A Hierarchical Memory Model for Conscious and Unconscious Mental Processes

Abstract

We proposed a mechanism in [1] whereby neurotic behavior may be understood as an associative memory process in the brain, and the symbolic associative process involved in psychoanalytic working-through can be mapped onto a corresponding process of reconfiguration of the neuronal network. Memory was modeled by a Boltzmann machine represented by a complete graph, as a first approximation. However, it is known that brain neuronal topology is selectively structured and here, we further develop the memory model by including known microscopic mechanisms that control synaptic properties, showing that the network self organizes to a hierarchical, clustered structure. We propose a memory organization where two modules corresponding to sensorial and declarative memory interact, producing sensorial and symbolic activity, representing unconscious and conscious mental processes. The model is illustrated through a computer simulation, where we show some mathematical properties of the resulting complex network.