Please be kindly advised that on Wednesday 15^th of May 2024, the Lacanian Psychoanalyst Penny Georgiou, will be responding to Charoulla Pilavaki on the theme, “ Science, Psychoanalysis and Reality”.  This exchange was inspired by recent developments in science, where experimental evidence now confirms that “The Universe Is Not Locally Real, and the Physics Nobel Prize Winners Proved It.” [source].

The topic of this seminar is: Science, Psychoanalysis and Reality

Description:

Penny Georgiou: This has far-reaching implications for the epistemologies of diverse fields of exploration and knowledge. Science and psychoanalysis are two of the disciplines whose work is primarily concerned with accounting for how we conceive of what is real and the status of reality as such. The former being engaged in attempts to find answers that apply ‘for all’ and, the latter by the ‘one by one’.

Some more local questions arising from this seism in epistemology as it relates to psychoanalysis include:

Ø  In what terms can we approach the real and the status of reality in psychoanalysis?

Ø  How does this inform the formation of the analyst and the efficacy of praxis?

Charoulla Pilavaki: If the Universe does not have a stable reality, then what is real in this planet? What is Reality? Is there just one for each Subject or endless possibilities of Reality to create? Is the Universe a vibration?

The spontaneity of the analysand’s desire needs to find an empty place. Is this empty space like the apeiron of the Universe? And how to navigate into this empty space without getting lost?

Is it an effect of the observer’s interaction with the structures that underlie what we perceive as reality? Does the signifier help the Subject to have a structure or deprives it from reaching the Universe? What is gravity and how can a human being live without the ground?

Some points of reference:

Ø  Standard Model, with Newton – Local Realism – There is an objective reality, independent of the observer.

Ø  Relativity, with Einstein – Geometry – Inertial Frame of Reference, for an observer.

Ø  Quantum – Non-Locality and the Observer.

Ø  The universe is not locally real, with Nobel 2022 Aspect, Clauser and Zeilinger

Possible reading: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology

Lacan, J: ‘Science and Truth’ in ‘Ecrits’, Bruce Fink (Trans)

Freud, S On the question of a Weltanschauung by Sigmund Freud (1932)

Date:  15th May, 2024

Time: 8:00 pm EET (Cyprus’ time)

Host: School of the Freudian Letter

Participation Fees: £10 (members only)

Language: English

Limited places available. For further info & reservations contact: Eleni Christofi info@freudianletter.com