
treatm ent cannot be focu sed solely on cortical level. What has hap p ened is resonance. The
cu rrent situ ation w ith the w ife resonates w ith d eep er anger w hich u ltim ately tu rns to rage
and fu ry. Thu s, the third -line gives w ay to the first-line rep tilian brain w here killer feelings
resid e. And for that m om ent the third -line, inhibitory brain is rep laced by the instinctive,
p rim itive brain, and there m ight be m u rd er. The d eep est brain level becom es the highest
op erating one, tem p orarily. This m ay only last m inu tes. Once the rage is exp ressed the p ain
level d im inishes and som e of the third -line thinking, reflective brain retu rns to fu nction. And
the killer can now say, I know w hat I d id . At the m om ent of crisis he d id not know w hat
he w as d oing; his rage took over and he cam e u nd er the control of the rep tilian brain.
That is an extrem e exam p le, yet based on forty seven years of clinical p ractice. With less
im p rinted p ain, resonance can also sim p ly lead to im p u lsive behavior w here som eone actsou t w ithou t thinking. Inhibitory and d elaying cognitive p rocesses give w ay to p rim itive
im p u lses, and w e get w hat I saw recently in therap y, a w ell-know n football p layer w ho had
exhibited him self in p u blic. H e need ed to even m ore p rove he w as a m an. The origins here

61

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

had tw o levels active, child hood trau m a w here he w as d enigrated as a sissy by a m acho
father, and d eep er p ain from a m other w ho d rank d u ring p regnancy; only one cocktail at
night bu t it w as d evastating. Every tim e he asked for help his father w ou ld say, Are you so
help less you cant d o anything for you rself? The w hole affair w as channeled into the sexu al
realm . N eed less to say, he m astu rbated d u ring his act -ou t and finally fou nd relief. Instead he
need ed to beg: Love m e, d ad d y, hold m e, cherish m e, d ont p u t m e d ow n. This finally
p rod u ced d efinitive relief.
I have seen rage over and over again w hen very d istu rbed p atients begin to relive on the
em otional, feeling level and su d d enly are im p acted by the low er levels. They begin to p ou n d
the m attress and the p ad d ed w alls w ith an enorm ou s fu ry; they can scream for thirty
m inu tes. In therap y, they can d irect the rage, connect w ith it. The p atient w ill not be
overw helm ed by it. Therap y is a controlled situ ation and is not acted ou t. It beco m es acted
ou t w hen the p erson has no id ea that there are feelings d eep in the u nconsciou s, and is
help less to control them . H is u nconsciou s has taken over. And he m ay kill. Rage lies on the
sam e level as terror; they are ou r p rim ord ial ancestors, both su rv ival m echanism s. If w e are
going to fight for ou r life w e need to first have fear and then get angry fu riou s.
Those w ho are abou t to kill are often engu lfed by p aranoia. Paranoia is often a sign of
d eep feelings on the rise that im p el id eas: They w ant t o kill m e. In any case, these id eas are
fore-ru nners of first-line feelings, w hich have been triggered and are on the rise; bu t the killer
never d rop s into those m em ories/ feelings. For that he w ou ld need p rofessional help . H e
kills instead . H e acts-ou t those feelings. And he d oes so becau se m ost of his life is loveless
and trau m atic: father leaving hom e, m other an alcoholic. These are the d aily assau lts in
child hood that w eaken the d efense system . They becom e com p ou nd ed so that seriou s m ental
illness ensu res.
Anti-p sychotic m ed ication help s d am p en the low est brain levels from reacting.
Med ication hold s d ow n resp onse. It d oes this by enhancing the top level so that it is m ore
active and effective; and at the sam e tim e there m ay be inhibitory m ed ications in it that block
the low er level p ain; thu s, w e get a m ore active cortex and a less active brainstem and
lim bic/ feeling brain. Often the content of this m ed ication inclu d es chem icals that w e shou ld
p rod u ce ou rselves. Bu t w e d ont becau se all that early trau m a has exhau sted su p p lies. We
cannot m ake enou gh to blanket the p ain. So w hen ou r inner p harm acy cannot d o the job w e
need help from the p harm acy arou nd the corner. We can call it anti-p sychotic m ed icine bu t
all it is d oing is m aking u p for w hat w e can no longer m anu factu re ou rselves. It is a first-line
blocker.
The lesson w e can take from this is that w hen d ep rivation and severe trau m a exists w hile
w e are being carried in the w om b and at birth, the first -line d efenses are alread y in a
w eakened state. We are then born d am aged , w hich m ay not show u p for years.
In the case of rage, the infant m ay have had u ncontrolled tem p er tantru m s. These are the
p recu rsors. We can go a long w ay to avoid m u rd erou s rage by m aking su re there is as little
trau m a as p ossible w hen w e live in the w om b. N o d rinking and d ru g -taking by the m other.
N o fights w ith her hu sband . N o crazy d iets w hile carrying. What w e can d o to change
society and escap e harm is to change ou r birth p ractices. N o m ore heavy d ru gs given to the
m other at birth. Making su re the new born is held and caressed right after birth. Mu ch of this
is d iscu ssed in m y book, Imprints. Gestation is ou r real child hood . What hap p ens d u ring
those m onths affects u s for a life-tim e, d eterm ines how w e behave and w hat d iseases w e w ill
have, and u ltim ately how long w e live.
So long as feelings rem ain alienated , w e m ay shorten ou r lives. Ou r hyp othesis is that
Prim als keep telom eres (one ind ex of longevity) from p rem atu re shortening. Generally, the
longer the telom ere the longer w e m ay exp ect to live. Bu t that is a variable that rem ains to be
m easu red .

