ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces basic notions of Lacanian clinical practice, paying equal attention to Lacan's reformulations of Freudian principles as well as original Lacanian contributions to S. Freud's work. Mystical experience and Lacanian psychoanalysis share a practice of what Lacan calls subjective or mental/ psychical destitution and benevolent depersonalisation. In Lacanian psychoanalysis, the two elements of direction and power are correlated: for there to be a direction to the cure the analyst has to not use the power granted to him/her by the analysand's transference. The chapter considers that a consistency between a theory and a practice of analysis is of the utmost importance. Once this internal consistency is achieved, then external consistency across models would be the next desirable objective to be achieved through a peaceful and mature dialogue of opinions between the different schools of psychoanalysis. The standard frame gives the formal appearance of continuity between the practices of contemporary schools of psychoanalysis and the tradition of Freudian analysis.