**2. Evolution as manifested in thought process**

In a contemporary context, FA can be seen as a representative of a variety of ancient practices that have promoted mental and physical health [1]. In the same vein, we have found culturally and religiously sanctioned techniques in every culture that are known to promote health [2]. From the prayer of the heart, the roseries, Jewish davening to different forms of meditation in Hindu, Buddhist, and Zen traditions, they all promote the triggering of the relaxation response [2], a form of altered states of consciousness that accesses semi-trans and vagal tone enhancing [3] similar to what is experienced at times, on the analytic couch in the process of free association.

While Freud rejected organized religion, he was familiar with Eastern traditions and mysticism in general [4]. Freud was entrenched in German philosophical writing: works by Schopenhauer, who was influenced by Indian Vedantic and Buddhist literature. He corresponded with Girindrasekar Bose, who introduced psychoanalysis in India. He cited *Upanishad* in a footnote of *Beyond the Pleasure Principle* [5]*.* Freud owned a statue of Vishnu, the Indian creator god of laws. Freud was interested in the spirituality of different cultures and had knowledge of the Kabbala. Freud did understand the significant role of mystical experiences in history as an expression of the human mind. He wrote the paper *The Uncanny* [6], about the dread in situations where childish fears and phantasies appear more real than our adult world perception.

Freud first reported in his studies on aphasia that mental activity has dynamic neurological concomitance. This idea of the brain functioned as dynamic and adjustable, inspired by Jacksonian neurology, and constituted inspiration for the founding of psychoanalysis. With it, Freud moved psychology from the realms of philosophy to that of natural science [7]. *On Aphasia* [8] may have served as an inspiration for non-localized dynamic brain function in neurology, creating the basis of psychodynamics for psychoanalysis. This, later inspired Luria, the founder of *Functional Neuropsychology*, is still in use today. As it is well known by now, Freud first used free association (FA) with Frau von N. [9]. However, a closer examination of the text may suggest that prior to that, in studies on hysteria [10], Freud noticed that Elizabeth von R's feelings were cut off from connections of thoughts and the rest of the ideational content of her mind, an early indication for retrieving the "pathological psychical material," by what would later become a free association.
