Psychoanalytic Models Today
May 21, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781003568438-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Keywords | Psychoanalytic theory Context archaeology Human sexuality Field mathematics Domain mathematical analysis Psychoanalysis Cognitive science Epistemology Jungian analytical psychology |
| Key points | Argues that anxiety is neurobiologically based and that the HPA axis activation is the fundamental mechanism generating anxiety, while psychoanalytic concepts of anxiety are recognized in neuroscience only as signal anxiety. |
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.