The Unconscious: A bridge between psychoanalysis and cognitive neuroscience

226 Pages·2016·8.38 MB·English

by  Marianne Leuzinger-Bohleber

The Unconscious
The Unconscious explores the critical interdisciplinary dialogue between psychoanalysis
and contemporary cognitive neuroscience. Characterised by Freud as ‘the science of
the unconscious mind’, psychoanalysis has traditionally been viewed as a solely psycho-
logical discipline. However, recent developments in neuroscience, such as the use of
neuroimaging techniques to investigate the working brain, have stimulated and intensi-
fi ed the dialogue between psychoanalysis and these related mental sciences. This book
explores the relevance of these discussions for our understanding of unconscious mental
processes.
Chapters present clinical case studies of unconscious dynamics, alongside theo-
retical and scientifi c papers in key areas of current debate and development. These
include discussions of the differences between conceptualisations of ‘the unconscious’
in psychoanalysis and cognitive science, whether the core concepts of psychoanalysis
are still plausible in light of recent fi ndings, and how such understandings of the uncon-
scious are still relevant to treating patients in psychotherapy today. These questions are
explored by leading interdisciplinary researchers as well as practising psychoanalysts and
psychotherapists.
This book aims to bridge the gap between psychoanalysis and cognitive neurosci-
ence, to enable a better understanding of researchers’ and clinicians’ engagements with
the key topic of the unconscious. It will be of key interest to researchers, academics and
postgraduate students in the fi elds of psychoanalysis, cognitive science, neuroscience
and traumatology. It will also appeal to practising psychoanalysts, psychotherapists and
clinicians.
Marianne Leuzinger-Bohleber is Professor of Psychoanalysis at the University
of Kassel, Germany, Head Director of the Sigmund Freud Institute, Frankfurt/Main,
Germany, training analyst of the German Psychoanalytical Association (DPV) and Vice-
Chair for Europe of the Research Committee of the International Psychoanalytical
Association (IPA).
Simon E. Arnold, Dipl.-Psych., is research associate at the Sigmund Freud Institute,
Frankfurt a.M. He studied psychology, literary studies, art history and philosophy in
Konstanz, Paris and Beer Sheva.
Mark Solms is Professor of Neuropsychology at the University of Cape Town, South
Africa, President of the South African Psychoanalytical Association, Director of the
Science Department of the American Psychoanalytic Association, Co-Chair of the
International Neuropsychoanalysis Society and Chair of the Research Committee of
the International Psychoanalytical Association.
Psychoanalytic Explorations Series
Books in this series:
1 The Heart of Man’s Destiny
Lacanian psychoanalysis and early Reformation thought
Herman Westerink
2 Wish-fulfilment in Philosophy and Psychoanalysis
The tyranny of desire
Tamas Pataki
3 Environmental Melancholia
Psychoanalytic dimensions of engagement
Renee Lertzman
4 Psychoanalytic Treatment in Adults
A longitudinal study of change
Marian Cogan and John H. Porcerelli
5 The Unconscious
A bridge between psychoanalysis and cognitive neuroscience
Edited by Marianne Leuzinger-Bohleber, Simon Arnold, and Mark Solms
The Unconscious
A bridge between psychoanalysis
and cognitive neuroscience
Edited by
Marianne Leuzinger-Bohleber,
Simon Arnold, and Mark Solms
First published 2017
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group,
an informa business
© 2017 selection and editorial matter, Marianne Leuzinger-Bohleber,
Simon Arnold, and Mark Solms; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of the editors to be identified as the authors of the
editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters,
has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library
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CIP data has been applied for.
ISBN: 978-1-138-92044-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-68699-8 (ebk)
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Contents
List of figures vii
List of tables viii
List of contributors ix
Preface xiv
INTRODUCTION 1
1 The unconscious: A contemporary interdisciplinary
dialogue: some introductory remarks 3
MARIANNE LEUZINGER-BOHLEBER (FRANKFURT)
AND MARK SOLMS (CAPE TOWN)
2 “The unconscious” in psychoanalysis and neuroscience:
An integrated approach to the cognitive unconscious 16
