New Books in Psychoanalysis

Jane Elizabeth Dougherty, a Professor at Southern Illinois University, dives into the evolution of Irish female narratives from 1916 to 2018. She explores how societal changes and key female writers have shaped these stories, often framing maturation as disordered and complex. Dougherty highlights the role of historical events and literary figures like Joyce and O'Brien in redefining female identity. The discussion also introduces the 'queer avuncular' concept, offering fresh perspectives on traditional narratives and emphasizing the ongoing struggle for gender equality in literature.

Jan Borowicz, a cultural studies scholar and psychotherapist from the Institute of Polish Culture, shares his insights on Holocaust memory and Polish bystanders. He discusses the indifference to violence and its psychoanalytic implications, drawing parallels between historical and current humanitarian crises. Borowicz explores the complexities of denial and memory and how they shape Polish identity amid transgenerational trauma. He emphasizes the importance of confronting painful histories to foster empathy and prevent societal indifference.

Delve into America’s educational battlegrounds as psychoanalysts explore the psychological forces behind the conflicts over race and history. Discover how denial functions as a defense mechanism, masking the painful truths of systemic racism. The discussion examines projective identification and splitting, highlighting their roles in shaping group identities. Educational censorship and cultural shifts reveal a struggle for knowledge, emphasizing the need for diverse perspectives to foster critical thinking and intellectual freedom in classrooms.

Join Gohar Homayounpour, an acclaimed psychoanalyst and author, as she delves into the intersections of mourning and identity in her book, weaving personal loss with Persian cultural narratives. She provocatively characterizes psychoanalysis as a subversive art form for dreamers, embracing disturbance and absence. Topics include the complexities of maternal influence, the significance of the color blue, and the playful aspects of therapeutic relationships. Homayounpour also critiques modern practices, advocating for empathy over mimicry, highlighting the emotional intricacies of life's choices.

The discussion highlights the intersection of cancel culture and historical erasure, particularly regarding marginalized military histories. It emphasizes the psychological impacts of public shaming, including anxiety and shame in those 'canceled.' The podcast also explores complex defense mechanisms like erasure and projection, illustrating how societal frustrations surface through scapegoating. Ultimately, the dual nature of cancel culture is examined as it empowers some voices while silencing others, raising questions about collective memory and accountability.

Richard Reichbart, a distinguished psychoanalyst and author, shares his profound journey through psychosis in a deeply personal narrative. He reveals how significant life events, including the loss of his grandfather, precipitated his psychotic experience. The discussion explores the complex interplay of grief and childhood attachment, highlighting how these elements shaped his identity and creativity. Reichbart emphasizes the healing power of therapeutic relationships and recounts transformative moments from his time on a Navajo reservation, blending personal struggle with insights into the nature of psychosis.

Today I began my discussion with Dr. Adrian Perkel about his new book Unlocking The Nature of Human Aggression: A Psychoanalytic and Neuroscientific Approach (Routledge, 2024) “Aggression is to the mind what the immune system is to the body. It doesn’t seek the fight.” With this perfect mind-body analogy Dr. Perkel proposes a clear way to think theoretically and work clinically with aggression. Throughout the book he links Freud’s formulations of the psyche with contemporary physics and biochemistry. Perkel’s assertion that “Where the aggressive drive goes, so therein lies the solution to many of the psychological problems that present to us in life” is broadly summarized in three essential points:1. The aggressive drive in the human psyche has the aim of reducing stimuli and excitations brought on by internal and external impingements - it is not looking for a fight.2. What constitutes a threat or impingement is not necessarily objective - in fact it is always filtered through subjective experience and the UCS associations that are revisited repeatedly giving rise to a lens through which experience is filtered.3. This experience is driven by memory traces of experience that embed themselves in the UCS and are revisited and hence enacted in a repetitive manner.“My argument is that what wraps all those three points together is that you have life drive needs yes but they're often unfulfilled they're often frustrated and then we need a second mechanism which is what Freud called the death drive.” Acknowledging that the death drive is contentious in psychoanalysis “in neuroscience it's not contested.”I knew going into this interview that we would only discuss a few concepts and elaborations from his book. For more of Dr. Perkel’s writing and webinar on this book please go here and here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis

Dive into a rich discussion about the challenges of listening, as experts unpack emotional experiences from recent conferences and cultural events. They explore how performances by artists like Sam Cooke and Kendrick Lamar transcend language, highlighting the power of music to convey deep societal messages. The conversation touches on psychological barriers to communication and the need for open dialogue in navigating cultural divides. Join them as they emphasize the importance of active listening in both therapy and everyday life.

Not so long ago, comedy and laughter were a shared experience of relief, as Freud famously argued. At their best, ribbing, roasting, piss-taking and insulting were the foundation of a kind of universal culture from which friendship, camaraderie and solidarity could emerge.Now, comedy is characterized by edgy humour and misplaced jokes that provoke personal and social anxiety, causing divisive cultural warfare in the media and among people. Our comedy is fraught with tension like never before, and so too is our social life. We often hear the claim that no one can take a joke anymore. But what if we really can’t take jokes anymore?Post-Comedy (Polity, 2025) argues that the spirit of comedy is the first step in the building of society, but that it has been lost in the era of divisive identity politics. Comedy flares up debates about censorship and cancellation, keeping us divided from one other. This goes against the true universalist spirit of comedy, which is becoming a thing of the past and must be recovered.Alfie Bown is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Media at Kings College London. His research focuses on psychoanalysis, digital media and popular culture.He has also worked as a journalist, writing for The Guardian, Paris Review, New Statesman, Tribune, and others. His books include The Playstation Dreamworld, Post-Memes, and Dream Lovers: The Gamification of Relationships.He is the founder of Everyday Analysis which publishes pamphlets and essay collections with contemporary social and political issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis

Peter Shabad, Clinical Associate Professor at Northwestern University and author of "Passion, Shame, and the Freedom to Become," dives into the intricate dynamics of shame and passion. He discusses how early relationships shape emotional development, emphasizing self-acceptance as key to overcoming shame. Shabad also explores the transformative power of gratitude, the interplay between nostalgia and identity, and the complex role of transference in therapy. He advocates for reclaiming authentic passion and the importance of viewing personal choices through the lens of true agency.