Story, Daydreams, and the Default Mode Network.
Psychodynamic psychiatry June 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1521/pdps.2026.54.2.188 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSigmund Freud's invention of psychoanalysis provided a tool that allowed him to observe the default mode network (DMN) long before its modern discovery. The DMN integrates perception into memory through functional connectivity. In posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there is significant pathology in functional connectivity involving the DMN and the intrinsic alarm system. This article examines the causes and consequences of this pathophysiology as it relates to the sense of time, safety, and story in PTSD.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Functional connectivity Innate alarm system Posttraumatic stress disorder |
| Key finding | Proposes that Freud's psychoanalysis functioned as an observational tool that revealed operations of the default mode network, and that in PTSD, disrupted functional connectivity in the DMN and alarm system alters time perception, safety, and narrative. |
Abstract
When Freud invented/discovered psychoanalysis, he devised not just a theory of mind but also a tool that enabled him to observe the "mind." And with the tool of psychoanalysis, he was able to observe the workings of the default mode network (DMN) some hundred years before anyone knew of its existence. Since then, various operations of the DMN have been identified. One is the integration of perception into memory through the process of functional connectivity. In posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) there is significant pathology in functional connectivity involving multiple brain networks-especially the DMN and the intrinsic alarm system. This article addresses the causes and consequences of this pathophysiology as it relates to the sense of time, safety, and story in PTSD.