Excerpts from the Professional Press on the work of
DR. WM. STEKEL
We have lacked thus far a systematic clinical application of Freudian
analysis. Stekel’s work fills this need.
_Jung_, in MEDIS. KLINIK.
... A standard work; a milestone in the psychiatric and
psychotherapeutic literature.
Geh. Sanitätsrat _Dr. Gerstor_, in DIE NEUE GENERATION.
It would be regrettable if the work did not attract fully the attention
of the scientific world; its deep sobriety and the fulness of its
details render it a treasury of information, primarily for the
physician, but, in large measure, of interest also to the educationist,
the minister, the teacher and, not least, to the student of
criminology....
_Horch_, in ARCHIV F. KRIMINALOGIE.
These case histories will be read with great interest by everyone,
including those who are inclined to maintain a sceptical attitude
towards psychoanalysis.
_Eulenburg_, in MEDIZINISCHE KLINIK.
Stekel’s work teaches practitioners a great many things they did not
know before, particularly about the significance of psychology and
sexual science in the practice of medicine.
_Hitschmann_, in INTERNAT. ZEITSCHRIFT F. PSYCHOANALYSE.
It is Stekel’s extraordinary merit that he compels us to take into
account a pressing mass of data which he brings to light with a
scientific zeal which is unfortunately still rare,—facts and
observations so penetrating, so true to life that these often render
unnecessary any formal statement of the obvious deductions which flow
from them.
DIE NEUE GENERATION.
The most modern problems are considered, new viewpoints are brought out,
while the excesses in the technique and interpretation of the earlier
stages of psychoanalysis are avoided.
_Kermauner_, in WIENER KLINISCHE WOCHENSCHRIFT.
All in all, Stekel’s is a work for which I bespeak the widest interest
not only among physicians, but also among jurists, educationists,
sociologists and ministers. Only an understanding of the mental life of
the individual will yield a proper view of our social life.
_Liepmann_, in ZEITSCHRIFT F. SEXUALWISSENSCH.
The work is a treasury for all who have occasion to probe the depths of
human life and should be a source of considerable information and
stimulus to every jurist who takes in earnest his professional duties.
Geh. Justizrat _Dr. Horch_, in ARCHIV F. KRIMINALOGIE.
It does not matter from what angle the work of Stekel is approached. Any
consideration of it reveals rich material. Stekel is a writer who
handles his subjects in a lavish manner; lavish, but with that restraint
which bends all to the urgency of his themes. He evidently approaches
his clinical work with the same exuberant interest. There he reaps
through psychoanalysis a rich harvest of results. He has collected these
results and presented them for the dissemination of such knowledge of
the sexual disturbances as he thus obtained. Facts are there in great
number. They cannot be gainsaid. Stekel’s own evaluation of such facts
and his earnest plea for their consideration, both by the medical
profession and by the society of men and women where these facts exist,
can speak only for themselves to the truly conscientious reader. There
is not much in these books that the psychotherapeutist can afford to
pass over.
NEW YORK MEDICAL JOURNAL.
THE HOMOSEXUAL NEUROSIS
BY
DR. WILLIAM STEKEL
(VIENNA)
_Authorized translation by_
JAMES S. VAN TESLAAR, M.D.
(For sale only to Members of the Medical Profession.)
BOSTON
RICHARD G. BADGER
THE GORHAM PRESS
COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY RICHARD G. BADGER
All Rights Reserved
Made in the United States of America
The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A.
TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE
The present volume completes my English version of the _Homosexualität_
portion of the author’s _Onanie und Homosexualität_. The first portion
has been issued a few months ago, under the title _Bisexual Love_, and
it is very gratifying that the publication of the present volume was
made possible so soon after the appearance of the first. The translation
of the part dealing with _Autoerotism_ is also completed, and will
appear shortly. One of the most important works of clinical
psychopathology will thus be available, for the English reading
professional ranks, in unabridged form.
These three volumes, though available separately, in some respects form
an instructive continuity. At any rate those interested in any of the
fundamental problems discussed therein will find most helpful an
acquaintance with all three volumes.
