Foreclosure (psychoanalysis)

Foreclosure (in psychoanalysis) is a term coined by the French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan to refer to a mechanism in the psychic development of the individual. It is a stage in the psychic structure formation where the individual forecloses, or rejects, a fundamental signifier. This foreclosure has significant implications for the individual's psychic reality and can lead to the development of psychosis.

Concept[edit | edit source]

The concept of foreclosure was first introduced by Lacan in his seminar on "The Psychoses" (1955-1956). He used the term to describe a mechanism that is different from repression (in Freudian psychoanalysis) and negation (in Kleinian psychoanalysis). In foreclosure, the individual does not merely repress or negate a signifier, but completely expels it from their psychic reality. This expelled signifier returns in the Real as a hallucination or a delusion, leading to the onset of psychosis.

Foreclosure and the Name-of-the-Father[edit | edit source]

In Lacanian psychoanalysis, foreclosure is most often associated with the foreclosure of the Name-of-the-Father. The Name-of-the-Father is a fundamental signifier in the Oedipal stage of development. It represents the law and the symbolic order, and its acceptance by the individual leads to their entry into the Symbolic order. However, if the individual forecloses the Name-of-the-Father, they are unable to enter the Symbolic order and remain in the Imaginary order. This results in a failure to differentiate between self and other, leading to the development of psychosis.

Clinical Implications[edit | edit source]

The concept of foreclosure has significant clinical implications in psychoanalysis. It helps in understanding the onset and treatment of psychosis. The psychoanalyst, in their clinical practice, attempts to reintroduce the foreclosed signifier into the patient's psychic reality. This is done through the process of transference and interpretation.