#47: Love Beyond Subject and Object with therapist & neuroscientist Mark Solms

Jan 24, 2025

Mark Solms, a neuropsychologist at the University of Cape Town, dives deep into the connection between love and consciousness. He breaks down love into its emotional components, highlighting distinctions between romantic love and attachment. The conversation explores how feelings shape our conscious experience, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and vulnerability. Solms also discusses Freud's theories on narcissism, revealing complex layers of emotional drives, and argues for a science that integrates subjective experience into its understanding of human nature.

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Intro

00:00 • 5min

Exploring the Composite Nature of Love

04:30 • 2min

Navigating the Complexities of Romantic Love

06:43 • 6min

Navigating Love's Complexities

12:55 • 6min

Exploring the Patterns and Continuity of Love

19:14 • 1min

The Interplay of Feelings and Love

20:41 • 12min

Exploring Narcissism in Psychoanalysis

32:54 • 8min

Exploring Love and Consciousness

41:20 • 19min

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Mark Solms | Part 2 | Can love bring us beyond traditional divides?
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Mark Solms is a professor in the Department of Neuropsychology at the University of Cape Town: "My early research focused on the brain mechanisms of sleep and dreaming led to an interest in consciousness, which is currently my major focus. My emphasis is on brainstem mechanisms of consciousness and the foundational role of affect, emotional affect in particular. This work has included applications to various neuropsychiatric disorders, such as anosognosia and confabulatory amnesia, and, more recently, depression and addiction."

In this episode, Andrea and Mark discuss the intricate dimensions of love and consciousness. Solms and Hiott explore the various elements that constitute love, including romantic love, attachment, and care. Solms highlights the complexities of human emotions and how they integrate into love and relationships. Solms also discusses the concepts of narcissism, object love, and how the integration of different emotional drives forms advanced states of mind. The conversation touches on the importance of subjectivity in neuroscience, the development of self-awareness, and Freud's contribution to understanding human nature. The episode provides a nuanced look at how feelings are fundamental to conscious experience and the obligation of science to incorporate subjectivity into its worldview.

00:00 Understanding Consciousness and Self-Awareness
00:55 The Complexity of Love and Relationships
02:47 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
04:48 Exploring the Concept of Love
05:40 The Components of Romantic Love
08:20 Attachment and Care in Relationships
11:56 Balancing Emotions in Love
17:18 The Role of Feelings in Human Nature
29:05 Exploring the Nature of Love in Mammals
30:33 Philosophical Love: The Quest for Knowledge
31:25 Lust and Its Complex Relationship with Love
32:42 Freud's Concept of Narcissism
35:22 Integrating Lust and Attachment
43:36 The Evolution of Consciousness
51:28 Freud's Scientific Project and Subjectivity
57:05 Balancing Objective and Subjective Realities
01:00:08 Concluding Thoughts on Love and Consciousness

Mark Solms
Hidden Spring
Love and Its Place in Nature

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