Exploring the Unconscious Mind with Professor Mark Solms

Friederike Fabritius and Professor Mark Solms, author of 'The Hidden Spring,' use their final conversation together to discuss the unconscious mind. They explain how 95% (or more!) of what your brain does is hidden from you, influencing decisions, memories, and perceptions in ways you aren't even aware of. Mark Solms shares a surprising experiment that reveals how subliminal messages can sway and shape the choices you make, and the practical ways to honor our unconscious in daily life. They finish their conversation by taking a look at AI, what it would mean to have a machine that is "conscious" and if that is a good or ethical thing to pursue. Tune in to rethink your understanding of your own mind and learn why trusting your gut might be smarter than you think.

00:00 Introduction to the Unconscious
00:23 Historical Context and Freud's Radical Idea
01:37 Subliminal Messaging and Tachistoscope Experiment
04:47 The Extent of Unconscious Processing
07:35 Practical Implications of Unconscious Dominance
10:10 Leveraging the Unconscious in Daily Life
13:19 Exploring Artificial Consciousness
18:39 Ethical Considerations and Conclusion

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Professor Mark Solms is Director of Neuropsychology at the Neuroscience Institute of the University of Cape Town. He is also Honorary Lecturer in Neurosurgery at the St Bartholomew's & Royal London Hospital School of Medicine and an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists. He is a member of the British Psychoanalytical Society and the American and South African Psychoanalytic Associations. He has received numerous honours and awards, including the Sigourney Prize. He has published 350 scientific papers, and eight books, the latest being The Hidden Spring (Norton, 2021). He is the authorized editor and translator of the Revised Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (24 volumes) and the forthcoming Complete Neuroscientific Works of Sigmund Freud (4 volumes).

Can you train your brain to make better decisions?

Friederike Fabritius and professor Mark Solms, author of 'The Hidden Spring,' discuss two eye-opening concepts you may not have heard about: the free energy principle and predictive processing theory. Solms explains what free energy is as it relates to the brain and our "system" elaborates on the brain's role as an efficient prediction machine. By reducing prediction errors, your brain can better meet your biological and emotional needs, which in turn ensures survival. Solms discusses the significance of updating our predictions based on past experiences, stating that memories are created in the past but they are for the future. If you want to understand why you make the decisions that you do, and why you might be stuck in patterns that don't serve you, this is the episode you need to listen to.

01:13 Understanding the Free Energy Principle

02:13 Predictive Processing and Memory

06:31 Practical Applications of Predictive Processing

09:01 Prioritising Emotional Needs

17:10 Exploration vs. Exploitation

19:31 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Follow Friederike on LinkedIn to stay connected and up to date on her neurohacks.
And if you're looking for more brain-friendly insights be sure to subscribe to The Brain-Friendly Newsletter

Professor Mark Solms is Director of Neuropsychology at the Neuroscience Institute of the University of Cape Town. He is also Honorary Lecturer in Neurosurgery at the St Bartholomew's & Royal London Hospital School of Medicine and an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists. He is a member of the British Psychoanalytical Society and the American and South African Psychoanalytic Associations. He has received numerous honours and awards, including the Sigourney Prize. He has published 350 scientific papers, and eight books, the latest being The Hidden Spring (Norton, 2021). He is the authorized editor and translator of the Revised Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (24 volumes) and the forthcoming Complete Neuroscientific Works of Sigmund Freud (4 volumes).

Exploring Consciousness and How It Happens

Friederike Fabritius welcomes Professor Mark Solms, author of "The Hidden Spring," for a discussion to answer this, and more. Mark explains the role of the reticular activating system (RAS) in generating human consciousness. It is a structure in the oldest part of our brain, the brainstem, and it plays an important role in consciousness, as well as our emotional state. Solms dives into how the RAS is not just a power source for wakefulness, but a generator of the raw feelings that form the essence of consciousness and how we experience the world.Key distinctions are made between human and animal consciousness, while practical advice on living a fulfilling life by prioritizing emotional well-being over cognitive achievements is also shared. This episode will be sure to leave you thinking about what it really means to be "awake" and the importance of feeling in your everyday life.

00:00 Introduction

00:43 Mark Solms' Journey into Neuroscience

02:33 Understanding the Reticular Activating System

08:38 Differences in Consciousness Between Animals and Humans

19:33 Implications for Everyday Life

22:41 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Follow Friederike on LinkedIn to stay connected and up to date on her neurohacks.

And if you're looking for more brain-friendly insights be sure to subscribe to The Brain-Friendly Newsletter

Professor Mark Solms is Director of Neuropsychology at the Neuroscience Institute of the University of Cape Town. He is also Honorary Lecturer in Neurosurgery at the St Bartholomew's & Royal London Hospital School of Medicine and an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists. He is a member of the British Psychoanalytical Society and the American and South African Psychoanalytic Associations. He has received numerous honours and awards, including the Sigourney Prize. He has published 350 scientific papers, and eight books, the latest being The Hidden Spring (Norton, 2021). He is the authorized editor and translator of the Revised Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (24 volumes) and the forthcoming Complete Neuroscientific Works of Sigmund Freud (4 volumes).