I agreed to explain the process more thoroughly: “Got your diary, Mrs. Snoxell?” We made a time.

SAT FEB 2

I saw Nat this afternoon, in order to ensure that he was not suffering any adverse effects from yesterday’s delvings into his past. On the contrary he seemed positively invigorated by what he had been through. I was especially glad to see him, as there have been some incidents of suicide recently, in the States, by patients who had undergone primal therapy. Equally the beneficial attributes have been quite dramatic, and those that had taken their lives would most likely have done so regardless of their treatment. However, I must be more careful with Nat, as this would appear to be the first case in this country directly involving the connection between early development/ birth and overt death wish/suicide. I believe the field of primal therapy to be a most promising one; any erroneous publicity from the gutter press linking it with self-destruction could set back its cause five years or more.

Nat and I discussed bodily memory. He was most amazed that such a thing could exist, previously having taken for granted, as most people do, the body to be lacking in intelligence, merely responding to the brain’s commands. I revealed to him my ability to assess his moods—when I’m with him—by the incline of his head and neck. This triggered in him a rambling speech about how people are conditioned via their bodily memories to be prisoners of the past, unaware and perhaps unable to alter their feelings and reactions. He expatiated to such a degree using this new-found “knowledge” that, for once, I actively had to shut him up.

MON FEB 4

Today I fell into conflict with Nat and his parents. They are most disgruntled that his behaviour has not changed. They are, however, happy for the primal therapy to progress. They seem a little relieved that my line of enquiry had taken me so far back. It is impossible for them to stop blaming themselves and their child-rearing for Nat’s condition. They obviously seek exoneration through the success of this therapy.

Nat’s mother soon returned to looking perturbed as I questioned her about the pregnancy of her middle son. Nothing untoward had occurred; it was a “normal” pregnancy. I did not press the matter as she was evidently most embarrassed by discussing the delicate topic. Nat had already described to his parents, in quite minute detail, just what exactly primal therapy entails. I therefore had to answer only a few remaining queries put to me by the family.