In the Mind Fields

June 15, 2015
More than just a survey of the fields of neuroscience and psychoanalysis, this compelling book presents readers with the stories behind the science. Schwartz depicts ongoing attempts to unite the seemingly disparate disciplines of neuroscience, in which she has a degree, and psychoanalysis—the former founded on proof, the latter sometimes criticized for its apparent absence. Yet both disciplines aim, in their varying ways, to understand the human mind. From their interdisciplinary merger comes a new term, neuropsychoanalysis. Schwarz also intends to uncover the emotional substance behind these two sciences, and accordingly emphasizes her personal connections to the research at hand. Even Freud is given an uncharacteristically human and relatable face, as are case studies typically encountered (in much less vivid form) in textbooks. Though clearly knowledgeable, Schwartz is honest about her moments of indecision, further humanizing the narrative—indeed, the book ends with more questions yet to be answered rather than with concrete conclusions. Schwartz demonstrates the value of embracing confusion and the limitations of one’s knowledge while exploring the vast expanses of the mind.

June 1, 2015
Can psychoanalysis and neuroscience, each with its own distinct methods, one subjective, one objective, make peace with one another? Can the mind be understood by looking closely into the brain? Writing of the struggle to "bring some of the old ideas about the mind into the new landscape of the brain, journalist Schwartz has the background to explore these questions: a master's degree course combining psychoanalysis, taught the first year at the Anna Freud Centre in London, and neuroscience, taught the following year at Yale. After a bow to Freud and his followers, Schwartz focuses on two men: Mark Solms, both a psychoanalyst and a neurosurgeon, coiner of the term "neuropsychoanalysis," translator of Freud, and founder of the International Neuropsychoanalysis Society; and David Silvers, not a psychiatrist but a practicing analyst, who has as a patient an aphasic stroke victim-i.e., a man who has lost the ability to speak. Schwartz follows Solms' working and writing lives and includes some fascinating stories about his experiences and those of others working with brain-damaged men and women. She then connects with Silvers, who has been treating a man seemingly unreachable by psychoanalytic technique, a man whose case seems to offer the possibility of a bridge between psychoanalytic ideas and neuroscientific ones. Though the author did not meet the patient, Silvers allowed her to become familiar with him by reading the case notes and listening to his taped reports to colleagues. It is clear that Silvers and his patient connected in some way and that a relationship was established between them, but whether analysis took place is, in the end, debatable. Schwartz does not provide all the answers, but her highly readable report raises intriguing questions about the limitations and the futures of both psychoanalysis and neuroscience.

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July 1, 2015

Somewhere along her journey to discover the seemingly opposite worlds of neuroscience and psychoanalysis, a colleague asks Schwartz, "What exactly is your book about?" She is hesitant to answer in that moment, and yet the journalistic tour of her studies gives the reader a definitive picture of just how these disciplines are undeniably joined. Schwartz travels to the Anna Freud Centre in London, learning about the beginnings of Freudian psychoanalysis, before traveling to Africa, Canada, and landing in New Haven, CT, at Yale University to research the happenings in neuroscience. Her story acts almost as a brain travelog, oscillating between a search for understanding and meaning in ever-elusive ephemera and hard science. Her tireless quest results in the argument that moving forward, psychiatry will meld both psychoanalysis and neuroscience to better understand the brain. VERDICT The journey presented in this sharp narrative makes somewhat lofty topics accessible as seems to be a trend in modern science writing. Ultimately, the author's knowledge gives those interested in brain studies and the process of thought an exciting case study of sorts. Schwartz engages the reader with humorous stories of the leading professionals she encounters, providing a thorough, thoughtful account.--Kaitlin Connors, Virginia Beach P.L.

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