Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Science A Multiple Code Theory [Hardcover]

Although psychoanalytic concepts underlie most forms of psychotherapy practiced today, the basic Freudian theory of mind the metapsychology does not mesh with current scientific views in psychology and related fields. As a result, despite its many strengths, psychoanalysis has been relegated to the periphery by clinicians and researchers alike. Filling a significant void, this book from cognitive scientist and psychoanalytic researcher Wilma Bucci proposes a new model of psychological organization that integrates psychoanalytic theory with the investigation of mental processes. Solidly rooted in current cognitive science, multiple code theory recognizes the focus on meanings and motives that is intrinsic to psychoanalytic clinical work. The theory points to parallel functions underlying free association and dreams, as well as conceptual development in children and creative work in sciences and the arts, and provides a strong foundation for empirical research on the psychoanalytic treatment process.

For many years Dr. Wilma Bucci has been engaged in critical research on the psychoanalytic process and has developed her multiple code theory. Her new book,Psychoanalysis and Cognitive Science: A Multiple Code Theory, is, in many ways, a culmination of her long years of empirical and theoretical work. It is a remarkable book that succeeds in linking psychoanalytic theory both to the world of cognitive science and to empirical research on psychoanalytic treatment. It seems to me that the future of psychoanalysis lies in its openness to empirical work and to concepts and developments in other disciplines. There are few books that, at one and the same time, remain faithful to the concrete realities of psychoanalysis and are able to integrate it into the larger world of theories of mind. This is such a book. For anyone interested in psychoanalysis, this book is a 'must read.' --Morris Eagle, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Derner Institute of AdvanlC±