The Self and alien self in psyche and soma.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychoanalysis
• Psychology

Background:

• Disorders of body ownership and agency present with overlapping symptomatology in both psychoanalytic and neurological contexts.
• Narcissistic disorders involve projective defenses, disrupting the sense of ownership for mental and physical states of self and others.
• These disruptions are crucial for understanding transference and countertransference dynamics in clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the presentations of body ownership and agency disorders from psychoanalytic and neurological viewpoints.
• To propose that observed similarities stem from adjustments in Friston's generative model of self-organization and selfhood.
• To explore the implications for the analytic model of the Self, clinical practice, and neuroscience research.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of clinical observations in neurological disorders and psychoanalytic patient presentations.
• Theoretical integration of Friston's generative model to explain shared symptomatology.
• Exploration of psychoanalytic concepts (Self, death instinct, xenophobia) in light of neurological findings.

Main Results:

• Clinical observations of disordered ownership and agency in psychological conditions mirror findings in neurological disorders.
• A unified proposal that Friston's internal generative model of selfhood is adjusted in both neurogenic and psychogenic disorders.
• Similar neural mechanisms and symptomatic outcomes are suggested regardless of the etiological origin (neurogenic or psychogenic).

Conclusions:

• The study posits that disruptions in the generative model of selfhood underlie similar symptoms across psychological and neurological disorders.
• Findings suggest potential for a more integrated understanding of the Self, bridging psychoanalytic and neurological perspectives.
• Implications for clinical practice include enhanced understanding of transference/countertransference and potential therapeutic targets.