62

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

6. ON LEVELS OF MEMORY
Too often w e consid er m em ory as som ething w e can rem em ber verbally. Bu t there are
several kind s of m em ory; each level of consciou sness rem em bers in its ow n w ay. The
em otional system rem em bers throu gh feelings. Som ething m akes u s cry and w e have no id ea
w hy. We rem em ber on non -verbal levels in non -verbal w ays and relive in that w ay.
Ep ilep tic seizu res can be another form of m em ory. As p atients relive first -line w e see that
it is often an ep ilep tic equ ivalent. Later in therap y they w ill have first -line Prim als in lieu of a
seizu re. We have had su ccess w ith ep ilep sy becau se w e rem ove a level of p ain that
som etim es m akes the seizu re m anifest.
There are third -line ap p roaches to control first-line sym p tom s; avoid ing enclosed p laces, a
"d op p elganger" of an oxygen -d ep rived gestational life. Enclosed sp aces, for those w ho have
that im p rint, are avoid ed in ord er not to trigger off a p anic attack. It can be cau sed by a
m other w ho cou ld not op en u p easily for the birth of the baby or a m other w ho has been
d ru gged by the d octor at birth. It is not the enclosed sp ace that is the d anger; it is the
m em ory of w hat it p rovokes or resonates w ith. The level that it p rovokes can be d ee p . So
even a room w ith no op en w ind ow s can set off anxiety. (I cant get ou t.) A Prim al can m ake
it consciou s bu t even w hen u nconsciou s, it is still an active m em ory. It still agitates. We can
help this by op ening w ind ow s, or better, by getting to the bo ttom of it w here the p erson can
feel enclosed and im p risoned . In ou r w ork w e m ake all of those levels, over tim e, into
consciou sly/ aw are exp eriences; not m ainly verbal exp eriences, bu t consciou s ones. We never
try to transm u te a non -verbal m em ory into som ething verbal and / or intellectu al. In
conventional therap y, tell m e how you feel, can be a d ecep tive techniqu e that confu ses
levels. It u ses the third line to try to evoke the second ; bu t one level of brain tissu e cannot d o
the w ork of another. The third line is a sp ecialist in id eas and p hilosop hies. It can
m eticu lou sly analyze. It is a level of p recision bu t not p red om inantly em otional.

