I remember learning that Lacanâs original description of jouissance establishes it as something occurring in a purely imagined and symbolic space and was like well clearly this is incorrect. Obviously jouissance is a physical sensation and therefore grounded in the body. And itâs not like I didnât understand what he was saying, it just made zero sense to me to imagine pleasure to the point of pain as occurring in a space that was purely conceptual, that the threat of it was tied solely to its impact on consciousness and not to the deeply visceral fear of pain and loss of physical control.
And Kristevaâs exploration of jouissance (specifically feminine jouissance) does address this, as she imagines a female experience of jouissance felt through physical pleasure. And itâs fascinating to me to establish that dichotomy, that the jouissance Lacan described exists in a phallic mode. Is it a product of western cultureâs desire to triumph over the body? Of the politics of civilization, of defeating viscerality through reason and self-control? Is that what pushes jouissance into a purely imagined realm, for Lacan?
Another side of it is that the concept of jouissance can admittedly feel a little âyeah, duhâ as an autistic person. Bliss to the point of painâ so much of sensation is like that. So many things that feel good also hurt. The familiarity of sensory sensitivity and overstimulation colors my understanding of jouissance inherently.
To me, the experience of jouissance is so deeply visceral it feels like a reflex, not just a physical experience but something that possesses, that occupies the body. When I think of jouissance I think of watching a horror movie and breaking out into excited, overwhelmed laughter at a moment of visual/narrative climax. The feelings of disgust/revulsion, horror, discomfort, catharsis, surprise, and pleasure all converge and cause a transcending and uncontrollable physical response. Or perhaps the overstimulation, alarm, amusement, panic, indignation of being tickled to the point of tears, or the heady, delirious feeling of laughing to the point of physical pain. I donât think I could ever see it as something occurring only within the realm of consciousness.
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