The Borromean knot in psychoanalysis: what does it consist of?

Psychoanalysis may seem complex because of the knots it raises, but if we untie them, we can enjoy its substance through literary figures. One of these concepts is the Borromean knot, a wonderful way to explain how we work.

Approaching the conception of the Borromean knot is to delve deeper into Lacanian psychoanalysis, which explores various aspects of an individual’s emotions, thinking and behavior. Even its connection with reality.

Jacques Marie Émile Lacan was a French psychoanalyst and psychiatrist at the beginning of the century. He is one of the most relevant figures of contemporary French structuralism. His theories resulted in both rejection and adhesion. He was related to the Freudian movement and generated tension with the International Psychoanalytic Association. In fact, he ended up distancing himself and founded the Freudian School of Paris in 1964.

His contributions to psychoanalysis were related to philosophy, linguistics and art.. He interacted with artists such as André Breton and Salvador Dalí and delved into the thought of Heidegger, Strauss and Hegel. His work is quite controversial, as some claim that he does not follow Freudian roots; However, Lacan himself opted for a return to Freud. He maintained that the analyst is not a neutral listener and emphasized unconscious desire and enjoyment.

Jacques Lacan

What is the Borromean knot?

The Borromean knot is called a constitution of three interlocking rings; The rule says that if one separates, the others are released. The concept comes from the heraldic symbol of the Borromi family.

Lacan spoke of this knot in psychoanalysis to give shape to the structure of the speaking being, divided into the following parts:

The imaginary. This is the first record, it is associated with images. It is based on the structure of the self, which is formed through the image of one’s fellow man, through identification; initially meant by the mother.symbolic registration. It is essentially linguistic. It is linked to the intersubjective field through which we exchange with the other. Furthermore, to the field of knowledge, culture and the great other. As a rule, we begin to become familiar with language through interaction, not our caregivers.The real. It is about what cannot be represented by images or by language. That is, the unknowable, unthinkable or that which resists. It differs from reality in that it would be the way we understand the world, therefore it would be within the symbolic and imaginary registers; while the real is meaningless.

So, It is a topology. Lacan suggested in his book Of the father’s names, that the three registers are present in every subject, and that their knotting is essential for its reality to be consistent, maintaining a discourse and social bond with the other. Thus, the different ways of knotting determine the psychic structure.

Concepts associated with the Borromean knot

At one point in Lacanian theory only three registers were present in the Borromean knot. In another moment, Lacan added a fourth register, it is the sinthomewhich would unite the real, the imaginary and the symbolic.

So, the sinthome would help the subject to “anchor it” in such a way that it connects with reality and adapts. Thus, it functions as an enclave that, when released, leads to the onset of psychosis.

Another essential associated concept is that of the “name of the father”, which acts as a fundamental law, being an essential signifier that allows the three registers to be kept together. So, Lacan reveals the paternal function as an anchor to the symbolic activity of the individual, that which the law imposes.

Also, we can associate the knot with the object a, since it is the other part of the desire that would make us feel as if something was absent in our lives. In this way, it is linked to loss. So, the subject, in addition to being structured by the three registers, is governed by drives.

The drives are crossed by language and drive the individual to go after their object of desire. If we satisfy the desire, we reach enjoyment; If this satisfaction does not occur, anxiety appears; Finally, when we oppose reality, the ghost appears.

In sum, The Borromean knot represents the links that constitute our psychic structure. The symbolic tells us that the world is structured according to laws that regulate interactions and is deeply linked to language; The imaginary has to do with the mirror image of the body, which allows us to identify ourselves; and the real is that which is related to existence, to that which is meaningless and difficult for us to put into words.

So, Depending on how our knot is tied or not, it will be our psychic structure. Furthermore, the sinthome It would appear as a fourth record that would prevent behaviors related to psychosis from appearing. Definitely, a fascinating analogy to understand how our mind works.

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