7. THE CRITICAL PERIOD

I have not m entioned the critical p eriod bu t the key im p rint occu rs d u ring the tim e p eriod
w hen sp ecific need s m u st be m et. When not m et at this tim e, the im p rint becom es largely
irreversible. (We can often reverse the im p rint becau se p atients ad d ress and live it again.)
When need is at its zenith, it d em and s fu lfillm ent; if not, there is p ain. A nd the p ain gets
m ore forcefu l the earlier the need . We need a calm w om b -life. We need a baby im m ed iately
in contact w ith the m other after birth. If he is not tou ched for eight w eeks after birth (the
m other is sick) there is alread y great harm as the crit ical p eriod for fu lfillm ent is p assed . We
can im agine w hat harm has been d one to orp haned babies. Yes, tou ch is help fu l after the
critical p eriod bu t the im p rint of d ep rivation m ay alread y have been set d ow n in the system .
Du ring w om b-life d ep ression or chronic anxiety in the m other can be d eleteriou s. She
m u st not d iet to keep trim and d ep rive the baby of nou rishm ent. When she d oes there m ay
be an eating d isord er that lasts a lifetim e. If there is a m em ory of starvation in the w om b then
w hen the offsp ring is hu ngry later on she overeats; she eats for now and for the starvation
exp erience w hich gives it a great and forcefu l com p u lsion. This is one of m any checks in ou r
clinical w ork; the force of the com p u lsion, w hether of food or d ru gs. It sp eaks of early s evere
d ep rivation of need . H ere again, there is a m erger of levels and su bsequ ent ad d iction. As
alw ays, there are m any other factors. I only ask that w e consid er the factors I have ou tlined
(Meaney & Seckl, 2008). First-line d riven behavior is often forcefu l and ou t of control as it
p rovokes the third line to control, w hich it is not often u p to the task.
In a recent stu d y, Ju stin Feinstein at the University of Iow a City looked at su bjects w ho
had a d am aged am ygd ala, the hu b of the em otional system . (Fein stein, 2013) They d id not
have norm al fear resp onses; that is, they failed to feel fear w hen they shou ld have. Bu t if
oxygen su p p lies w ere low ered and carbon d ioxid e su p p lies w ere increased , m im icking
su ffocation (increasing acid ity of the blood ), there w e re p anic attacks. The cau ses? Certainly

