The marks of the encounter in the constitution of the self

the traumatic in Piera Aulagnier

Abstract

The article explores the marks in the psychic constitution from the perspective of the traumatic, based on the work of Piera Aulagnier. We discuss the initial “state of encounter” between the infant and the mother within the originary process, followed by the subsequent introduction of the father, both sustained by culture. We approach the notion of primary violence, in articulation with the maternal function as spokesperson, in order to name the need of the infans in the first instance and, subsequently, the desire. In contrast, secondary violence is understood as an intrusion that compromises and disrupts the constitution of the Self. We also address the importance of the maternal para-excitation function and the consequences of its failure, as this failure can generate early disorganization. The phenomenon of interpenetration is likewise examined, considering how parental psychic conflicts traverse the child’s experience and come to constitute an unidentified and unnamable core. Finally, it is argued that the traumatic does not depend on the event itself or on what is objectively given in the situation, but solely on what is reactivated in the subject.