Podcast appearances and mentions of Norman O Brown

Bienvenidos una vez más a Buscadores de la Verdad. Hoy nos adentramos en un tema tan antiguo como la propia existencia humana: el Eros y el Tánatos, las dos grandes fuerzas que, según múltiples tradiciones y escuelas de pensamiento, mueven la vida y la muerte, el deseo y la destrucción. Para hablar de Eros, de esa energía vital que impulsa la unión y la creación, traemos una reflexión de Pedro Bustamante en Sacrificios y hierogamias, donde cita a Ludwig Klages, quien en Del Eros cosmogónico nos dice: “El Eros es llamado elemental o cósmico [cosmogónico] en la medida en que el individuo que es prendido por él se siente animado e invadido por una especie de corriente eléctrica que, comparable al magnetismo, hace que, con independencia de sus fronteras, las almas más alejadas puedan percibirse en un impulso común; él transforma el medio mismo de todas las acciones que separan a los cuerpos, es decir el espacio y el tiempo, en el elemento omnipresente que nos sostiene y nos rodea como un océano; él une también, a pesar de su diferencia siempre inalterable, los polos del mundo.” Una fuerza que trasciende los límites del yo y del otro, desdibujando el tiempo y el espacio en una comunión profunda. Pero allí donde Eros crea, también acecha Tánatos, el impulso hacia la disolución, hacia el final. ¿Cómo dialogan estas dos potencias en nuestra vida cotidiana? ¿Cómo se entrelazan, cómo se enfrentan? De esto hablaremos hoy. Si Eros representa el impulso hacia la vida, hacia la unión y la creación, Tánatos encarna la fuerza opuesta: el impulso hacia la disolución, el retorno a la inercia, la entrega al ciclo inexorable de la muerte. Pedro Bustamante, en Sacrificios y hierogamias, nos recuerda que los primeros seres humanos, profundamente vinculados a la naturaleza y sus ciclos, no podían escapar a las crisis que la vida misma imponía: “Los primeros grupos humanos, los más sometidos a los ciclos naturales, no tienen más remedio que adaptarse a ellos. Su cultura se aparta poco de la naturaleza, sus formas reproducen las naturales, los ritmos de las estaciones, de los astros, de los fenómenos atmosféricos. Es lógico que estas culturas primitivas estén enormemente marcadas por la naturaleza. Especialmente, que se vean afectadas en grado máximo por las crisis naturales: sequías, inundaciones, terremotos, erupciones volcánicas, escasez de alimento.” Tánatos se manifiesta entonces como esa presencia constante de la destrucción, de la pérdida, de la necesidad de rendirse ante fuerzas incontrolables. No como un castigo, sino como parte de un equilibrio más amplio, donde la vida y la muerte, la creación y la desaparición, se suceden en un mismo latido cósmico. Escritores como Norman O. Brown, un intelectual estadounidense y profesor de lenguas clásicas, ya hablaban en 1959 en “Eros y Tánatos: El sentido psicoanalítico de la historia” sobre estos temas. Este libro es considerado una obra clave en la intersección entre el psicoanálisis, la historia y la filosofía. Brown realiza una profunda reinterpretación de las ideas de Sigmund Freud, especialmente de los conceptos de Eros (el instinto de vida, asociado al amor, la creatividad y la unión) y Tánatos (el instinto de muerte, relacionado con la agresión, la destrucción y el retorno a un estado inorgánico), para analizar la naturaleza humana, la cultura y el desarrollo de la civilización. El libro parte de la premisa de que la humanidad sufre una "neurosis general", un conflicto interno que surge de la represión de los instintos básicos. Brown argumenta que la civilización, tal como la conocemos, se construye sobre esta represión, especialmente de los deseos eróticos, lo que genera una tensión constante entre los impulsos vitales (Eros) y los destructivos (Tánatos). Según Brown, esta represión no solo afecta a los individuos, sino que moldea la historia y las estructuras sociales, perpetuando un ciclo de insatisfacción y conflicto. Uno de los puntos centrales del libro es la idea de que la represión de Eros lleva a la humanidad a buscar "satisfacciones sustitutivas" en formas como el arte, la religión o la política, pero estas nunca logran resolver el conflicto subyacente. Brown propone que la historia humana puede entenderse como una lucha entre estos dos instintos: mientras Eros busca la conexión y la vida, Tánatos impulsa la separación y la muerte. Sin embargo, Brown no se limita a describir este