Lacanian Forum
The Lacanian Forum, specifically the California Forum of the Lacanian Field, is a psychoanalytic collective founded in 2012 in the Los Angeles area, dedicated to the transmission and practice of psychoanalysis as theorized by Jacques Lacan in his return to Freud.[1] It operates as a local node within the International of the Forums of the Lacanian Field, a federation established in 1998 that emphasizes democratic governance, individual initiatives, and solidarity among its members, distinct from hierarchical Lacanian schools like those affiliated with the World Association of Psychoanalysis.[1] The forum promotes Lacanian discourse through free, accessible online activities, fostering dialogue among clinicians, artists, academics, and others on clinical, cultural, and theoretical issues from the perspective of the analysand's discourse.[1]
| Lacanian Forum | |
|---|---|
| Organization details | |
| Type | Psychoanalytic forum |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder(s) | Group of members based in the Los Angeles area |
| Key figures | Christine Wertheim |
| Orientation | Lacanian |
| Institutional context | |
| Predecessor | School of the Freudian Cause |
| Affiliation | International of the Forums of the Lacanian Field; School of Psychoanalysis of the Forums |
| Relation to IPA | Independent |
| Operations | |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Geographic scope | Local (California), with international links |
| Training function | Seminars, cartels, clinical work |
History
Precursors and Origins
The Lacanian Forum traces its institutional lineage to the broader fragmentation of Lacanian groups following Jacques Lacan's dissolution of the École Freudienne de Paris in 1980, which led to the formation of multiple schools under the Fondation du Champ Freudien established by Lacan in 1979.[2] This foundation served as a decentralized structure open to global initiatives in diverse languages and cultures, spawning entities like the School of the Freudian Cause.[2]
Founding (2012)
The California Forum was founded in 2012 by a group of members in the Los Angeles area as part of the International of the Forums of the Lacanian Field, which emerged in 1998 from a split within the School of the Freudian Cause.[1] This international network groups forums into zones, with the California Forum belonging to the English-speaking zone alongside others in the US, Australia, and England.[1] The founding reflected the online era's potential for global collaboration while maintaining a focus on local transmission in California.[1]
Growth and Activities
The forum has expanded through Zoom-based seminars and conferences, such as its Second Annual Conference on "Diagnosis in the Lacanian Clinic" co-sponsored with the New Center for Psychoanalysis, featuring lectures on Lacanian structural diagnosis (neurosis, psychosis, perversion) via the Borromean knot.[3]
Organizational Structure
The Lacanian Forum operates as a non-hierarchical collective under the democratic principles of the International of the Forums, prioritizing support for individual initiatives and solidarity over centralized authority.[1] Local governance ensures autonomy within the federation's zonal structure.
Membership and Governance
Membership draws from diverse backgrounds including clinicians, artists, and academics, shaping a heterogeneous transference toward psychoanalysis.[1] There is no rigid hierarchy; instead, the forum functions as a shared space for interrogating practices through the discourse of the analysand.[1]
Formation of Analysts
Training emphasizes continuous transmission via open, free activities accessible worldwide, including seminars on Lacanian theory and clinical practice.[1] Unlike formal Lacanian schools employing the pass or cartel, the forum prioritizes collective work in a forum space linked to the International's School of Psychoanalysis.[1][4] It supports empirical knowledge from practice and interdisciplinary ties to socio-political, philosophical, and artistic fields.[4]
Cartels and Transmission
While not explicitly detailed, the forum's alignment with Lacanian forums suggests use of devices like the cartel—a small working group of four members plus a "plus-one" for focused inquiry—as an alternative to hierarchical formation, consistent with Lacan's institutional innovations.[1]
Key Concepts and Orientation
The forum adheres strictly to Lacan's teachings, emphasizing the return to Freud, the discourse of the analysand, and extensions into the Real, Symbolic, and Imaginary.[1] This orientation informs its rejection of institutional hierarchies, favoring forums as spaces for transmission amid cultural and clinical challenges.[1]
Notable Members
- Christine Wertheim: Moderator of forum events and artist contributing to its interdisciplinary approach.[3]
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 "About - California Forum of the Lacanian Field". Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Fondation du Champ Freudien". Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Diagnosis in the Lacanian Clinic - New Center for Psychoanalysis". Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Forum of Athens - Lacanian Psychoanalysis". Retrieved 2026-01-31.