Purpose of Africa Fossils Tour

In 2015, my close friend and colleague invited me to go to South Africa with him. I jumped at the chance. I knew Lee Berger, PhD was head of the Human Evolution Department at Wits University, which was in Johannesburg South Africa. I had read his book about the African Eve, and wanted to see the famous Taung Child fossil in the Fossils Vault at Wits. So I contacted Berger and asked if I come tbere and tour the Vault. Not only did he say yes, he said he would meet us there along with his colleague proffessor Francis Thackery. What a day that was!! Not inly did we see Taung, we also " The Skull in the Rock" ( google it)....... When we returned from Africa I began to reflect on the trip and what may have motivated me to make it.  I asked myself what was the purpose of my South African Hominin Fossils Study Trip?  And the answer was that it all had to do with our human evolution,  and the resultant evolution of our brain/mind. If we as neuropsychoanalytic therapists can come to understand that our brain/mind changed and evolved over time just like the rest of our physical bodies,  then we can know why we today think and feel and act differently than our ancient hominin ancestors. Then we can help people in treatment to find their way to a more fulfilled life today..........This is the goal of two relatively new fields of study that are being integrated into psychoanalysis: Evolutionary biology and neuroscience. My experience has been that when you integrate these fields you get a fuller understanding of our mental functioning today. This interdisciplinary field is called neuropsychoanalysis  ( created by Mark Solms in 1999.) This was what Africa was all about for me!! ;