conflicto; también sugiere una posible liberación. Aboga por una reconciliación con nuestros instintos, un retorno a una relación más plena con el cuerpo y el deseo, lo que él ve como una forma de superar la neurosis colectiva. El libro también explora cómo las ideas freudianas pueden aplicarse a la política y la naturaleza humana. Brown, quien escribió en un contexto de posguerra y auge de la contracultura, busca comprender el carácter político de la naturaleza humana y cómo las dinámicas de represión influyen en las estructuras de poder y las ideologías. Su análisis es profundamente interdisciplinario, combinando psicoanálisis con referencias a la literatura clásica, la filosofía y la historia. Aunque el concepto de Eros y Tánatos fue formulado en términos psicoanalíticos en 1959 con el libro Eros y Tánatos: El sentido psicoanalítico de la historia, la humanidad lleva reflexionando sobre estas dos grandes fuerzas desde la Antigüedad. Uno de los testimonios más claros lo encontramos en El banquete de Platón, una obra clave donde el erotismo, el amor y la muerte se entrelazan profundamente. Pedro Bustamante, en Sacrificios y hierogamias, destaca cómo en El banquete Platón ya intuye y articula esta dualidad fundamental a través de la figura de los dos Eros y las dos Afroditas: “Lo mismo sucede con los dos Eros y las dos Afroditas a las que se hace referencia en El banquete de Platón: Eros Uranio y Eros Pandemo, Afrodita Urania y Afrodita Pandemo. Aquí están presentes otra vez los temas de los que venimos tratando, las dos dimensiones de lo sacrificial, la transgresora y la modélica, la maléfica y la benéfica, la ctónica y la urania, la corporal y la espiritual, la inmanente y la trascendente. Lo que hay que subrayar es que esta duplicidad, tanto la de la figura masculina como la de la femenina, que remite en última instancia a la rivalidad y al sacrificio, se da justamente en una obra centrada en el erotismo y el amor.” Bustamante nos invita a entender que esta duplicidad no es un detalle menor, sino el núcleo mismo del relato: Eros Uranio, el amor celeste, espiritual, busca elevar el alma hacia lo divino; mientras que Eros Pandemo, el amor común, más terrenal, se relaciona con los placeres físicos y los impulsos inmediatos. De igual manera, Afrodita Urania y Afrodita Pandemos representan estas dos dimensiones, una trascendente y otra inmanente, una luminosa y otra sombría. Lo fascinante, como señala Bustamante, es cómo Platón entrelaza amor y muerte, deseo y sacrificio, en un mismo tejido simbólico. No es casual —nos recuerda— que el contexto de El banquete sea precisamente una celebración tras una victoria teatral, un certamen de tragedias, un género que, en su origen, estaba vinculado a rituales de sacrificio y a cultos dionisíacos. Así, el banquete no es solo un encuentro festivo, sino también un eco de los antiguos sacrificios, un espacio donde se celebra la vida a la vez que se honra la muerte. Bustamante subraya además que Sócrates, el gran protagonista del diálogo, afirma haber sido iniciado en los misterios del amor por Diotima, quien no solo enseña sobre el erotismo, sino también sobre el sacrificio. Esta doble enseñanza refuerza la idea de que el amor verdadero implica una forma de muerte simbólica: la superación del ego individual para fundirse en algo superior. Finalmente, la estructura dual que Platón propone, esa simetría entre dos Eros y dos Afroditas, queda recogida en una cita que no deja lugar a dudas: "Todos sabemos, en efecto, que no hay Afrodita sin Eros. Por consiguiente, si Afrodita fuera una, uno sería también Eros. Mas como existen dos, existen también necesariamente dos Eros. ¿Y cómo negar que son dos las diosas?” Así, El banquete se revela no solo como un tratado sobre el amor, sino como una profunda meditación sobre la tensión entre creación y destrucción, entre deseo y disolución, entre vida y muerte. Una tensión que sigue latiendo en nuestro inconsciente colectivo hasta nuestros días. Si miramos con atención, podemos imaginar a Eros y Tánatos como dos inmensos vórtices de energía que arrastran todo cuanto existe. Uno impulsa hacia la unión, hacia la creación de vida, hacia el encuentro con el otro; el otro empuja hacia la disolución, hacia el final inevitable, hacia el regreso a la nada. Y entre esos dos remolinos giramos nosotros, los seres humanos, atrapados en un movimiento eterno que da forma a nuestra historia, nuestras pasiones, nuestros miedos. El deseo