Furthermore the student or physician interested in mental problems will
find the implications of the principles set forth herein of the utmost
practical significance, aside from their specific bearing on the
problems of Homosexuality and Autoerotism. These clinical studies stand
forth, in the first place, as lessons in analysis and therapy; but
incidentally they reveal certain fundamental aspects of human nature
more clearly than such a revelation was possible without the aid of the
psychoanalytic method of research. The knowledge thus gained for
therapeutic purposes is also applicable to many other practical problems
of life. One approaching the study of a work like the present, with the
intention of improving one’s therapeutic efficiency and of thus
increasing one’s professional usefulness, is quite likely to discover
before long that his whole outlook, as a professional man, and, above
all, as a social being, has undergone a wholesome transformation.
Indeed, all fundamental knowledge has this quality of spreading,
fan-like, clearing up with its helpful implications more than appears
obvious at the beginning. It is not surprising, therefore, that
Psychoanalysis, at the present stage primarily a therapeutic method, but
reaching into the inner recesses of the human soul more penetratingly
than any other method of inquiry, should also prove the most helpful
method of interpreting all other problems generated by the functions of
the human instincts and emotions.
VAN TESLAAR.
September 30, 1922
Brookline, Mass.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I The Relations of the Homosexual to the Other Sex—Fear,
Disgust, Hate, and Anger—Homosexuality and
Epilepsy—Sadger’s Researches—Hirschfeld’s Theses—Fear of
the Sexual Partner—Disgust for Woman—Sadistic
Attitude—Epilepsy and Homosexuality—Other Reactions
Indicating Revulsion—My First Early Experiences—Sadger’s
Investigations 11
II Rôle of the Father and of Other Members of the
Family—Dislike of Children—Letter of a Homosexual Who
Fears the “Penetrating Eye” of Women—A Marriage with the
Father—Jealousy of the Father—A Homosexual Who Hates His
Mother—A Beloved Boy as the Imago of the
Sister—Psychology of Love within the Family Circle—Fear
of the Child—A Girl Who Hates All
Children—Differentiation from the Mother 53
III Homosexuality and Jealousy—Masked Jealousy—A Jealous Wife
of a Physician—Why Women Abuse Servant
Girls—Transference of Jealousy to the
Surroundings—Jealousy of the Father—Jealousy of the
Residence—Jealousy of the Past—A Young Woman
Oversensitive to Any Noises 109
IV Jealousy and Paranoia—Jealousy as Projection of One’s Own
Inadequacy—Freud’s Researches on Paranoia—The
Investigations of Juliusburger—The Jealousy of a
Paranoiac—Jealousy Delusion of a Merchant—Jealousy and
Alcoholism—The Evolution of Mankind from Bisexuality to
Monosexuality—Metamorphosis Sexualis Paranoica—The
Monotheism of Sexuality—Jealousy and Criminality 155
V Homosexuality and Sadism—The Analysis of a
Homosexual—Earliest Memories—First Account of His
Attitude—Fear of Tuberculosis—His Attitude towards His
Parents—First Dream—Dreams of Urinals—Anal
Eroticism—Coprophagia—The Mother as a
Tyrant—Transvestitism—An Important Dream—Voyeur and
Exhibitionist—Other Dreams—Poems to the Mother—Maternal
Body Dreams—Sadistic Phantasies—A Spermatozoan Dream—The
Dream About Wild Bears—Summarization of the Analytic
Data in the Case—The Formula of Homosexuality 199
VI History and Analysis of a Homosexual—Childhood
Reminiscences—Anal Erotism—Attachment to the
Mother—Interpretation of Dream Symbolisms—Lore of the
Father—Regression Theory of Homosexuality 227
VII The Neurotic’s Inability to Love—The Narcissism of the
Homosexual—Progressive Sexual Differentiation with the
Growth of Culture—The Position of the Homosexual in the
Struggle between Sexes—The Social Causes of
Homosexuality—Homosexuality among Greeks—Increase of
Polar Sexual Tension—Various Therapeutic
Measures—Hypnosis—Moll’s Association
therapy—Psychoanalysis—The Path towards Cure and the
Conditions for Recovery 289
I
THE RELATIONS OF THE HOMOSEXUAL TO THE OTHER SEX—FEAR, DISGUST,
HATE, AND ANGER—HOMOSEXUALITY AND EPILEPSY—SADGER’S
RESEARCHES—HIRSCHFELD’S THESES—FEAR OF THE SEXUAL
PARTNER—DISGUST FOR WOMAN—SADISTIC ATTITUDE—EPILEPSY AND
HOMOSEXUALITY—OTHER REACTIONS INDICATING REVULSION—MY FIRST
EARLY EXPERIENCES—SADGER’S INVESTIGATIONS.
