Books by Linda A . W . Brakel
Neuropsychoanalysis, 2023
Linda A.W. Brakel et al. have developed a formal, non-verbal index of primary and secondary proce... more Linda A.W. Brakel et al. have developed a formal, non-verbal index of primary and secondary process mentation independent of the psychoanalytic clinical method, the GeoCat, and Ariane Bazan has made improvements to the original instrument, resulting into the GeoCat 1.3. The GeoCat is a forced-choice measure contrasting two types of similarity between geometrical figures. One of the two target figures consists of the same components as the master figure but in a different configuration; because this target figure is similar to the master figure in an "attributional" way, it is called the "ATT" figure. By drawing on associative operations to attain perceptual identity, ATT choices are proposed to index primary process mentation. The other target figure is made up of different components, but these are arranged in the same configuration; as this target figure is similar to the master figure in a configurational or "relational" way, it is called the "REL" figure. Configurational similarity is only accessible through spatiotemporal orientation, and therefore REL is thought to index secondary process mentation. Accumulating research on the validity of the GeoCat 1.3 shows good psychometric qualities, including internal consistency, inter-list variability, and both construct and convergent validity, with preliminary data showing high correlations with projective instruments. Even if the GeoCat does not deliver the rich clinical materials produced by projective tools, its easy inclusion in diagnostic assessment produces important, sometimes surprising, indications. As a research tool, it has proven pivotal in a variety of studies, from fundamental metapsychology and psychopathology to psychotherapy research.
Frontiers in Public Health--Economics division , 2022
Many people who generally receive standard recommended inoculations refuse to partake of COVID-19... more Many people who generally receive standard recommended inoculations refuse to partake of COVID-19 vaccines, preventatives that are effective, safe, and life-saving amidst the current pandemic. Our quest is to understand this puzzling and dangerous phenomenon, as it exists among US and UK citizens, whom in other respects would be regarded as quite regular. We will discuss Vaccine Refusal compared with two better understood phenomena: addiction, and akrasia, along with the related matters of human action, intention, agency, will, and identity. Vaccine Refusal, we will argue, appears to be rewarded by "informational reinforcement" leading to heightened arousal, along with increases in self-esteem resulting from "bucking the trend," asserting one's "superior" understanding, and "tribal identity" in acting against social norms. These factors provide an overall reward amounting to satisfaction that outweighs the wellknown consequences of COVID-19 infections. Our investigations will also lead us to a pair of epistemological hypotheses about two subtypes of the Vaccine Refusers under consideration here.
Routledge (philosophy), 2013
Oxford University Press 2010
ABSTRACT This is a work at the intersection of psychoanalytic theory and analytic philosophy. The... more ABSTRACT This is a work at the intersection of psychoanalytic theory and analytic philosophy. The book makes a case for psychoanalysis as a "regular science". There are sections pertinent to the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of action as a-rational and unconscious mentation is held to be truly contentful.
Of the topics found in psychoanalytic theory it is Freud’s philosophy of mind that is at once the... more Of the topics found in psychoanalytic theory it is Freud’s philosophy of mind that is at once the most contentious and enduring. Psychoanalytic theory makes bold claims about the significance of unconscious mental processes and the wish-fulfilling activity of the mind, citing their importance for understanding the nature of dreams and explaining both normal and pathological behaviour. However, since Freud’s initial work, both modern psychology and philosophy have had much to say about the merits of Freudian thinking. Developments in psychology, philosophy, and psychoanalysis raise new challenges and questions concerning Freud’s theory of mind.
This book addresses the psychoanalytic concept of mind in the 21st century via a joint scientific and philosophical appraisal of psychoanalytic theory. It provides a fresh critical appraisal and reflection on Freudian concepts, as well as addressing how current evidence and scientific thinking bear upon Freudian theory. The book centres upon the major concepts in psychoanalysis, including the notion of unconscious mental processes and wish-fulfilment and their relationship to dreams, fantasy, attachment processes, and neuroscience.
