by ENDRE KORITAR – Jan. 19th at 6 pm London time/ 7 pm Berlin time/ 1 pm New York time/ 8 pm Cape Town and Jerusalem time/ 10 am Vancouver time

Part of the Psychoanalysis and Politics series Crises and Transmission

This paper speculates on the relevance of Ferenczi’s ideas on the death instinct of the unwelcome child as a dynamic construct of an almost-terrorist. Exploring clinical material in a case of an unwelcome child, the author illustrates the deadening impact of unwelcomeness as a narcissistic injury leaving the child and later adult, with a sense of alienation and meaninglessness which can be filled in with fundamentalist tropes potentially leading the alienated adult down a death instinct path. The role of self preservative drive and positive regard in his object relations was key in providing the alienated adult with a sense of meaning in his life and a deviation from his death instinct path. The social and political ramifications of unwelcomeness is explored.

Endre Koritar is a Training and Supervising analyst in the Western branch of the Canadian Psychoanalytic Society. He is an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Psychoanalysis and has been guest editor of several special editions with important papers from the International Ferenczi conferences in Toronto and Florence.

This event has passed. The film based on the seminar is available for rental via Vimeo.