I have been reading a book about the life of Steve Jobs. I enjoy reading about the connection he had to the East and all that made him who he was. I always find it necessary for my personal integrity to always add that I strongly disapprove and will forever find what he did to his daughter disgraceful. I feel though in role models it’s always fine to take parts of people you like. I’m only just learning about him but find the intensity and meticulousness he seemed to have somehow combined with a vision and this elegant sense of simplicity so powerful. He really was a next level kind of person in ways.

The book speaks about his constant search for self awareness. Something I can admire and connect with. He reportedly connected with the idea of primal scream therapy which was apparently developed originally by a Los Angeles Therapist called Arthur Janov. I never personally knew the whole theory of it before reading this but it makes sense that it is in fact based on the Freudian idea that psychological problems are caused by repressed pain of childhood. So they could therefore be let go by re suffering and letting go of the moment in screams.

John Lennon was another famous person to have undergone this and both had childhood issues of abandonment.

Jobs was reportedly more centred and confident after doing this although himself said it was oversimplistic.

I practiced this myself in a workshop a couple of years ago. It was certainly a very liberating experience. I can’t say for me that it did anything so lasting. I am more just curious about it as a practice.

It was interesting as Steve Jobs spoke about doing it and how he said itw as preferable to him than the typical western analysing as you were more just doing something . ‘This was not something to think about. This was something to do: to close your eyes; hold your breath, jump in, and come out the other end more insightful.’

I have found on my journey the sometimes lacking nature of pure therapy where it just involves words and analysing and the power of just doing stuff. Whether that is moving your body, playing a game, or maybe here a primal scream.

I am wondering from my reading of therapy more traditionally activates the left more rational side of the brain but this kind of activity activates more of the left and perhaps can access at a deeper kind of level.

I think there is a quality of just being on a search for growth and to have the spirit of just giving stuff a go. So here is another thing. A primal scream. Do you want to try one ? 🙂