MARK SOLMS (CAPE TOWN)
PART I
Conceptual, historical and clinical studies 37
3 Unconscious fantasy: An attempt at conceptual integration 39
WERNER BOHLEBER (FRANKFURT), JUAN PABLO JIMÉNEZ
(SANTIAGO DE CHILE), DOMINIQUE SCARFONE (MONTREAL),
SVERRE VARVIN (OSLO) AND SAMUEL ZYSMAN (BUENOS AIRES)
4 Reply to W. Bohleber and colleagues’ paper on
unconscious phantasy 65
RICCARDO STEINER (LONDON)
5 Reflections on primitive reparation, the repetition
compulsion and the unconscious processing of guilt 81
HEINZ WEISS (STUTTGART/FRANKFURT)
vi Contents
PART II
Scientific perspectives from psychoanalysis
and cognitive neuroscience 91
6 The unconscious in cognitive science: A few suggestions
for psychoanalysis 93
CARLO SEMENZA (PADUA)
7 I am therefore I think 113
KARL FRISTON (LONDON)
8 Struggling with unconscious, embodied memories in
a third psychoanalysis with a traumatized patient
recovered from severe poliomyelitis: A dialogue between
psychoanalysis and embodied cognitive science 138
MARIANNE LEUZINGER-BOHLEBER (FRANKFURT)
AND ROLF PFEIFER (ZÜRICH/SHANGHAI)
PART III
Clinical studies 163
9 Trauma, dreams and transformations in psychoanalysis:
Combining clinical and extra-clinical research in
an EEG/fMRI study 165
TAMARA FISCHMANN, MICHAEL RUSS, MARGERETE SCHOETT
AND MARIANNE LEUZINGER-BOHLEBER (FRANKFURT)
10 Non-verbal memories of trauma in early childhood:
Conscious or unconscious? 189
THEODORE J. GAENSBAUER (DENVER)
PART IV
Conclusions 203
11 Concluding remarks and future perspectives 205
ROBERT M. GALATZER-LEVY (CHICAGO)
Index 215
Figures
7.1 Markov blankets and the free energy principle 116
7.2 Material and immaterial aspects of ergodic dynamics 119
7.3 Generative models of visual search 125
7.4 Salience and visual searches 127
7.5 The dynamics of perception 129
8.1 A comparison of “classic” and “embodied” memories 142
9.1 170
Tables
3.1 A developmental line of unconscious phantasy 58
7.1 Definitions of the tuple (W, ψ, S, A, R, p, q) underlying
active inference 135
9.1 Examples of empirical testing of psychoanalytic/
psychodynamic psychotherapy using neuroimaging methods 166
9.2 Examples of ongoing studies examining the efficacy of
psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy using
neuro imaging methods 168
9.3 Moser coding sheet of laboratory dream 1 (T1) 181
Contributors
Simon E. Arnold, Dipl.-Psych., is research associate at the Sigmund Freud
Institute, Frankfurt a.M. He studied psychology, literary studies, art history
and philosophy in Konstanz, Paris, and Beer Sheva. His research interests
include clinical psychoanalysis and the history of science – especially neuro-
logy, forensics and psychiatry – social psychology and critical theory. Within
this field he worked on a study on mentally ill arsonists and the history of
pathological firesetting. He is member of the Gesellschaft für psychoanalytische
Sozialpsychologie, and writes a column on the quotidianity of myths. He is
part of a research group on the aftermath of the Holocaust, in which they try
to understand the transmission of trauma and anti-Semitism.
Werner Bohleber, Dr. phil., psychoanalyst in private practice in Frankfurt
a.M., Germany. Training and supervising analyst, former president of the
German Psychoanalytical Association (DPV). Member of the Board of
Representatives of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA)
(2003–2007). Co-Chair for Europe of the IPA Research Advisory Board
(2000–2008). Member of the EPF Working Party on Theoretical Issues. Edi-
tor of the German psychoanalytic journal Psyche. Author of several books
and numerous articles. His latest book is Destructiveness, Intersubjectivity, and
Trauma. The Identity Crisis of Modern Psychoanalysis. London, Karnac, 2010.
Tamara Fischmann, Prof. Dr. rer. med., psychoanalyst DPV/IPA. Profes-
sor for Clinical Psychology at the International Psychoanalytic University
Berlin. Staff member and scientific researcher at the Sigmund Freud Institute,
Frankfurt. Chief methodologist in psychoanalytic empirical research, dream
researcher. Publications on interdisciplinary research in bioethics, dream
research, attachment and ADHD, as well as imaging technique studies in
neurosciences.
Karl Friston is a theoretical neuroscientist and authority on brain imaging.
He invented statistical parametric mapping (SPM), voxel-based morphom-
etry (VBM) and dynamic causal modelling (DCM). Friston received the first
Young Investigators Award in Human Brain Mapping (1996) and was elected