63

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

not from the u su al em otional stru ctu res. Researchers They believe it inclu d es the brainstem !
Becau se the low ering of oxygen su p p lies and increasing of carbon d ioxid e p rovoked the
low er stru ctu res to sense the d anger and react ap p rop riately. Very m u ch like w hat hap p ens
to a fetu s w hen the m other sm okes d u ring p regnancy and p rod u ces those sam e effects.
Fear and terror are tw o d ifferent reactions involving d ifferent brain system s em anating
from stru ctu res hu nd red s of m illions of years ap art in evolu tion, as is anger and rage.
H ow ever the em otional reactions have som e sim ilarities w hich allow s resonance; that is,
enou gh su stained fear can m ove d eep in the brain and trigger off those p rim itive
p anic/ terror resp onses that I call first-line. It is not ord inary fear; it m eans a life-end angering
cau se and that com es from ou r tim e in the w om b and at birth w hen low ered oxygen w as life end angering and p anic ind u cing. If all this is ignored there can be no cu re becau se cu re
involves the generating sou rce of behavior.
It is interesting that su ffocation has su ch a great terror reaction associated w ith it. In the
p anic attack there is often a feeling of su ffocation, one cannot catch one's breath, the heart
beating so fast that it is ab ou t to ju m p ou t of the chest. And these breathing p roblem s are
again brainstem originated (inclu d ed the m ed u lla of the brainstem ). It is an ensem ble of
reactions originating d eep d ow n that later on set the stage for m any kind s of p u lm onary
p roblem s, asthm a, shallow breathing and other m alfu nctions.
It is im p ortant to treat the nightm are, even to d ru g or m ed icate it bu t w e cannot
m ed icate/ erad icate an im p rint; that rem ains to go on cau sing d am age. So nightm ares, p anic
attacks, breathing p roblem s, p u lm onary d ysfu nction are all p art of an ensem ble, a gestalt, if
you w ill, that m u st be consid ered as one p roblem , not m any p roblem s. There are m any
sym p tom s, each sym p tom m u st be treated u ntil w e arrive at the generating sou rce w here it is
all treated at once. The im p rint that is im m u table. N ow w e know w hat Freu d w as getting at
by the id .
When w e note all of the d isp arate asp ects of a p anic attack w e see that p hysiologic
m em ory com es u p intact w ith the w hole p anop ly of related feelings. There is the breathing,
the circu latory system , the m u scu latu re; all resp ond to a single im p rint. There is the racing
heart, high blood p ressu re, breathing p roblem s, shakes and d izziness.
There is often too m u ch terror to feel all at once and integrate it. That is w hy it need s t o be
revisited tim e and again in slow , ord ered fashion to p revent an overload .
Clearly it is so rem ote an exp erience that it can be exp erienced over tim e bu t not
im m ed iately u nd erstood for w hat it is. We can exp erience it long before w e u nd erstand it;
exp eriencing it is cru cial for integration. The heart has to race again w hile the bod y tem p
m u st again rise as it d id originally. And as I m entioned , the p hysiologic signs in a Prim al are
the exact reactions originally; the sam e heart rate and bod y tem p eratu re. It is an exact
reliving. The im p rint d oes not change nor d oes the behavior based on it. Und erstand ing is
the last evolu tionary step , w hen the feeling is on the first step . The re -birthers treat the tail
w hile the cognitivists treat the head ; both m iss the rest of u s. The hu m an p art.
N on-verbal exp eriences can be relived and exp erienced on their ow n term s and in their
ow n w ay, and can be integrated , nevertheless. There are tim es w hen a p atient can rem em ber
w hen his d og d ied after being hit by a car. Th at is top level cortical recall. What need s to be
exp erienced and exp ressed is the rep ressed em otional asp ect of the exp erience. The p ain
need s to be liberated and finally felt. It too need s to exp ress how it feels.
Liberation is the goal. N ot as an exercise or a techniqu e, bu t alw ays w ithin a context. The
u rgency of the recognition of d eep brain levels is brou ght hom e in a recent article by A. R.
Bru noni and colleagu es, The Sertraline Vs. Electrical Cu rrent Therap y for Treating
Dep ression. (Bru noni, Valiengo, Baccaro, & et al. 2013) By stim u lating the brain w ith low level electrical stim u lation (trans-d irect cu rrent stim u lation), they claim to have had su ccess
w ith d ep ression d u ring tests w ith 120 su bjects. The p atients are u nd er anesthesia for tw enty
to thirty m inu tes, w hile u nd ergoing continu ou s stim u lation. It is a tu rn on ECT bu t m u ch
m ild er. The resu lts seem to w ork as w ell as low d oses of sertraline, com m ercially know n as
Zoloft. So the conclu sion is that the p roced u re "cou ld be u sed to avoid d ru g t reatm ent."

64

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

(N .Y.Tim es Feb 12, 2013). There is no d iscu ssion of cau se here. The assu m p tion is that w e
have only tw o choices, none that inclu d es feeling.
To reiterate: becau se it is now established that low ered oxygen levels in the fetu s creates
p anic in him , it shou ld be clear that a carrying m other w ho takes d ru gs is d am aging the baby
severely. Can he really feel terror? Anand d id an am niocentesis on fetu ses and fou nd as the
p robe invad ed fetal sp ace all of his stress horm ones rose; he also grim aced and sho w ed signs
of d istress. (Anand , 2007)
We have su ccessfu lly treated p anic attacks and u ncontrolled rage becau se w e ad d ress the
first line. It is not a m ystery; it ju st belongs to an ancient brain system that w e have ignored
for too long. If w e w ant to help those in d anger of acting ou t and to help those w ho su ffer
p anic w e m u st travel to a life hu nd red s of m illions of years ago in p hylogenetic history, d eep
in the brain in ou r p ersonal history, to find ou r answ ers. And they are there.

