Territories of the Mind

The convergence between psychoanalysis and the practices of Umbanda offers a rich tapestry of meanings and possibilities for exploring the unconscious. "Territories of the Mind: Psychoanalysis in the Umbanda Universe" seeks to investigate these points of intersection, revealing how Umbanda practices can enrich psychoanalytic understanding and, reciprocally, how psychoanalysis can offer valuable insights into experiences in the terreiros.

Umbanda, with its plurality of African, indigenous and European influences, is a unique Brazilian religion that stands out for its flexibility and syncretism. In the terreiros, spiritual manifestations are approached through rituals, chants, dances and the incorporation of entities. These practices are essentially a dive into the collective unconscious, where the archetypes and symbols that Carl Jung studied so much can be found. Umbanda allows direct access to the depths of the human mind, where conflicts, traumas and desires are externalized and often resolved through spiritual mediation.

On the other hand, psychoanalysis, founded by Sigmund Freud and expanded by several subsequent theorists, such as Jung, Lacan, and Winnicott, offers a systematic methodology for understanding the unconscious. Through the analysis of dreams, failed acts and transference, psychoanalysis seeks to bring to light the repressed elements of the psyche. The relationship between the conscious and the unconscious, the importance of the first years of life, and the complexity

of human relationships are some of the pillars that support this therapeutic practice.

Let's embark together on this journey through the "Territories of the Mind", exploring the deepest recesses of the human psyche through the fascinating universe of Umbanda and the analytical lens of psychoanalysis.