Imaginary

n. the realm of images: one of three aspects of the psychoanalytic field defined by French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan (1901–1981). The Imaginary is that state of being in which the infant has no sense of being a subject distinct from other people or the external world and no sense of his or her place in human culture. After the infant’s entry into the Symbolic (the world of language, culture, and morality), he or she can return to the wholeness of the Imaginary only in fantasy. See also Real.

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Psychology term of the day

January 28th 2025

myoclonic seizure

a rare type of generalized seizure characterized by rapid, involuntary muscle jerks.