Frontal Circuits and the Temporoparietal Junction: Exploring the Neuroanatomy of Gemeinschaftsgefühl

The concept of Gemeinschaftsgefühl, "social interest" or "community feeling," is one of the cornerstones of Individual Psychology. Beyond empathy, Gemeinschaftsgefühl involves one's sense of belonging in one's ecological connection with humanity. This concept has had significant clinical utility for gauging psychopathy and sociopathy in Individual Psychology. Although its metaphysical constructs have been studied for nearly a century, its physiological correlates for neural circuitry remain limited in the literature. This article proposes the frontal circuits, including the medial prefrontal cortex, and their connection to the temporoparietal junction as the neural substrates for initial exploration of Gemeinschaftsgefühl. Their functional associations with theory of mind, social connection, empathy, and executive control are proposed as the starting points for exploring the neuroanatomy of Gemeinschaftsgefühl.