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A path leads from identification by way of imitation to empathy, that is, to the comprehension of the mechanism by means of which we are enabled to take up any attitude at all towards another mental life.
Psychoanalysis has always identified the body as the source of the energies alimenting psychic representations. Interestingly, recent developments in cognitive neuroscience have emphasized the role of the acting body and of sensorimotor systems in constituting the way our minds represent reality, by shaping our cognitive schemas (Gallese and Umiltà 2002; Gallese, Keysers, and Rizzolatti 2004; Gallese 2005a, b).
In his very timely and stimulating paper David Olds discusses the relevance of some recent neuroscientific discoveries for a rethinking of psychoanalytic theory and clinical practice. In particular, he emphasizes the possible role played by mirror neurons in building identity relations, implying that they could provide a subpersonal explanatory framework for intersubjectivity. Olds's hypothesis is important because it suggests a specific topic for a fruitful multidisciplinary exchange between psychoanalytic theory and clinical practice and cognitive neuroscience.
Capitalizing on Olds's suggestions, I will focus on some properties of the mirror neuron system in monkeys and humans and provide a