Neuropsychoanalysis (eBook)

Neuroscience and psychoanalysis initially appear as two fundamentally different, incompatible approaches to human experience and behavior. However, from the very beginning of the development of psychoanalysis, there have been repeated efforts to ground psychoanalytic concepts and processes in neuroscience. On the other hand, psychoanalysis provides a comprehensive model of the human psyche in all its complexity and dynamics, which could help to understand the diverse and often highly specialized findings of modern brain research in their entirety. This book summarizes the current state of research in this area of intersection between depth psychology and brain research and elaborates how both practitioners and basic researchers can benefit from a fruitful exchange between the two disciplines.

Dr. Gerd Thomas Waldhauser is a graduate psychologist, cognitive neuroscientist and in training as a psychoanalyst and psychological psychotherapist. His scientific work is located at the intersection of basic neuroscientific research and clinical psychology. In particular, he is interested in the formation and control of involuntary memories and the exploration of psychoanalytic concepts with neuroscientific and experimental psychological methods.