de amar y ser amados, de fundirnos con otro, de dejar algo que nos trascienda, es la fuerza de Eros en nosotros. Es esa corriente vital que nos empuja a crear, a construir, a soñar. Y, al mismo tiempo, el temor a la muerte, a la pérdida, a la desaparición, a no haber dejado huella, es la expresión de Tánatos, que nos recuerda que somos finitos, que la vida es un préstamo fugaz. Estas dos fuerzas no solo están presentes en los grandes momentos de la historia o en las obras de arte; laten en lo más cotidiano de nuestras vidas. En cada acto de amor, en cada ambición, en cada miedo que sentimos, se manifiestan. Son los motores invisibles que mueven el mundo, los vientos profundos que soplan bajo la superficie de nuestras decisiones y sueños. Quizá entender a Eros y a Tánatos no sea tanto una cuestión de elegir entre uno u otro, sino de aceptar que ambos son necesarios: que la vida nace del deseo y se sostiene en la conciencia de su fragilidad. Que sin amor ni muerte, el mundo quedaría inmóvil. ………………………………………………………………………………………. Conductor del programa UTP Ramón Valero @tecn_preocupado Un técnico Preocupado un FP2 IVOOX UTP http://cutt.ly/dzhhGrf BLOG http://cutt.ly/dzhh2LX Ayúdame desde mi Crowfunding aquí https://cutt.ly/W0DsPVq Invitados Dra Yane #JusticiaParaUTP @ayec98_2 Médico y Buscadora de la verdad. Con Dios siempre! No permito q me dividan c/izq -derecha, raza, religión ni nada de la Creación. https://youtu.be/TXEEZUYd4c0 …. Siguiendo Fernando Beltrán @nenucosinpanial ………………………………………………………………………………………. Enlaces citados en el podcast: AYUDA A TRAVÉS DE LA COMPRA DE MIS LIBROS https://tecnicopreocupado.com/2024/11/16/ayuda-a-traves-de-la-compra-de-mis-libros/ ………………………………………………………………………………………. Música utilizada en este podcast: Tema inicial Heros ………………………………………………………………………………………. Epílogo EMAA - p o r t a l https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM6FI64QCeU

The identification of the ego with power structures greater than itself, raises a whole host of questions around ego identity as healthy vs unhealthy; around tribal identity and tribalism and its transformation with the emergence of civilization. What role does mythology play relative to this complex set of issues? What about the psychology activated when confronting civilizational collapse? Are there psychologies that recognize consciousness beyond that of the conventional ego? References Civilizational collapse gets named on a few occasions, explicitly citing Jared Diamond as best-known example. Joseph Tainter, 1988, “The collapse of complex societies”, is perhaps “the classic” that begins a subfield of study on the theme. Jared Diamond's book is from 2005: “Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed” Reference is made in this episode to conventional psychologies of the ego wherein health means well-adapted to society, over against more radical or spiritual psychologies that see the ego itself as the problem and society as problematic enough such that being adapted to it is unhealthy. Arguably, the whole psychodynamic tradition, from Freud to Jung as its founders, right up the whole field of “transpersonal psychology”, plays on the conventional/spiritual distinction. (See, for example, Freud's "Civilization and its discontents" (1930) from which this episode derives its title. ) Norman O. Brown brilliantly explored within psychoanalysis some of these themes in his works “Life against death: The psychoanalytical meaning of history” (1959) and “Love's Body” (1966) An example of that distinction (overt in the title already) is by Daniel Brown, Jack Engler, and Ken Wilber, 1986, “Transformations of Consciousness: Conventional and Contemplative Perspectives on Development” A favorite psychologist of mine (i.e. Chris) who articulates the notion of being "positively maladjusted" to unhealthy society, alongside the theme of ego-death or “disintegration” as potentially positive is Kazimierz Dabrowski (“Positive disintegration”, 1964). See the website https://positivedisintegration.com/ Terror-management theory also gets mentioned: for this theory, see Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon, and Tom Pyszczynski, 2015, “The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life”. https://ernestbecker.org/resources/terror-management-theory/

