Psychoanalytic Models Today

Anxiety, sexuality, and dreams are foundational to psychoanalytic models of the mind, but they also have a specific place in neuroscience. Evidence shows anxiety is neurobiologically based in humans and animals, situating it at the intersection of theoretical models. Activation of the HPA axis is the fundamental mechanism generating anxiety, ranging from excessive vigilance to trauma reactions. In psychoanalysis, the concept of anxiety is recognized in neuroscience only when interpreted as signal anxiety. The chapter discusses sexuality and the oneiric, revisiting psychoanalytic theory in light of neuropsychoanalysis and exploring lucid dreaming.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Anxiety, sexuality, and dreams are the three pillars upon which psychoanalytic models of the mind are based, yet these phenomena also have a specific place in the domain of neuroscience. Evidence has been provided to demonstrate that anxiety is clearly neurobiologically based in both humans and animals. This position situates it at the intersection of various theoretical models and enables comparative analysis. The activation of the HPA axis represents the fundamental mechanism that generates anxiety. This process encompasses a range of phenomena, from excessive vigilance to the reaction to trauma. In the context of psychoanalysis, the concept of anxiety is only recognised within the field of neuroscience if it is interpreted as a form of signal anxiety. The chapter concludes with a discussion of sexuality and the oneiric, revisiting psychoanalytic theory in light of the new findings of neuropsychoanalysis, and exploring lucid dreaming.