_Jedermann trägt ein Bild des Weibes von der Mutter her in sich: davon
wird er bestimmt, die Weiber überhaupt zu verehren oder sie
geringzuschätzen oder gegen sie in allgemeinen gleichgültig zu sein._
—_Nietzsche._
THE
HOMOSEXUAL NEUROSIS
I
_Everyone carries within himself a pattern of womanhood derived from his
mother: that determines whether he should respect or depreciate woman;
or whether his attitude towards woman in general should be one of
indifference._
—_Nietzsche._
Our investigations thus far have repeatedly shown us that in the case of
homosexuals the heterosexual path is merely blocked, but that it would
be incorrect to hold that the pathway is altogether absent. I have
proven that the individual, as representative of our modern culture,
finds it impossible to maintain his bisexuality; therefore he represses
either his homosexuality or his heterosexuality. We also convinced
ourselves that organic bisexuality has nothing to do with psychic
bisexuality. _Hirschfeld_ expressly emphasizes that he has met with
homosexuality among strongly virile men and among persons typically
female. The organic theory of homosexuality has broken down completely.
One would suppose that the investigators would necessarily turn to the
psychologic concept. No. The psychic forces are still underestimated and
the heterosexual period of homosexuals is still overlooked. Although
_Hirschfeld_ emphasizes that to psychoanalysis belongs the merit of
having pointed out first the heterosexual component, why does he not
draw the natural deductions from this acknowledged fact? He arrives at
the following conclusions:
1. Genuine homosexuality is always an inborn condition.
2. This inborn state is conditioned by a specific homosexual
constitution of the brain.
3. That specific brain structure is brought about through a peculiar
mixed condition of male and female hereditary plasm.
4. That ambisexual state is found frequently associated with pronounced
instability of the nervous system.
5. Between the specific and the nervous constitution there exists an
intimate relationship.
6. All external causes are operative only in the presence of the inner
homosexual constitution.
7. External causes—provocative—are so common that in 99 per cent. of
cases the innate homosexual disposition breaks forth sooner or later and
becomes clearly manifest in consciousness.
8. Homosexuality is neither a morbidity nor a degeneration; it is
neither a taint nor a criminal trait, representing merely an aspect of
natural development, a sexual variant, like many analogous sexual
modifications in the animal and vegetal world. (_Hirschfeld,
Homosexualität_, p. 394.)
Our data do not uphold these contentions. How can _Hirschfeld_ speak of
an innate homosexual constitution when elsewhere in his work he admits
the constant presence of heterosexual instincts? How can he maintain
that homosexuality is a trait reaching back to the very roots of
individuality when every careful investigation proves the contrary?
The following statements show his contradictions on the subject:
“Here too it has been contended that all these deviations from the
sexual type during childhood and puberty do not conclusively lead to the
diagnosis of homosexuality, that the earlier periods of life are
undifferentiated with respect to sex, that boys as well as girls, young
men as well as young women, often become eventually fully heterosexual
in spite of pronounced androgyny and sexual incongruities; even the
transvestites of both sexes show early traits inharmonious with their
respective sex, and certainly many passivists, succubists, or masochists
show themselves already as boys somewhat lacking in ‘mannish’ traits
while female activists, incubists and sadists lack certain womanly
traits already in their girlhood, though all retain the capacity to love
the opposite sex and therefore prove themselves later heterosexual....
“At any rate one thing is certain. If a child is a urning, it grows up a
heterosexual person with the same unconditional certainty with which the
‘normal’ child becomes heterosexual. Thus the special character of the
urning looms forth as something fundamental having its roots in the
depths of personality.” (_Hirschfeld, Homosexualität_, p. 121.)
Naturally, _Hirschfeld_ adopts a safe method of excluding all cases
which do present a history of heterosexuality. He calls such cases
“pseudohomosexuality” thus placing them in a category apart from the
genuine urning. _Bloch_ also calls the heterosexual inclination of
typical homosexuals a sort of “pseudoheterosexuality.”[1] This method of
dealing with the subject admits of no proofs. _Bloch_ suggests the test
that a genuine theory of homosexuality must be capable of embracing all
cases. The _Hirschfeld_ theory of “the third sex” cannot do so. It is
neither founded nor proven either on organic or on psychologic grounds.
