title: Nina Coltart and the border of Bethlehem.
abstract: Nina Coltart's freedom in addressing delicate areas such as spirituality and Buddhism within a psychoanalytic framework has opened borders between different psychoanalytic communities. This paper sets out to identify a deep-rooted philosophical tension that runs through several aspects of Coltart's work starting from her 'Slouching towards Bethlehem … or, thinking the unthinkable in psychoanalysis'. In exploring this central topic in depth psychology, of the distinction between thinkable and unthinkable contents, the author argues that it is not a fundamental distinction in Coltart's work but is rather a particular example of a more fundamental structural dichotomy which pervades her approach and which manifests in several different guises. It is the breadth and sincerity of Coltart's writings which make this a useful exercise, not only for understanding the structure of her work but also in illuminating some structural tensions which permeate depth-psychological pursuits in general.
authors.affiliation: Zürich, Switzerland. Philip@kime.org.uk.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kime
mesh_terms: D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D011572:Psychoanalysis / Q000266:history; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D011613:Psychotherapy
keywords: Beast; Bestia; Bestie; Bethlehem; Bethléem; Betlemme; Bouddhisme; Buddhism; Buddhismus; Buddismo; Bête; Bифлeeм; Coltart; Grenze; Ontologie; Verdinglichung; border; confine; frontera; frontière; ontologia; ontologie; ontology; ontología; oвeщecтвлeниe; oнтoлoгия; reificación; reification; reificazione; réification; Звepь; Кoлтapт; буддизм; гpaницa; 伯利恒; 佛学; 具体化; 本体论; 边界; 野兽