The concepts of body and psychosis in the psychoanalysis of Jacques Lacan

Abstract

The body is a recurring theme in Lacanian theory, in which the subject’s relationship with its body is mediated by both the image and the signifier. This complex dynamic is articulated in two pivotal moments of Lacan’s teaching. Firstly, his mirror stage theory posits the image as the primary operator of the body’s subjectivation, situating the subject’s constitution predominantly within the imaginary register. Later, Lacan shifts emphasis to the symbolic register, where the signifier becomes the paramount mediator of the subject’s relationship with its body, now conceived primarily as a support for the inscriptions of the letter. This research examines the concept of the body in Lacan’s theorization of psychosis, drawing on his analysis of the Schreber case. This case is chosen for its instrumental role in developing Lacan’s theory of psychosis and the prominence of bodily symptoms in its clinical presentation. The study adopts a theoretical-conceptual approach, focusing on Lacan’s third seminar (1955-1956) and his interpretation of Schreber’s memoir. Through this analysis, Lacan argues that the symptoms and phenomena involving the psychotic subject and its body can be understood as attempts at stabilization, compensating for the absence of the paternal signifier when symbolic mediation is unattainable.