Prometheus unbound? Oceanic affectivity and the neuropsychodynamics of addiction.
Frontiers in Psychology 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1699816 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Addiction Altered states of consciousness Default mode network Ego dissolution |
| Keywords | Existential neuroscience Neuropsychodynamics Oceanic affectivity Symbolization |
| Key points | Argues that addiction can be understood as a neuropsychodynamic attempt to restore lost internal cohesion, with oceanic states serving as transitional phenomena between breakdown and transformation. |
Abstract
Altered states of consciousness range from psychotic disintegration to mystical union, with oceanic affectivity - experiences of ego dissolution, boundlessness, and affective merging - constituting a central feature. While such states can be induced by psychedelics, they also occur through trauma, meditative practices, or within compulsive addictive cycles. In addition, oceanic states may offer temporary relief from psychic pain but often reinforce a regressive return to early undifferentiated states of self, bypassing affect and symbolic integration and adaptive regulation. From a neuropsychodynamic perspective, this dynamic reflects both a defense against and a longing for psychic wholeness. In that sense, addiction may function as a failed form of transcendence - an attempt to escape internal fragmentation through altered consciousness. Drawing on the myth of Prometheus, it is proposed that the repeated self-harming cycle of addiction resembles the eternal devouring of the liver: a neurobiological and symbolic site of both detoxification and self-destruction. Neuroscientifically, such states are associated with alterations in the default mode network, limbic dysregulation, reduced top-down control, and increased neural entropy. These changes may loosen rigid ego structures and facilitate the emergence of unconscious material, including early affective and relational imprints. This paper integrates psychodynamic theory with current neuroscientific findings to conceptualize addiction not merely as a maladaptive behavior but as a neuropsychodynamic attempt to restore lost internal cohesion. Understanding oceanic states as transitional phenomena at the boundary between breakdown and transformation offers a more nuanced approach to the addictive process and its therapeutic implications.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm General population | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Restructuring reward processing with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement: novel therapeutic mechanisms to remediate hedonic dysregulation in addiction, stress, and pain. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ayahuasca’s entwined efficacy: An ethnographic study of ritual healing from ‘addiction’ | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Hypotheses Regarding the Mechanisms of Ayahuasca in the Treatment of Addictions | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Biosynthesis of an Anti-Addiction Agent from the Iboga Plant. | 2019 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 16
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
- Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution. Current Biology April 13, 2016
and 11 more in the library