The Imaginary (psychoanalysis)

The imaginary is a collective term for all " Pictorial ". This includes physical images, but also mental image pictures, these are individually or collectively. In a narrower sense, the term in the theory of the French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan called - analogous to the terms of the symbolic and real - one of the three structure determinations of the psyche. In a general sense of everyday language use is meant by "imaginary " as much as " illusory, apparently, taking place only in the imagination, false, fictitious ". Another use is to be found in mathematics, see: Imaginary number.

Conceptual history

The term "imaginary " is derived from the Latin word for "Picture" ( " imago ") and of "Imagination" ( Imagination, imagination ) and the adjective " imaginarius " ( " conceited " ) from. The term of the imaginary already appeared on in medieval philosophy and is in substance already in Aristotle treated as fantasy. The exclusive connotation of the term "imaginary " " conceited " with is effective especially in the German -speaking world to this day, which are often referred to as the imaginary unreal, only presented objects, in particular delusions, hallucinations, delusions, especially delusions.

In other countries the term is not such a negative connotation, but is rather " imago " associated with the more neutral word, from which are derived both in English as in French, the common terms for "Picture" ( "image" ). Especially in France, comprehensive, interdisciplinary research on the " l' imaginaire " have been established for decades, especially in the philosophy and sociology are closely involved. Important authors in this context Michel Maffesoli, Jean -Luc Nancy, as well as Jean -Paul Sartre, in 1940 a book entitled The Imaginary wrote. A comprehensive theory of the social imaginary made ​​a v. Cornelius Castoriadis. In analyzes approaches a collective imaginary can already be found in Emile Durkheim. In German-speaking countries, the term only gains in the wake of the emerging science image ( visual studies ) and the iconic turn of a hand. Due to the increasing Lacan reception on the other hand, influence of scientific

Use in Lacan

In a narrower sense the term is used in the context of the theory of the French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. In Lacan called " the imaginary " one of the three registers of the psyche. The imaginary is organized pictorially and dual and is designed, in particular in the mirror stage. It is the place of self-identification, self-image, but also the Verkennens and deception. For the imaginary part, the area of desire (see: object petit a ), and the phantasms.