El lugar del fantasma

Abstract

In the field of subjectivity there are several areas that have been left aside in the positivist view. One of these areas, is that of popular belief, myths and legends. Among them we can find phantoms, which according to Freud belong to the field of the fantasy supported on the original fantasies. On the other hand, Lacan conceptualizes the phantom through the relationship of one individual with another. He believes the phantom is related to what is not understood of the other’s desire. Of the dimension collective imagination, we have chosen a phantom’s legend: “La llorona” (The crying woman). We reflect on the historical encounter between indigenists and Spaniards, and about the possibility of retaking the psychoanalytical concepts in order to understand and locate this phenomenon. This article ends with a reflection on the subjective management that the powerful groups make of the psycho-cultural phenomenon to control the social process.