Abstract

The secret is immediately referable to a dynamic unconscious in the theoretical path of psychoanalysis. Recent theoretical positions that favor a kind of potential, non-repressed unconscious consider the field of the unknown, rather than that of the secret. This entails a reconsideration of the concepts of resistance and dissociation. The former becomes the sign of one person’s vitality, while the latter could be considered as a basic dispositive of the psyche. The boundaries in which the unconscious is represented are thus extended: not only elements of defensive functioning, but also of automatic functioning that allow a wider functionality of the person. The unconscious seeks functions integration before secrets unveiling. The unconscious functioning is conceptualized by this complex theoretical path: conscious elements are continuously reaching for an unconscious dimension that could make them automatic and therefore more functional in relation to the person’s needs.