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Dr. Mortimer Ostow is a neurologist, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst, who began wondering about the neural bases of psychodynamic processes while he was still a candidate in training at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute—an extremely brave stance to take at that time. His first publications on the topic date back to the early 1950s. He also made some perceptive observations on the psychodynamics of epilepsy and autoscopic phenomena, among other clinical neurological conditions. He then embraced the psychopharmacological revolution— observing the mental effects of the psychoactive drugs he began to use in his clinical practice, and again considering the probable metapsychological correlates of these powerful chemical agents. His seminal book on that topic, dating from the 1960s, remains a classic to this day. Dr Ostow has also had a life-long interest in the psychology of spiritual belief and mystical experience. He has played a major role in developing the field of neuro-psychoanalysis, including at the institutional level in recent years. Our field owes him a substantial debt.
This interview with Dr. Mortimer Ostow took place at the Hotel Wales, New York City, on 9 November 2002.