Transcript:Hi! Welcome to this week’s training. I’m Sherri Wilson, an introverted entrepreneur. And I train and empower other introverted entrepreneurs and business owners in the art of persuasion and influence to communicate your message confidently and create a life and business authentic to who you are. “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it. ” — Bruce Lee This week we’re going to continue our study of the different client types you’ll encounter in business. Actually these are the different types of people you’re probably married to, your friends with, etc. So as we go through these make sure you apply them to your personal life too because these techniques will work with everyone.So far we’ve gone through the BOTTOM LINE CLIENT and the LIFE OF THE PARTY client. Today you’re going to learn about the SLOW AND STEADY CLIENT or the S personality on the DISC. Another nickname I like for this person is SALT OF THE EARTH” type because they are those that will help anyone, give the shirt of their pack, and serve however they can.This type of client is:Slower pacedPeople focusedEven-temperedAccommodatingPatientHumbleTactfulWhen I say this type is slower paced, it’s not referring to intelligence or anything like that. This type likes to make decisions slower, prefer a slower and more relaxed interaction, and time to think making it crucial for you to slow down if you are the fast-paced BOTTOM LINE or LIFE OF THE PARTY type. And don’t pressure them! They will dig in their heels, albeit nicely, and refuse to budge.The SLOW AND STEADY type doesn’t like change. Their philosophy is “Why fix it if it isn’t broken?” But once you persuade them on the value of the change needed to use your product or service, you’ll have a loyal customer.Family is the most important thing to this type. In fact, they’ll break relationship or you’ll see them angry if anyone ever does anything or says anything against their family. They will keep their family’s interests in mind when considering your product or service so when you hear, “I need to discuss this with my spouse,” they’re typically not putting you off or letting you down nicely. They really need to discuss it. But sometimes it can be a nice way of saying no. You see, this type hates conflict, hurting people’s feelings, and saying “no.” Sensitivity is very important to them, which is why they’re so tactful and hesitant to come right out and decline. I like to tell this type that they can say “no” and it won’t hurt my feelings. The SLOW AND STEADY client type requires ACCEPTANCE along with SAFETY and CONNECTION. What this means is that you’ll get farther along with them if you share a few personal details about yourself to help them warm up to you. For them, however, they won’t typically share too much about themselves with you at first. If they see you’re genuine and want to help others, you’ll gain their trust. Also, ask about their spouse and/or kids when you see them.You need to really watch body language and facials expressions for any signs of uncertainty or questions when conversing with them because they are reserved and, again, won’t want to hurt your feelings. If you watch for those signs, you can ask them questions like, “So you seem to have some questions or concerns. Feel free to share or ask me anything you need!” The KEY is to slow down, be considerate of their family needs, and chit chat a little about yourself to gain trust.Priorities:Showing sincerityEmphasizing dependabilityBuilding relationshipsMotivated by:Stable environmentsSincere appreciationCooperationOpportunities to help “I am what is mine. Personality is the original personal property. ” — Norman O. Brown Fears:Loss of stabilityChangeLoss of harmonyOffending othersYou will notice:PatienceTeam playerCalm approachGood listenerHumilityLimitations:Overly accommodatingTendency to avoid changeIndecisivenessOk, so realize that the SLOW AND STEADY is a total opposite of the BOTTOM LINE client type meaning that if you’re the BOTTOM LINE client, you need to slow down, be personable, and patient. Also, the LIFE OF THE PARTY can be difficult for this type because this type likes STABILITY and a lot of LIFE OF THE PARTY types are not necessarily stable and fast-paced on top of that. As a BOTTOM LINE type, my abruptness, lack of thinks like saying, “Hi. How are you?” in the text first before getting to my main question. LOL. BOTTOM LINE people are not necessary sensitive, patient, or good listeners unless they’ve trained themselves to be so. And they can be so blunt that it puts off the SLOW AND STEADY type. But if you’re