The castration complex is one of the central concepts of psychoanalysis and is closely related to the Oedipus complex, the first to talk about this psychic reality is precisely the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, other psychoanalysts have developed very interesting studies on this subject, such as Jacques Lacan, but in this article we will talk about the castration complex from freud’s classical theory.
Obviously, the castration complex does not refer to a kind of anatomical mutilation, it is a very intense psychic experience that, in general, is lived for the first time between 3 and 5 years, however, this unconscious experience is repeated at different times in life, especially when defense mechanisms are in play.
- “Our complexes are the source of our weakness; but are they often also the source of our strength?Sigmund Freud?.
The castration complex occurs in children, although each sex lives it differently, through this psychic experience the child learns to differentiate sexes and recognize impossible desires for the first time.
In 1908, Freud spoke for the first time about the castration complex in children. The castration complex was discovered/perceived by Sigmund Freud from the analysis of a phobia case of a five-year-old boy, “little Hans”. Freud says this psychic process happens in four moments or time, until it is resolved.
The four moments described by Freud are
Once the child has gone through these four stages, there is a final phase, the resolution phase of both the castration complex and the Oedipus complex, which occurs when the child no longer wants to take the father’s place over the mother. , he renounces his mother and accepts his father’s law. He does this to resolve his castration anguish. He assumes, always unconsciously, that if he persists, he will run out of his penis.
The castration complex in the girl has several similarities to that of the boy, the first is that the girl also assumes that everyone has a penis, in the same way the mother plays a very important role in her life, she is the center of life. his love However, the process follows a different path.
Let’s look at the differences between boys and girls in each of the moments:
The resolution of the castration complex in girls can take three different paths: the first is the acceptance that it has no penis and departs from sexuality; the second is to maintain the desire to have a penis; this is the denial of castration and can lead to homosexuality.
The third way is a complete solution of the castration complex. The girl accepts that she has no penis. The mother ceases to be the center of her affection and reorients the father, in the same way there is a change in libido: the desire to have a penis becomes the desire to enjoy it during sex. the desire to enjoy a penis becomes the desire to have a child.