FOUNDATIONS OF PSYCHOANALYSIS

One Loop, or Two? On the Topology of the Möbius Strip

Mauro Milanaccio

Saturday, November 14, 2026
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM (ET)
In-Person and via Zoom

School of Visual Arts
133 W. 21st Street, New York, NY
Please ask at the front desk for the room number.

It is only with the cut that the structure is revealed. —J. Lacan, “L’etourdit”

For Lacan, the subject of the unconscious is structured like a Möbius strip: internal and external form a continuum. The Lacanian unconscious, “structured like a language,” is not, as Freud would have it, an inner domain; conscious and unconscious processes coexist on one and the same surface. For clinical practice, the longitudinal cut corresponding to this “one loop that is two” provides a topological model of psychoanalytic interpretation not as a single intervention, but rather a double movement around the subject that reveals its structure, interrupts compulsive repetition, and opens the possibility of new signification.

Suggested readings: Lacan: Seminar IX, Identification (1961-62); “L’étourdit”(1972), in Autres écrits.

Fee: $40; for students with ID: $20. 
For Members, AFs, and Yearly Participants of Après-Coup: No fee

Mauro Milanaccio practices psychoanalysis in Trento, Italy. Clinical director there of the Jonas Association, he was a founding member of ALI di psicoanalisi (Associazione Lacaniana Italiana). At IRPA (Research Institute of Applied Psychoanalysis) he teaches topology and construction of clinical cases. Besides extensive editing and translating of works on topology, he has written, among other books and articles, Topisteria: A journey through Lacan’s topology (Mimesis 2022) and Divani (Paginaotto 2022).

NOTE: In-person registration closes Thursday, Nov 12 at 5 pm or until full capacity is reached. Space is limited; please register early.

. . .

Continuing Education
Two-and-a-half (2.5) CE credits will be granted to Licensed Social Workers, Licensed Psychoanalysts, Licensed Psychologists, and Licensed Mental Health Counselors who have registered, have documented evidence of attendance of the presentation, and complete the evaluation form. Upon completion of the evaluation form, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed to all participants who comply with these requirements.

Course Fee with 2.5 CE Credits: $40
There is no fee for CE Credits for Members, AFs, and Yearly Participants of Après-Coup.

Social Workers: Après-Coup Psychoanalytic Association is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0597).

Licensed Psychoanalysts: Après-Coup Psychoanalytic Association is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Licensed Psychoanalysts as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychoanalysts (#P-0044).

Licensed Psychologists: Après-Coup Psychoanalytic Association is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Licensed Psychologists as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0077).

Licensed Mental Health Counselors: Apres-Coup Psychoanalytic Association is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0189).

Learning Objectives: After the presentations, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the topological structure of the Möbius strip and its relevance to Lacan’s conception of the unconscious as structured like a language.
2. Explain how the continuity between inside and outside on the Möbius strip demonstrates that conscious and unconscious processes coexist on a single continuous surface.
3. Discuss the relationship between the longitudinal cut and psychoanalytic interpretation as a double movement that reveals the subject’s structure, interrupts repetition, and opens the possibility of new signification.

. . .

For annual fee members of Après-Coup as well as for the faculty and students of the School of Visual Arts, attendance is free—use access code during the checkout process. Need access code? Email admin@apres-coup.org to request.

. . .

*Please email a photo of your Student ID to admin@apres-coup.org. Also keep in mind, to earn CE credits you must register at the regular rate.