Entropy Paper Links Freud’s 130-Year-Old Theory to Brain Prediction Models

1 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · Jun 1

A March 11 paper in Entropy argues psychoanalysis and predictive neuroscience describe the same core mental processes from subjective and physiological angles.
Erik Stänicke and co-authors say Freud-era ideas such as projection parallel the brain’s predictive processing—constantly forecasting events and minimizing gaps between expectation and sensory input.
That overlap may clarify mental disorders, with symptoms like paranoia or an internal critical voice framed as rigid prediction models that reduce uncertainty while distorting reality.
The authors also tie expectations to procedural and relational memory, suggesting psychotherapy can reshape entrenched patterns through new experiences in the therapist-patient relationship.
By combining neurological mechanisms with lived experience, the researchers say the two fields could support a more holistic and scientifically grounded psychology.

Sources

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