The Lacanian Online

Travelling during the holidays, I met a few friends and family, and I was confronted with the memories these people hold of me. When someone told me, "You have not changed," what do they really mean? Is it a truthful statement, or does it reveal more about their perception than about me? Through the lenses of Lacan and Freud, we can unpack this seemingly simple assertion and uncover the deeper layers of being and culture that shape our identities. The Illusion of Sameness Freud's psychoanalytic theory emphasizes the role of the unconscious in shaping our behavior and identity. While the conscious mind might cling to the idea of a stable, unchanging self, the unconscious operates in a realm of fluidity and constant transformation. To Freud, the repetition of certain behaviors or patterns—what he called the compulsion to repeat —is not an indication of sameness but rather a manifestation of unresolved conflicts or repressed desires. Lacan deepens this idea by introducing th...

When we think of Christmas, images of joy, lights, gifts, and the central figure of the Christmas tree often come to mind. But what happens when we view these symbols through a deeper, psychoanalytic lens? In this article, we’ll explore how the Christmas tree connects to fundamental concepts of desire, tradition, and the anxiety that often accompanies this festive season. A Story of Hope and the Tree as a Symbol Let me start with a story I once heard. During the Spanish Inquisition, it is said that a Jewish man, imprisoned and tortured for over a year, one day found the door to his cell open. Dragging himself out, filled with hope, he reached the courtyard and eventually the prison gates, which were also open. Feeling the warmth of the sun on his face, he thanked God for the miracle of his freedom. But suddenly, a shadow fell over him. Turning, he saw his jailer, who said, “You had endured all the tortures, but there was one left: hope.” This story reminds us that symbols of freedom or...

The Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset famously wrote, “I am I and my circumstance; and, if I do not save it, I do not save myself.” This phrase, which has captivated many, often remains superficially understood. However, its implications delve deeply into identity, environment, and how we relate to the world around us. Inspired by this idea, I want to explore a reinterpretation of this concept, tying it to the psychological theories of Lacan and my personal reflections as an emigrant. Reinterpreting “I Am I and My Circumstance” Ortega’s original statement can be reimagined as: “I am I and I am traversed by my culture, my social group, and my environment.” This highlights the fluidity of identity, which is shaped by the circumstances we are born into and those we later inhabit. We are permeable beings: we inhabit a place in the universe, and the universe inhabits a place within us. Lacan’s psychoanalysis adds another dimension: the idea that the “I” is not a fixed entity but a constru...

I once heard that Gabriel García Márquez believed the key to a successful relationship is avoiding arguments. At the time, I dismissed the idea, finding myself embroiled in frequent debates with my partners—sometimes triggered by me, sometimes by them. Now, as I enter my mature years, I’ve come to see that Márquez may have been right in a deeper sense. Through my study of psychoanalysis, I’ve learned that arguments often aren’t about the issue at hand. They stem from something hidden within us—unmet needs, unresolved wounds, or fears we may not even recognize. In these moments, what truly bothers us isn’t the issue itself but what it represents in relation with what we expect . Freud's Insights on the Unconscious Freud’s psychoanalytic theories offer a fascinating lens to understand the dynamics of arguments. He identified two mechanisms— condensation and displacement —originally in the context of dreams but later recognized their influence on how the unconscious mind proc...

In December 2019, at Art Basel Miami Beach, Maurizio Cattelan unveiled The Comedian , a piece consisting of a banana affixed to a wall with duct tape. At first glance, the work appeared to be a simple joke, a satire of the art world’s absurd valuation of mundane objects, especially considering its initial sale price of $120,000. This valuation was dwarfed in November 2024 when the piece was resold at Sotheby’s for $6.2 million. Yet beneath its surface lies a rich interplay of psychoanalytic concepts. Using Freud’s theories of condensation and displacement, we can interpret The Comedian not merely as a playful commentary but as a deeply symbolic artifact reflecting collective unconscious desires, anxieties, and cultural tensions. Condensation: The Title as Symbolic Compression Freud described condensation as a process where multiple ideas or desires are compressed into a single symbol. The title, The Comedian , operates as a condensation of themes that go beyond the banana and duct t...

In the fabric of human experience, stories are not just diversions; they are lifelines. They weave meaning into the chaotic tapestry of existence, offering a semblance of order amidst uncertainty. Like the timeless simplicity of children’s tales, these narratives shield us from the despair that arises when we confront the raw and unfiltered reality of our condition. Yet, this isn’t a trivial function—it's deeply rooted in the structures of our psyche and society, as explored by profound thinkers such as Martin Heidegger and Jacques Lacan. The Necessity of Stories: A Philosophical Lens Heidegger's Confrontation with Nothingness Martin Heidegger observed that anxiety stems not from specific fears but from a profound confrontation with ‘nothingness’—a void that exposes the fragility and transience of human existence. This state, far from being mere discomfort, lays bare the inevitability of mortality and the uncertainty of our being. The stories we create, according to Heidegger, ...