Empathy and Neuroscience: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
Empathy and Neuroscience: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
This chapter focuses on the psychoanalytic process for which empathy is a defining phenomenon, and discusses the relationship between the psychoanalytic theory and the understanding of empathy. It presents similarities between psychological processes and neuronal events, along with the functional components that produce the empathic experience in humans. The mirror neuron system, which helps the observer to replicate the inner events or behavior of other people being observed, is discussed. The activation of neural mechanisms by perception of emotion responsible for emotion generation shows the importance of affect sharing. The chapter further explores the effect of isolation on the empathizer and empathizees.
Keywords: psychoanalytic process, psychoanalytic theory, empathy, neuronal events, mirror neuron system, emotions
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