Posted by Pfinstegg on October 12, 2004, at 21:41:33
In reply to Re: The Association of Independent Psychoanalytic » Pfinstegg, posted by alexandra_k on October 12, 2004, at 18:03:07
I don't know enough to comment on the theories of memory you raise versus the ones presented by Dr. Schore - I'm just reporting his view. The thing he particularly emphasized was the lack of neurons connecting the implicit memories of neglect and abuse to higher centers, in the orbital prefrontal cortex especially, which could mitigate the on-going pain which these unconscious memories cause. Whether they are actually *grouped* or not is a good point that you raised. No-one has yet actually *found* a dissociated state on an fMRI or PET scan, although, as you say, there are different patterns of arousal in the brain in dissociated states. It could certaily be true that, as you say, the networks of implicit memory of neglect and abuse are spread widely throughout the brain. I did become convinced that the neurons that should be connecting those implicit unconscious memories to the rest of the brain are reduced or absent.
I do know from experience what people are like who have lost a good part of their anterior right hemispheres due to such illnesses as a stroke. It is very striking to me how they say that that they cannot dream or feel deeply. They often say how people tell them that they are fortunate that they have not lost their ability to speak, but that people do not have any idea how much of themselves they have really lost. They often feel like hollow shells, who can speak, but cannot feel. They seem to know, themselves, that they have nothing, really, to say. I have thought for a long time that patients like these have really lost the richness of being and self-experience that comes from having an *unconscious*. Probably not everyone would agree to that way of conceptualizing it, but it is clear for everyone to see on their MRI's that a lot of their right hemispheres are gone.
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:402170
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20041002/msgs/402425.html