the SLOW AND STEADY type, you need to be more straightforward in a respectful way with the BOTTOM LINE people. Trying to be tactful and diplomatic can be taken as dishonesty by the BOTTOM LINE or that you’re trying to hide things. I will add some more time to my schedule for this client type because a more relaxed, slower paced atmosphere is pleasant for them. And I really enjoy them and their depth of thought and character. In a way, interacting with them is like a nice slowing down for me in an otherwise hectic day. Guys, if you learn this stuff well and practice it, it will help you so much in understanding others and even avoiding conflict. It helps to not take things so personally when an opposite client type does something that you would NEVER DO! Let’s celebrate each other and who we are giving others grace. And for those that are what I call unrefined personalities that seem to like to cause problems, just throat punch them. JUST KIDDING!If you feel this is helpful for you, please share it with others. You can share it from our blog at sherriannewilson.com or invite them into this private group. Until next week, be empowered in who you are!

In Minute 13 of The Whole Shebang, Jenny and Mike look at the importance of bisexuality to glam rock, rock and roll in general, and to Velvet Goldmine, the first appearance in this film of Ewan McGregor as Curt Wild, the performative queerness of David Bowie and the matter-of-fact queerness of Lou Reed, the hippie generation's poetic sex theoretician Norman O. Brown, the liminality of queer history, and the Sun newspaper reporting on the Brian Slade hoax. Find us on the web at thewholeshebangpodcast.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Patreon at wholeshebangpod.

Perhaps most of us interested in psychoanalysis in the United States have the idea that, in 1909, when Freud lectured at Clark University, his first and only visit to this country, the profession was launched. That Freud was perhaps an afterthought to a larger celebration at the school may stun us, but truth be told that appears to be the case. In After Freud Left: A Century of Psychoanalysis in America (University of Chicago Press, 2012)–part of what John Burnham calls “The New Freud Studies”–we encounter scholars looking closely at the way in which American culture interfaced with psychoanalytic thinking. During the mid-twentieth century, for myriad reasons, (the Cold War among them), psychoanalysis was a force to be reckoned with in the States. The book, which includes essays by historians of medicine and of culture, among them Elizabeth Lunbeck, George Makari, Louis Menand, and Dorothy Ross, tells a tale of how psychoanalysis resonated with some of the major thinkers of the time–including Lionel Trilling, Herbert Marcuse, and Norman O. Brown to name but a few. Given the contemporary context, aka today, in which psychoanalysis is not currying much favor as a mode of treatment or as a system of ideas, looking at the profession in its hey day will give one cause to pause. These historians argue that cultural shifts, among them the advent of psychopharmeceuticals coupled with new ideas about the self that do not consider the unconscious, have placed psychoanalysis on the sidelines. Dr. Burnham was a pleasure to interview and, as an historian, has been studying all things psychoanalytic since the 1950s. What we love to consider is that he has seen, in his lifetime, many of the changes that the book he has edited chronicles. That he has been writing about psychoanalysis, beginning with the completion of his doctorate in 1958 on the early origins of this profession, only makes this interview more compelling. Something prompted him to take notice then and it is an abiding interest that he has cultivated ever since. We were so pleased to have him with us as a result. In assembling an illustrious group of historians to write about this topic, Dr. Burnham has done a terrific service to a profession that might well want to reflect on its origins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps most of us interested in psychoanalysis in the United States have the idea that, in 1909, when Freud lectured at Clark University, his first and only visit to this country, the profession was launched. That Freud was perhaps an afterthought to a larger celebration at the school may stun us, but truth be told that appears to be the case. In After Freud Left: A Century of