Love Beyond Subject and Object with therapist & neuroscientist Mark Solms
Jan 24, 2025
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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.
Love is a complex amalgamation of emotional drives like lust and care, necessitating deep understanding and vulnerability in relationships.
The integration of subjective experiences into scientific frameworks is vital for comprehending consciousness and human behavior, challenging traditional objectivity in neuroscience.
Deep dives
Understanding Complex Consciousness
Consciousness is a highly intricate construct that extends beyond basic feelings. Individuals possess a capacity for self-awareness that allows them to recognize their feelings and thoughts as separate from those of others. This level of reflection enables the realization that one is both a subject and an object in relational dynamics. The concept of third-person perspective plays a pivotal role in how individuals navigate their emotional landscapes and interpersonal relationships.
The Components of Romantic Love
Romantic love is described as a composite state of mind encompassing various emotional drives rather than a singular feeling. It integrates elements such as lust, attachment, care, and even playful interactions. Successful romantic relationships require managing the interplay of these drives while considering each partner’s needs and emotions. This nuanced understanding of love emphasizes the significance of vulnerability and the risks associated with forming deep emotional connections.
Subjectivity's Role in Scientific Inquiry
The integration of subjectivity into scientific discourse is presented as a crucial endeavor for neuroscience and natural sciences. The experience of feelings provides essential insight into understanding human behavior, necessitating a harmonious blend of subjective experience with empirical study. This perspective echoes Freud's notion of psychical reality, which calls for acknowledging the experiential domain within the scientific exploration of consciousness. The idea of dual aspect monism arises from the acknowledgment that both subjective and objective experiences contribute to our understanding of reality.
Navigating Love and Vulnerability
The journey toward loving others involves a recognition of both self and the needs of others, fostering a space for vulnerability. As individuals transition from narcissistic self-interest to genuine object love, they learn to consider the feelings and perspectives of those around them. This process highlights the challenges in balancing emotional drives while emphasizing the importance of connection and empathy. Ultimately, the understanding of love encompasses a spectrum of feelings beyond mere affection, reflecting the complexity of human relationships.
Mark Solms | Part 2 | Can love bring us beyond traditional divides? Please join in support 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