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regression (rÈgression) Freud introduced the concept of regression in longing for a protective father (Freud, 1927c: SE XXI, 22-4), and described
The Interpretation of Dreams in order to explain the visual nature of dreams. religion as 'a universal obsessional neurosis' (Freud, 1907b: SE IX, 126-7).
Basing himself on a topographical model in which the psyche is conceived of Lacan too considers himself an atheist, having renounced the Catholic
as a series of distinct systems, Freud argued that during sleep progressive religion of his parents (Lacan's brother, however, spent most of his life as a
access to motor activity is blocked, thus forcing thoughts to travel regressively Benedictine monk). Like Freud he opposes religion to science, and aligns
through these systems towards the system of perception (Freud, 1900a: SE V, psychoanalysis with the latter (S11, 265). Distinguishing religion from
538-55). He later added a passage to this section distinguishing between this magic, science and psychoanalysis on the basis of their different relations to
topographical kind of regression and what he called temporal regression truth as cause, Lacan presents religion as a denial of the truth as cause of the
(when the subject reverts to previous phases of development) and formal subject (Ec, 872), and argues that the function of sacrificial rites is to seduce
regression (the use of modes of expression which are less complex than God, to arouse his desire (Sl l, 113). He states that the true formula of atheism
others) (Freud, 1900a: SE V, 548 [passage added in 1914]). is not God is dead but God is unconscious (Sll, 59) and echoes Freud's
Lacan argues that the concept of regression has been one of the most remarks about similarities between religious practices and obsessional neuro-
misunderstood concepts in psychoanalytic theory. In particular, he criticises sis (S7, 130).
the 'magical' view of regression, according to which regression is seen as a Beyond these remarks on the concept of religion, Lacan's discourse abounds
[[Real]] phenomenon, in which adults 'actually regress, return to the state of a in metaphors drawn from Christian theology. The most obvious example is
small child, and start wailing'. In this sense of the term, 'regression does not surely the phrase the NAME-OF-THE-FATHER, which Lacan adopts to denote a
exist' (S2, 103). In place of this misconception, Lacan argues that regression fundamental signifier whose foreclosure leads to [[Psychosis]]. However, this is
must be understood first and foremost in a topographical sense, which is the far from the only example. Thus the changes wrought by the [[Symbolic]] are
described in creationist rather than evolutionary terms, although paradoxically
Lacan argues that this creationism is actually the only perspective that 'allows
one to glimpse the possibility of the radical elimination of God' (S7, 213). In
the seminar of 1972-3 he uses the term 'God' as a metaphor for the [[big Other]],
and compares feminine jouissance to the ecstasy experienced by Christian
mystics such as St Teresa of Avila (S20, 70-1).
== def ==
The psychic reversion to childhood desires. When normally functioning desire meets with powerful external obstacles, which prevent satisfaction of those desires, the subject sometimes regresses to an earlier phase in normal psychosexual development."Regression," as a term, is closely connected to the term, fixation; the stronger one's fixations on earlier sexual objects (eg. the mouth, the anus), the more likely that, when a subject is confronted with obstacles to heterosexual satisfaction, that subject will respond by way of regression to an earlier phase. Example: a normally functioning woman is dumped by her boyfriend and starts over-eating (thus regressing to the oral phase). Regression can result either in neurosis (if accompanied by repression) or in perversion: "A regression of the libido without repression would never produce a neurosis but would lead to a perversion" (Introductory Lectures 16.344). In our example, the neurotic begins over-eating; the pervert gives up men and becomes a lesbian (a sexual identity that Freud saw as perversion, though many have since critiqued him on this point).
