LINDA A.W. BRAKEL, MD has practiced psychoanalysis for 40 years. For much of that time she also engaged in empirical research centering on primary process mentation as a testable aspect of psychoanalytic theory. This led to her current interdisciplinary work focusing on philosophy of mind, philosophy of action, experimental philosophy (XPhi), and evolutionary biology. In this capacity as a "tangential academic" she has authored many articles, and 4 coauthored books. Linda, a native New Yorker, now lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband, Arthur and dog, Lexie.