Papers by Linda A . W . Brakel
Qeios, 2023
Wrong beliefs, known by some as ‘alternative facts’, have recently spread widely, causing damage... more Wrong beliefs, known by some as ‘alternative facts’, have recently spread widely, causing damage in important areas of human life, including social, political, and public health domains. This article is a preliminary proposal consisting of two aspects. First, an analogy to biologic stigmergic effects is drawn. The claim is that social media products are the potent drivers of wrong belief proliferation rather than iterative individual person-to-person communications. Second, the article offers an epistemological category classification of wrong beliefs, with the following mappings: a) ‘No-Information’ marked by willful blindness results in ‘Empty Beliefs’; b) ‘Mis-Information’ yields ‘Mis(taken) Beliefs’; and c) ‘Dis-Information’ predicated on blatant distortions produces ‘Dis(torted) Beliefs’. This simple classification system is not merely epistemologically satisfying; it is functionally useful, providing a foundational definitional distinction between mis-information and dis-information—terms too often used interchangeably. To distinguish them will allow (even promote) basic research to go forth—for example by statistically tracking differential tendencies of malignant/distorted dis-information vs. mistaken/mis-information spread. Moreover, this sort of research could ultimately lead the way to positive policy implications.
Wrong beliefs, known by some as 'alternative facts', have proliferated lately in important areas ... more Wrong beliefs, known by some as 'alternative facts', have proliferated lately in important areas of human life, including social, political, and public health domains. This can be and has been damaging. This brief article proposes an epistemological category classification of these wrong beliefs, with the following mappings: a) 'No-Information' marked by willful blindness produces 'Empty Beliefs'; b) 'Mis-Information' yields 'Mis(taken) Beliefs'; and c) 'Dis-Information' predicated on blatant distortions produces 'Dis(torted) Beliefs'. This simple classification system, is perhaps epistemologically satisfying, and moreover could have positive policy implications.
The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 1986
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1979
The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 1995
American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 2022
Beyond revealing unconscious pathological identifications and traits-including their past usefuln... more Beyond revealing unconscious pathological identifications and traits-including their past usefulness but current toxicity-what techniques in our psychoanalytic practice can lead to change? Radically different from mainstream philosophical views advocating that such undesirable self-aspects should not be endorsed as Self, psychoanalysts hold that these negative traits must instead be understood as part of one's Self. But then what? Investigating concepts from classical conditioning, neuroscience, the philosophy of mind and action, and psychoanalytic practice itself, this article will suggest a preliminary account of the mechanism of action of psychoanalytic work after insight.
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe
Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 1998
Turning to the first panel, Shevrin noted that in each of the disciplines different types of memo... more Turning to the first panel, Shevrin noted that in each of the disciplines different types of memory system have been discovered, and that the distinctions in each field map surprisingly well onto the distinctions in the others. Thus, the declarative/nondeclarative memory systems, ...
Beyond the philosophy of the (unconscious) mind: the Freudian cornerstone as scientific theory, a... more Beyond the philosophy of the (unconscious) mind: the Freudian cornerstone as scientific theory, a cult, and a way of talking Vesa Talvitie CHAPTER FIVE Unconscious knowing: psychoanalytic evidence in support of a radical epistemic view
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Books by Linda A . W . Brakel
This book addresses the psychoanalytic concept of mind in the 21st century via a joint scientific and philosophical appraisal of psychoanalytic theory. It provides a fresh critical appraisal and reflection on Freudian concepts, as well as addressing how current evidence and scientific thinking bear upon Freudian theory. The book centres upon the major concepts in psychoanalysis, including the notion of unconscious mental processes and wish-fulfilment and their relationship to dreams, fantasy, attachment processes, and neuroscience.
Papers by Linda A . W . Brakel
This book addresses the psychoanalytic concept of mind in the 21st century via a joint scientific and philosophical appraisal of psychoanalytic theory. It provides a fresh critical appraisal and reflection on Freudian concepts, as well as addressing how current evidence and scientific thinking bear upon Freudian theory. The book centres upon the major concepts in psychoanalysis, including the notion of unconscious mental processes and wish-fulfilment and their relationship to dreams, fantasy, attachment processes, and neuroscience.