Safety: From the Paris Morgue to Oxytocin

Area of Science:

• Psychotherapy
• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Sigmund Freud's early theories on hysteria linked it to childhood abuse.
• Freud's later development of psychoanalysis moved away from empirical science.
• This shift de-emphasized objective reality in favor of phantasy regarding safety and danger.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-examine the scientific underpinnings removed from early psychoanalysis.
• To highlight the importance of early attachment, safety, oxytocin, and the autonomic nervous system.
• To advocate for the reintroduction of scientific rigor into psychotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and theoretical analysis.
• Examination of historical shifts in psychoanalytic thought.
• Exploration of neurobiological and attachment-based concepts.

Main Results:

• Psychoanalysis, in its development, sidelined empirical evidence related to trauma and safety.
• Concepts such as early attachment, the role of oxytocin, and autonomic nervous system function were diminished.
• The distinction between the reality of danger and the phantasy of danger was blurred.

Conclusions:

• Psychoanalysis's departure from scientific methodology impacted its understanding of psychological distress.
• Restoring a focus on empirical science, including attachment theory and neurobiology, is essential for advancing psychotherapy.
• A science of the mind requires integrating objective findings on safety and danger, rather than relying solely on phantasy.