The significance of absence: A contextual-relational perspective

This paper presents a conceptual framework for understanding the experience of absence aimed at fostering theoretical development within psychological contexts. It defines absence as a temporary collapse of meaning that demands psychological responses to restore control and predictability over the resulting uncertainty. The variability of these responses and the complexity of related experiences are addressed through a contextual–relational perspective. The focus is on the experiential field of the subject, with intentional processes shaping its structure and regulating experiences of presence and meaning. The interplay between presence, meaning, and absence is explored through specific examples and analogies. Clinical implications are also discussed, highlighting how absence can ultimately foster the emergence of new meanings.