Psychoanalysis in America (University of Chicago Press, 2012)–part of what John Burnham calls “The New Freud Studies”–we encounter scholars looking closely at the way in which American culture interfaced with psychoanalytic thinking. During the mid-twentieth century, for myriad reasons, (the Cold War among them), psychoanalysis was a force to be reckoned with in the States. The book, which includes essays by historians of medicine and of culture, among them Elizabeth Lunbeck, George Makari, Louis Menand, and Dorothy Ross, tells a tale of how psychoanalysis resonated with some of the major thinkers of the time–including Lionel Trilling, Herbert Marcuse, and Norman O. Brown to name but a few. Given the contemporary context, aka today, in which psychoanalysis is not currying much favor as a mode of treatment or as a system of ideas, looking at the profession in its hey day will give one cause to pause. These historians argue that cultural shifts, among them the advent of psychopharmeceuticals coupled with new ideas about the self that do not consider the unconscious, have placed psychoanalysis on the sidelines. Dr. Burnham was a pleasure to interview and, as an historian, has been studying all things psychoanalytic since the 1950s. What we love to consider is that he has seen, in his lifetime, many of the changes that the book he has edited chronicles. That he has been writing about psychoanalysis, beginning with the completion of his doctorate in 1958 on the early origins of this profession, only makes this interview more compelling. Something prompted him to take notice then and it is an abiding interest that he has cultivated ever since. We were so pleased to have him with us as a result. In assembling an illustrious group of historians to write about this topic, Dr. Burnham has done a terrific service to a profession that might well want to reflect on its origins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps most of us interested in psychoanalysis in the United States have the idea that, in 1909, when Freud lectured at Clark University, his first and only visit to this country, the profession was launched. That Freud was perhaps an afterthought to a larger celebration at the school may stun us, but truth be told that appears to be the case. In After Freud Left: A Century of Psychoanalysis in America (University of Chicago Press, 2012)–part of what John Burnham calls “The New Freud Studies”–we encounter scholars looking closely at the way in which American culture interfaced with psychoanalytic thinking. During the mid-twentieth century, for myriad reasons, (the Cold War among them), psychoanalysis was a force to be reckoned with in the States. The book, which includes essays by historians of medicine and of culture, among them Elizabeth Lunbeck, George Makari, Louis Menand, and Dorothy Ross, tells a tale of how psychoanalysis resonated with some of the major thinkers of the time–including Lionel Trilling, Herbert Marcuse, and Norman O. Brown to name but a few. Given the contemporary context, aka today, in which psychoanalysis is not currying much favor as a mode of treatment or as a system of ideas, looking at the profession in its hey day will give one cause to pause. These historians argue that cultural shifts, among them the advent of psychopharmeceuticals coupled with new ideas about the self that do not consider the unconscious, have placed psychoanalysis on the sidelines. Dr. Burnham was a pleasure to interview and, as an historian, has been studying all things psychoanalytic since the 1950s. What we love to consider is that he has seen, in his lifetime, many of the changes that the book he has edited chronicles. That he has been writing about psychoanalysis, beginning with the completion of his doctorate in 1958 on the early origins of this profession, only makes this interview more compelling. Something prompted him to take notice then and it is an abiding interest that he has cultivated ever since. We were so pleased to have him with us as a result. In assembling an illustrious group of historians to write about this topic, Dr. Burnham has done a terrific service to a profession that might well want to reflect on its origins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps most of us interested in psychoanalysis in the United States have the idea that, in 1909, when Freud lectured at Clark University, his first and only visit to this country, the profession was