Captation
Captation is a French term developed by psychoanalysts Eduard Picon and Odile Codet.
The term was adopted by Lacan in 1948 and occurs regularly in his work from this point on.
Specular Image
Lacan uses the term captation to the (imaginary) effects of the specular image on the subject.[1]
The double sense of the term - "captivation" and "capture" - indicates the ambiguous nature of the power of the specular image.
Captivation
The term conveys the idea of "captivation."
In this sense, captation refers to the power of the specular image to "captivate" - to fascinate and/or to seduce - the subject.
Capture
The term also conveys the idea of "capture."
In this sense, captation refers to the power of the specular image to "capture" - to "imprison" and/or to "hold" - the subject (in a (disabling) fixation).
See Also
References
- ↑ Lacan, Jacques. Écrits: A Selection. Trans. Alan Sheridan. London: Tavistock Publications, 1977. p.18