The Psychoanalytic Institute at the Department of Psychiatry New York University Medical Center sponsored a commemorative conference “How Psychoanalysts Think—About the Mind, the Brain, Their Patients, the Past” held April-22, 1990 at NYU Medical Center. The meeting was a three-fold commemoration: of The Psychoanalytic Institute's 40th anniversary as an accredited institute of the American Psychoanalytic Association; of the 10th anniversary of The Psychoanalytic Institute's affiliation with the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Medical Center; and of the 50th anniversary of Freud's death.
“The Institute was founded at what became the Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn in the late 40s by an energetic, imaginative, compelling figure in psychoanalysis, Dr. Sandor Lorand,” Shelley Orgel, director of the Institute, commented in his introductory remarks. “Dr. Lorand enlisted an extraordinary group of analysts to work with him in Brooklyn… Jacob Arlow, Mark Kanzer, William Console, Abraham Fabian, Melitta and Otto Sperling, Jan Frank, Sidney Tarachow, Maurice Friend and Sylvan Keiser…. [Dr. Reiser] was the first Director after Dr. Lorand. And it was under his directorship, between 1960 and 1963, that the Downstate Institute established almost all the structural innovations and developed most of the points of view about psychoanalytic education that have made this institute a recognized leader in psychoanalytic scholarship and education in the United States. For the last 10 years it has thrived in a congenial and welcoming intellectual home at the New York University Department of Psychiatry under the chairmanship of Dr. Robert Cancro… We believe our affiliation… has been a mutually felicitous collaboration in every way.”
After welcoming remarks by Austin Silber, chairman of the Symposium Organizing Committee, Lawrence Friedman spoke on “The influence of Psychoanalytic Theory” at a session chaired by Alan Eisnitz and discussed by Erik Gann. Dr. Friedman's provocative theoretical paper about the contrast between the expected and actual clinical analytic situation sparked much discussion. Marianne Goldberger chaired a session that included two clinically rich papers “Psychoanalysis and the Pursuit of the Unconscious,” given by Edward Weinshel and discussed by Howard Welsh, and “Psychoanalysis Today from a Child Analyst,” presented by Roy Lilleskov and discussed by Peter Neubauer. The presentations illustrated Dr. Friedman's theme of the influence of theoretical framework in the way analysts approach their work with adults and with children.
Later, Robert Cancro chaired a session at which Eric Kandel spoke on “Genes, Nerve Cells, and the Remembrance of Things Past.” He discussed the current and potential impact of recent work on the structure, chemistry and genetics of the brain on the way analysts think. The discussant was James McLaughlin On the final day of the symposium, in a session chaired by Jerome Levin, Harold Blum gave a paper on “Freud and the Figure of Moses: The Moses of Freud.” Dr. Blum examined in fascinating detail the influence of the figure of Moses on Freud. Leonard Shengold was the discussant. In the second half of the session, Harry Trosman presented “Psychoanalysis and the Imaginative Life,” which Jules Glenn discussed. Dr. Trosman addressed the influence of analytic thought in understanding not only content but form of artistic works.
Over 180 persons registered for the symposium, tentative plans are being developed to publish a monograph. The Organizing Committee, chaired by Austin Silber, included Michael Singer (secretary),Samuel Abrams, Lawrence Chalfin, Jules Glenn, Shelley Orgel, and Leonard Shengold.