launched. That Freud was perhaps an afterthought to a larger celebration at the school may stun us, but truth be told that appears to be the case. In After Freud Left: A Century of Psychoanalysis in America (University of Chicago Press, 2012)–part of what John Burnham calls “The New Freud Studies”–we encounter scholars looking closely at the way in which American culture interfaced with psychoanalytic thinking. During the mid-twentieth century, for myriad reasons, (the Cold War among them), psychoanalysis was a force to be reckoned with in the States. The book, which includes essays by historians of medicine and of culture, among them Elizabeth Lunbeck, George Makari, Louis Menand, and Dorothy Ross, tells a tale of how psychoanalysis resonated with some of the major thinkers of the time–including Lionel Trilling, Herbert Marcuse, and Norman O. Brown to name but a few. Given the contemporary context, aka today, in which psychoanalysis is not currying much favor as a mode of treatment or as a system of ideas, looking at the profession in its hey day will give one cause to pause. These historians argue that cultural shifts, among them the advent of psychopharmeceuticals coupled with new ideas about the self that do not consider the unconscious, have placed psychoanalysis on the sidelines. Dr. Burnham was a pleasure to interview and, as an historian, has been studying all things psychoanalytic since the 1950s. What we love to consider is that he has seen, in his lifetime, many of the changes that the book he has edited chronicles. That he has been writing about psychoanalysis, beginning with the completion of his doctorate in 1958 on the early origins of this profession, only makes this interview more compelling. Something prompted him to take notice then and it is an abiding interest that he has cultivated ever since. We were so pleased to have him with us as a result. In assembling an illustrious group of historians to write about this topic, Dr. Burnham has done a terrific service to a profession that might well want to reflect on its origins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps most of us interested in psychoanalysis in the United States have the idea that, in 1909, when Freud lectured at Clark University, his first and only visit to this country, the profession was launched. That Freud was perhaps an afterthought to a larger celebration at the school may stun us, but truth be told that appears to be the case. In After Freud Left: A Century of Psychoanalysis in America (University of Chicago Press, 2012)–part of what John Burnham calls “The New Freud Studies”–we encounter scholars looking closely at the way in which American culture interfaced with psychoanalytic thinking. During the mid-twentieth century, for myriad reasons, (the Cold War among them), psychoanalysis was a force to be reckoned with in the States. The book, which includes essays by historians of medicine and of culture, among them Elizabeth Lunbeck, George Makari, Louis Menand, and Dorothy Ross, tells a tale of how psychoanalysis resonated with some of the major thinkers of the time–including Lionel Trilling, Herbert Marcuse, and Norman O. Brown to name but a few. Given the contemporary context, aka today, in which psychoanalysis is not currying much favor as a mode of treatment or as a system of ideas, looking at the profession in its hey day will give one cause to pause. These historians argue that cultural shifts, among them the advent of psychopharmeceuticals coupled with new ideas about the self that do not consider the unconscious, have placed psychoanalysis on the sidelines. Dr. Burnham was a pleasure to interview and, as an historian, has been studying all things psychoanalytic since the 1950s. What we love to consider is that he has seen, in his lifetime, many of the changes that the book he has edited chronicles. That he has been writing about psychoanalysis, beginning with the completion of his doctorate in 1958 on the early origins of this profession, only makes this interview more compelling. Something prompted him to take notice then and it is an abiding interest that he has cultivated ever since. We were so pleased to have him with us as a result. In assembling an illustrious group of historians to write about this topic, Dr. Burnham has done a terrific service to a profession that might well want to reflect on its origins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychoanalysis