Psychoanalysis in a Semiotic Key. Implications for Psychoanalytic Theory

In this paper, we outline a processual notion of meaning and sensemaking and use this to frame a semiotic reading of some core concepts in psychoanalytic theory and practice. The processual notion is based on the Peircean semiotic theory of the sign, which differs from a classical, static view that there are fixed meanings (unconscious, implicit, or unknown) behind certain signs. We review the implications of the processual notion of meaning for psychoanalytic theory.