Freud, neurosciences and a theory of memory

Abstract

Previous evidences suggest that psychoanalytical concepts and recent neurobiological findings may complement each other, contributing to the better understanding of certain psychobiological processes. These evidences also indicate the possibility of interpretation of psychoanalytical concepts from a neurocientific perspective. This study investigates possible points of similarity between a theory of memory proposed by Freud and ideas formulated during the second half of the 20th century, on the basis of clinical (the case of patient H.M.) and experimental (the concept of Long Term Potentiation, LTP) findings. For that, at first, Freudian ideas regarding mnemonic processes underlying the construction of the Ego, found in the Project for a scientific psychology (1950/1976), are presented. Subsequently, studies which gave rise to a neurobiological theory of memory are analyzed. It is concluded that the dynamic model adopted by contemporary neuroscience shares important similarities with Freudian concepts proposed at the end of the 19th century.