RSam Podcast Mark Solms & John Dall'Aglio: Prospects for a Lacanian Neuropsychoanalysis
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Nov 1, 2025 
Mark Solms, a pioneering neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst, is joined by John Dall'Aglio, a PhD candidate specializing in Lacanian psychoanalysis. They dive into Freud's shift from neuroscience and how new methods revive his vision. John shares his journey merging neuroscience with Lacanian concepts, while Mark explains the nuances of jouissance and symptom ownership. They also discuss the effects of medication on emotions and present a neuropsychoanalytic perspective on psychosis, offering a fresh take on the relationship between neuroscience and psychology.
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Mapping Lacan's Registers To Brain Processes
- Lacanian neuropsychoanalysis applies Lacan's registers (real, symbolic, imaginary) to brain processes.
- The 'real' maps to what resists representation and helps explain persistent drive-related disturbances.
Translating Lacan Makes Psychoanalysis Publicly Engaged
- Mark welcomes translating Lacan into neuropsychoanalytic language to make it accessible beyond Lacanian circles.
- He sees Lacan as a productive extension of Freud that neuropsychoanalysis can integrate.
Jouissance As Seeking, Pleasure In The Pursuit
- Jouissance (Lacan) aligns with affective neuroscience 'seeking'—pleasure in the pursuit, not consummation.
- The mind's drive to reduce uncertainty produces arousal that explains repetitive, invigorating seeking behavior.
