De enigmatische boodschappen van Laplanche

Laplanche’s enigmatic messages Sigmund Freud sought explanations for the origin of psychic life and its discontents in the traumatic event and later the fantasy. Jean Laplanche emphasizes the importance of the enigmatic message. The unconscious thoughts, feelings and actions of the parent are transferred to the child by means of this enigmatic message. According to Laplanche, this is where the drives and sexuality arise. The ego is being formed in the attempts to translate the message. The message can be traumatic to a greater or lesser extent. This article highlights the development of Laplanche’s thoughts on trauma, psychosis and intergenerational transferences, the consequences of these thoughts for (psychoanalytic) practice, as well the question why his theory is still relevant in contemporary psychoanalytic psychotherapy.