LacanianOnline

Sex sells, they say. But what if sex doesn't say what we think it says? What if it whispers something else — something deeper, murkier, sadder, and more desperate? According to Jacques Lacan, one of the sharpest minds in the psychoanalytic tradition: “Il n’y a pas de rapport sexuel” — there is no such thing as a sexual relationship. Not because people don’t fuck. But because in the very act of fucking, they’re not meeting each other. They’re missing each other. Let’s be honest: sex is rarely just about bodies. It’s about compensating a lack. It’s about communicating something in code. It’s about feeding a hunger that isn’t even physical. Sometimes, it’s just about not being alone for a few minutes. Sex as a Symptom Think of a cat. A cat purrs not only when it’s happy, but also when it's anxious, scared, in pain — it self-soothes through sound. They don’t have enough words to express what they feel. They come to us, and we like that, because it reminds us of o...

There is a toy the cat I live with, F., loves. A small, insignificant object by itself—a hair band—but for her, it is everything. She plays with it, run with it, and then—loses it. Again and again, it disappears under the sofa. At first, I thought it was mere accident, an unfortunate consequence of her wild enthusiasm. I would retrieve it (with difficulty, moving the whole big and heavy sofa), place it back in front of her, and she would resume the game. Then I noticed something strange: F. was not merely losing the toy—she was hiding it, pushing it carefully under the sofa and then wait. Not searching for it, not retrieving it herself, but waiting for it to come out, like a mouse. This is the game. Not the toy, not the having of it, but the not having it—the game of waiting. Lacan taught us that desire is not for the object itself, but for the dream of having it, and the wonderful things that it will make us feel. The objet petit a , that little elusive remainder, is not what we want...

Evil, as an action, could be a thought, but that is usually forgotten, a damned intranscendent mental Sin. In general, evil is only evil when it becomes action and comes out of us as a manifestation of our darkness. But, as an action, it is not inherently evil; rather, it is evil only in relation to other actions or, better yet, perceptions of actions—interpretations. Above all, evil is a function of one's relationship with one's manque, the fundamental lack that structures one's desire. Most of the time, what is evil is not determined by an external reaction, but by the accusation of one's inner Other, nor by the moral codifications that attempt to define it. Rather, evil’s true weight emerges in the subjective coordinates of one's own lack, in how one's act situates itself in relation to this void that constitutes one. In Lacanian psychoanalysis, the subject is always structured around the manque-à-être—the lack of being. It is this absence that fuels desire, ...

  El mal, como acción, puede ser un pensamiento, pero eso suele olvidarse, un maldito pecado mental intrascendente. En general, el mal solo es mal cuando se convierte en acción y sale de nosotros como manifestación de nuestra oscuridad. Pero, como acción, no es inherentemente malo; más bien, lo es solo en relación con otras acciones o, mejor aún, con percepciones de acciones—interpretaciones. Por encima de todo, el mal es una función de la relación de uno con su manque , la falta fundamental que estructura el deseo. La mayoría de las veces, lo que es malo no está determinado por una reacción externa, sino por la acusación del Otro interior, ni por las codificaciones morales que intentan definirlo. Más bien, el verdadero peso del mal emerge en las coordenadas subjetivas de la propia falta, en cómo el acto se sitúa en relación con ese vacío que constituye al sujeto. En el psicoanálisis lacaniano, el sujeto está siempre estructurado alrededor del manque-à-être —la falta de ser. Es est...

  Todos los que han tenido mascotas saben que cada una posee una personalidad única, con miedos y deseos propios. En algunos casos, incluso pueden experimentar emociones como vergüenza, culpa, juego y ansiedad. He convivido con un gato durante un tiempo. En este período he aprendido a entenderlo más allá de su comportamiento habitual; puedo reconocer cuándo está ansioso. En el psicoanálisis lacaniano, la ansiedad surge del delicado y siempre cambiante juego entre tres registros fundamentales de la psique humana: lo Imaginario, lo Simbólico y lo Real. La tensión inherente y el potencial de ruptura en su interconexión generan ansiedad. Aquí un breve desglose: Lo Imaginario: Este ámbito abarca la identificación, el yo y la formación del sujeto a través de imágenes especulares e identificaciones con los otros. Es donde desarrollamos un sentido de unidad y coherencia corporal, principalmente en el estadio del espejo, cuando el infante se reconoce en el espejo. Sin embargo, este sentido...

Everybody who has had pets knows that they all have unique personalities, fears, and desires, and in some cases, they can experience emotions such as shame, guilt, playfulness, and anxiety. I have been living with a cat for some time now. During this period, I have learned to understand him beyond his normal behavior; I can recognize when he is anxious. In Lacanian psychoanalysis, anxiety arises from the delicate and ever-shifting interplay between three fundamental registers of human psyche: the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real. The inherent tension and potential for disruption within their interconnectedness generate anxiety. Here's a brief breakdown: The Imaginary: This realm encompasses identification, the ego, and the formation of the self through specular images and identifications with others. It is where we develop a sense of bodily unity and coherence, primarily during the mirror stage, when an infant recognizes themselves in the mirror. This sense of self, however,...

While much has been written about how to manage anxiety, far less attention has been paid to how anxiety originates within the psyche. In this post, we will explore the fascinating origins of anxiety through the lens of Lacanian theory, delving into how the interplay between three fundamental psychic realms—the Real, the Imaginary, and the Symbolic—can trigger this powerful emotion. It’s important to note that the neurotic episode we are discussing in this post does not necessarily indicate that the subject has a fully developed neurosis. It is simply a fleeting moment where anxiety arises, temporarily disrupting the usual balance of the psyche. This type of episode is not a sign of a chronic condition, but rather a transient moment of anxiety that, if not managed properly, could lead to further complications. Mental health is about maintaining balance, and we must all learn how to navigate this process. Lacan’s Three Realms Lacan proposed that the psyche is structured around three dis...