The dance of presence and absence

The process of humanization develops in a delicate balance between encounter and separation, like a dance where each step back is as significant as each approach. Human contact nourishes and sustains us, but it is temporary absence that allows us to internalize the other, transforming them into a psychic presence that transcends the physical. This alternation between presence and absence is the fundamental rhythm that allows bonds to mature and deepen.

Absence, when framed between moments of encounter, becomes a fertile space where the representation of the other can take root in our internal world. It is in these intervals that we learn to carry the loved one within us, where their image is inscribed in our mind with a permanence that surpasses the fleeting nature of physical contact. This process of internalization transforms the relationship, elevating it beyond dependence on immediate presence.

This dynamic teaches us a fundamental truth: distance is not equivalent to abandonment. While abandonment implies a rupture of the bond, distance sustained by moments of reunion strengthens our capacity to love and relate. It is precisely this alternation that allows us to develop a more mature form of love, where the security of the bond doesn't depend on constant presence, but on the ability to keep the connection alive even in separation.

The fear of digital void

In the era of perpetual connectivity, we have developed a collective phobia of silence. Pauses, those vital spaces where thought traditionally germinated and reflection flourished, are now perceived as threatening voids that must be immediately filled with digital noise. Every moment of potential solitude is quickly occupied by the infinite scroll of screens, the constant buzz of notifications, the compulsion to stay connected.

This permanent saturation of stimuli has eroded our ability to experience absence as something meaningful. Distance, that essential element that allows desire to be born and nostalgia to be cultivated, has been abolished by the illusion of constant presence offered by social networks. There is no longer time for longing to develop, for physical separation to transform into that sweet pain of missing someone that enriches our bonds.

In our rush to eliminate all empty space, we have lost something fundamental: the ability to process our experiences, to metabolize our emotions. Without pauses, without silences, without absences, our relationships become superficial, lacking the depth that can only emerge when we allow space to exist between us. The paradox is that, in our attempt to stay always connected, we become increasingly incapable of truly connecting.

The mirage of consumption

Contemporary clinical practice presents us with an increasingly frequent and disturbing phenomenon: the subject who has replaced their creative capacity with a compulsive consumerist drive. Instead of generating, building, or imagining, the response to every inner concern translates into an act of purchase. Creativity, that vital force that defines us as human beings, is gradually supplanted by the illusion that fulfillment can be acquired in a commercial transaction.

We find ourselves facing an unprecedented historical paradox: never before had human beings accumulated so many material possessions while simultaneously experiencing such profound existential emptiness. Houses overflow with objects, closets are full, online shopping notifications never cease, but each new acquisition seems to deepen the abyss of dissatisfaction. The excess of possessions contrasts dramatically with the scarcity of purpose and meaning.

This material accumulation, far from filling the void, makes it more evident. People find themselves surrounded by objects that promised happiness but end up becoming silent witnesses to their vital disorientation. The absence of a meaningful personal project cannot be compensated by the next purchase, no matter how exclusive or expensive it may be. The challenge of current clinical practice lies in helping to rediscover the creative capacity buried under mountains of possessions, and recovering the sense of purpose that no object can provide.