Neuroscientist Professor Mark Solms said that Sigmund Freud held a crucial truth about the human mind that aligns with modern neuroscience [1, 2].
This reassessment matters because it challenges the prevailing view of psychoanalysis as an obsolete practice. If Freud's core insights are validated by brain science, it could shift how clinicians treat emotional disorders.
Solms said that despite the many criticisms directed at Freud, the psychoanalyst was right about a key aspect of the mind [1, 2]. He said that linking psychoanalysis to neuroscience provides a framework for understanding the subconscious that is supported by current biological data [1, 2].
The argument focuses on whether psychoanalytic methods, which emphasize deep exploration of the unconscious, can effectively cure emotional disorders [1, 2]. While many modern practitioners favor short-term behavioral interventions, Solms said that Freud's approach may actually be the best route to lasting recovery [1, 2].
This perspective emerges as part of a broader effort to bridge the gap between the clinical observations of the early 20th century and the imaging technology of today [1, 2]. Solms said that the structural understanding of the brain does not invalidate Freud's theories but rather provides the physical evidence for them [1, 2].
The discussion appears in a recent interview and a forthcoming September 2026 article in The Atlantic [2]. Solms said that the field of psychology has prematurely discarded Freud's insights without fully integrating them into the biological understanding of the brain [1, 2].
“Freud was right about a key aspect of the mind”
This debate represents a potential paradigm shift in psychiatry, moving away from purely symptomatic treatment toward a biologically informed version of psychoanalysis. By attempting to ground Freud's theories in neuroscience, Solms is seeking to legitimize the study of the unconscious as a physical reality of the brain rather than a theoretical construct.
