The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness

In his new book Mark Solms presents a revolutionary theory that consciousness is rooted in feelings. It is generated not only by the cerebral cortex, responsible for intellect and higher mental functions, but also by evolutionarily older subcortical structures implicated in emotional processing. The cortex can serve the source of consciousness only to the extent that it is activated by the brainstem. This is the very ‘hidden spring.’
The author brings together elementary physics of life, latest achievements in computational and affective neurobiology, statistical physics, thermodynamics and the free energy principle, developed by K. Friston, as well as the subtleties of subjective experience, that have traditionally been central in psychoanalytic theorizing. He pays meticulous attention to the subjective experiences of several hundred patients with neurological disorders. The observation of these patients has contributed to a more comprehensive understanding of brain function.

Mark Solms. The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness / Translated from English by Maria Eliferova. Scientific Editor Daniil Markov. Scientific Editor Anton Kuznetsov. Editor Valentina Bologova. — Moscow: Alpina Non-Fiction, 2025.