mirror phase

[ Category - Philosophy ][ psychoanalytic film theory ]

The mirror stage is described as the time at which children gain the ability to percieve themselves in a mirror.

Basically this means that they recognize that somewhere outside themselves is they themselves.

In a way they lose their headlessness. In fact, I'd go on to say headlessness a lot about regaining what is lost in the mirror stage.

So what is lost in the mirror stage?

Lacan says that once we identify with our own image, we have now become self-alientated. (Basically, we lose oneness).

This is the birth of the ego. Lacan calls this the Ideal-I.

Can we eventually kill the I?