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Although few would argue that what is called psychological development occurs as a consequence of changes in the organization of the brain, there are differences of opinion within psychoanalysis regarding whether one needs to understand what these organizational changes consist of. Some believe that psychoanalysis can be practiced without any knowledge of mind/brain correlations whatsoever. However, a counterargument (Trevarthen, 1979; Levin, 1980; Joseph, 1983, personal communication; Levin and Vuckovich, 1983; Kandel, 1983; Reiser, 1984; Basch, 1975; 1985; Gunther, 1987; Levin and Vuckovich, 1987; Schwartz, 1987; Levin, 1988a; b) is that new knowledge of the brain, integrated into psychoanalytic theory, offers a special combination of insight and usefulness that enhances both psychoanalytic theory formation and clinical practice. The validation of scientific theories also requires that they be tested, at times by means of interdisciplinary research.
Development is difficult to comprehend because of its extraordinary complexity. There are many unanswered questions regarding how specific psychological milestones and the early development of the brain relate to each other and are integrated over time. In general, there are also major gaps in our knowledge regarding how basic subsystems of the brain correlate with psychological variables. Moreover, although there are psychoanalytic techniques for getting development “back on track ”,