Projection Compression Theory: A Structural Account of How the Signifying Chain Is Projected into Reality This is a preprint of an original manuscript currently being prepared for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. The paper introduces Projection Compression Theory (PCT), a structural framework that complements Lacanian theory by describing the mechanistic pathways through which the signifying chain operates across three layers — the invisible layer, the projection layer, and the phenomenal layer — and accounts for the structural inevitability of multiple compression as meaning traverses these layers toward observable expression. The manuscript has not yet undergone formal peer review. The content may be revised prior to or following submission. Comments and feedback from readers are welcome. Related updates may be available at: patreon.com/NMStructuralTheoryLab
Yugo Matsumoto (2026) studied this question.