What Is Neuropsychoanalysis?

Abstract

This article briefly surveys the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience and psychoanalysis (“neuropsychoanalysis”) and also addresses some of the criticisms that the field has encountered. First, the article reviews the historical foundations of neuropsychoanalysis, including both theoretical and technical questions of whether an interdiscipline is appropriate. Second, it discusses the philosophical foundations of the field, including the position of dual-aspect monism. Third, the article examines the scientific foundations, with a discussion of whether analytic work with neurological patients represents an optimal point of contact between the disciplines. Finally, the article engages with the issue of what neuropsychoanalysis is not, covering issues such as “speculation versus empirical research,” and the question of whether neuropsychoanalysis represents a new “school” of psychoanalysis.