REFEREN CES
Arand , J. K. (2000). Can Ad verse N eonatal Experiences Alter Brain Developm ent and Su bsequent Behavior?
Biol N eonate, 77(2), 69-82.
Anand , J. K. (2007). N euro-d evelopm ental Changes of Fetal Pain. Seminars in Perinatology, (5), 275-282.
Breuer, J. & Freud, S. (1895). Studies in hysteria. N ew York: Basic Books.
Brunoni, A. R. Valiengo L., Baccaro. A., et al. (2013). Th e Sertraline Vs. Electrical Cu rrent Therapy for
Treating Depression. Clinical Therapy for Treating Depression, Clinical Stud y Results From A Factorial,
Rand om ized , Controlled Trial. JA M A Psychiatry d oi:10.1001/ 2013.jam apsychiatry.32.
Cannon, T. D., & Et al (2008). Decreased N eurotrophic Response to Birth H ypoxia in the Etiology of
Schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry, 64, 797-802.
Feinstein, J. S. (2013). Fear and Panic in hum ans w ith bilateral am ygd ala d am age. N ature N euroscience.
Fend t, M., & Et al (2008). Behavioral Alterations in Rats Follow ing N eonatal H ypoxia and Effects of
Clozapine. Pharmacopsychiatry, 41(4), 138-145.
Gluckm an, P. D., & H anson, M. (2005). The fetal matrix: Evolution, development, and disease. N ew York:
Cam brid ge University Press.
H od ie, J., & Et Al. (2010). Brainstem seotonergic d eficiency in sud d en infant d eath synd rom e. Jama, 303(5),
430-437.
H od ie , J. (2006). Prenatal Depression effects on the Fetus and N ew born. Infant Behavior Development , 445455.
H offm an, E. (1981). H em ispheric Quantitative EEG Changes Follow ing em otional Reactions in N eurotic
Patients. A cta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.
Janov, A. (1983). Imprints: The lifelong effects of the birth experience. N ew York: Cow ard , Mc Cann.
Janov, A. (2011). Life before birth: The hidden script that rules our lives. Chicago: N TI Upstream .
Janov, A. (2007). Primal healing: A ccess to the incredible power of feelings to improve your health. Franklin Lakes,
N J: N ew Page Books.
Janov, A. (2011). The biology of love. Am herst, N Y: Prom etheus.
Janov, A. (1970). The Primal Scream (1st ed .). Dell Publishing Com pany.
Janov, A. (1996). In W hy you get sick and how you get well: The healing power of feelings. West H ollyw ood , CA:
Dove Books.
Kaplan, L. A., Evans, L., & Monk, C. (2008). Effects of Mothers Prenatal Psychiatric Status and Postnatal
Caregiving on Infant Biobehavioral Regulation: Can Prenatal Program m ing be Mod ified ? Early Hum Dev,
84(4), 249-256.
Lew it, M. (2009). Changes Linked to Prenatal Sm oke Exposure. Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care
M edicine.
Liszew ski, W., Ritner, C., Aurigui, J., & Et al (2012). Developm ental effects of tobacco sm oke exposure
d uring hum an em bryonic stem cell d ifferentiation are m ed iated through the transform ing grow th factor.
superfamily member, N odal. Differentiation., 83(4), 169-178.
Low ery, C. L. (2007). N euro-d evelopm ental Changes of Fetal Pain. Semin Perinatol, 275-282.
MacLean, P. D. (1990). The triune brain in evolution: Role in paleocerebral functions. N ew York: Plenum Press.
Meaney, M., & Seckl, J. R. (2008). Glucorticoid Program m ing and PTSD Risk. A nnals of the N .Y . A cademy of
Science, 1071, 351-378.

Melzack, R., & Wall, P.D. (1965). Pain m echanism s: a new theory. Science, 150, 971-9.

65

Activitas Nervosa Superior 2013, 55, No. 1-2

Mykletun, A., Bierkeset, O., Overland , S., Prince, M., Dew ey, N ., & Stew art, R. (2009). Levels of anxiety and
d epression as pred ictors of m ortality: the H UN T stud y. The British Journal of Psychiatry,, 2, 118.
Panksepp, J. (1998). A ffective neuroscience: The foundations of human and animal emotions. N ew York: Oxford
University Press.
Singer, D. (2004). Metabolic Ad aptation to H ypoxia: Cost and Benefit Sm all. Respiratory Physiology and
N eurobiology, 141, 215-228.
Steriad e, M. R., & Society for N euroscience. (1996). The history of neuroscience in autobiography: V ol. 4.
Washington DC: Society for N euroscience.
Teicher, M. H ., Tom od a, A., & And ersen, S. L. (2006). N eurobiological consequences of early stress and
child hood m altreatm ent: are results from hum an and anim al stud ies com parable? A nnals of the N ew Y ork
A cademy of Sciences, 1071, 313-323.
Thom son, S. (2007). Dow n Will Com e Baby. Journal of Trauma and Dissociation, 8(3), 85-113.

66