The “Conscious Id”: A Game Changer with Lots of Challenges

Abstract

By integrating contemporary neurobiology with early Freud, Mark Solms opens up the possibility of a major restudying of metapsychology, a project that must continue after his article. My commentary is written not as a critique but as an ally seeking to help Solms fine-tune his article in order to preempt critiques from likely quarters. Four areas are addressed: general issues of approach and clarity; neurobiology; theory/metapsychology; and political issues within the realm of neuropsychoanalysis.

Keywords:

• affective and cognitive conscious
• cortex
• clarity of writing, political context
• upper brainstem/limbic system neurobiology