Recent Developments in Neuropsychoanalysis: The Free Energy Principle and The Centrality of Predictions

This talk will provide an introduction to a model that, in recent years, has become increasingly integrated into neuropsychoanalytic thinking: the “free energy principle” proposed by Karl Friston.  A central idea in the free energy principle is that all living organisms must maintain homeostasis and therefore have to manage uncertainty effectively, through an “internal generative model” that continually helps us to predict what’s going on out there in the world, and what might happen next.  Our predictions shape our perceptions of the world and guide our relationships.  Concepts in the free energy principle support long-standing psychodynamic perspectives, including the focus on transference and other relational patterns; the importance of early development; and the value of bringing thoughts, feelings, and fantasies into awareness during the working-through process; and more. This talk will introduce some of the fundamental concepts in the free energy model, such as “prediction error” and “precision,” by describing them in user-friendly language with experience-near examples.