But why is it that the homosexual shifts so completely away from the
sexual partner? _A. Adler_ has conceived in these cases the hypothesis
of a “_fear of the sexual partner_.” This observation certainly holds
true in the case of many homosexuals, but is not true of all cases.
Nature does not operate in such simple ways and a single key does not
unlock the riddle of homosexuality.
In accordance with the results of our investigation thus far we may
conclude: the homosexual finds closed for him the path which leads to
the other sex, and the barrier is psychical. Anxiety, disgust and scorn
support the forces of homosexual love. These feelings do not exhaust the
range of inhibitory factors and we shall presently turn our attention to
others. But we must take up the psychogenesis of these inhibitions in a
thorough and systematic manner.
May fear of the sexual partner drive a person into homosexuality? We
must answer this question in the affirmative inasmuch as we are able to
trace that fear in a number of cases.
First, let us take up the case of _Krafft-Ebing_ (Obs. 159) since it is
so simple and obvious:
54. Mrs. X., 26 years of age, married 7 years, confesses herself
attracted for some time to persons of her own sex; she respects and even
feels a certain sympathy for her husband but marital relations with him
she finds repulsive. She has made him abstain from sexual relations with
her since the birth of their youngest child. Already at the boarding
school she felt a keen interest in other young women, which she can only
describe as love attraction. _But occasionally she had also felt herself
attracted to particular men and lately a certain man had put her
resistance to test. She was often afraid she might forget herself with
him and therefore avoided being alone with the man._ But these are
merely passing episodes in contrast with her passionate inclination
towards persons of her own sex. Her true love is expressed in kisses,
caresses and intimate contact with the latter. Failure to gratify that
yearning is painfully uncomfortable and is largely responsible for her
present nervous state. The subject does not assume a particular sexual
rôle in relation to persons of her own sex, and she did no more than
indulge with them in kisses, petting and embracing. The subject
considers herself of a passionate nature. Quite likely that she
masturbates. Her sexual perversion she looks upon as “unnaturally
morbid.” Nothing in the woman’s ordinary conduct or external appearance
betrays such an anomaly. About her childhood she is unable to report
anything of significance. She was quick to learn, had poetic and
æsthetic inclinations, was considered somewhat nervous, loved reading of
novels and sentimental romances, was of a neuropathic constitution, and
extremely sensitive to changes in temperature. It is noteworthy also
that at ten years of age, because she thought that her mother did not
love her, the patient dissolved matches in coffee and _drank the
solution so as to make herself very ill and to draw her mother’s
affection to her_.
Here we see an inclination to heterosexual relations which is not
cultivated on account of fear. This young woman, with a tremendous
homosexual leaning as shown already by her attachment to her mother,
marries a man, in whose embrace she remains frigid, but fears to be
alone with a man who rouses her, because he may prove dangerous to her.
We see that her pronounced bisexuality leads her to fall in love with a
man, to be his sweetheart, in her fancy, but she hesitates to turn her
fancy into a reality, the “fear of sinning” preventing her from carrying
out the step. Then she looks upon the heterosexual inclinations as
passing whims and turns to her homosexual fancies. She is running away
from the male. She fears the man she loves because a strong love implies
submission to the male. She gravitates away from him, not because the
male is unable to yield her gratification but because she fears him. But
we must understand how this flight from the male, which manifests itself
also in her dyspareunia, originated. How little such life histories bear
on this point, without psychoanalysis! In my study of dyspareunia[2] I
describe similar cases and show how aversion towards the male originates
in the first place.
Through _Freud_ we have learned that fear, like disgust, is a repressed
form of _libido_. Though this view is correct, it is not always
adequate. My own researches have shown that every fear represents in the
first place fear of self.
But why should the homosexual entertain any fear of himself during
intercourse with woman? What he fears is his excessive sexuality when it
is commingled with criminal tendencies.
The frequency with which fear of one’s own criminal aggressiveness
stands back of impotence and homosexuality can hardly be overestimated.
_Krafft-Ebing_ describes a typical bisexual who had experienced orgasm
but once in contact with woman. But that happened during the commission
of a delict (_Obs._ 142, p. 273) on his part.
“It is remarkable that he did experience gratification that one time
during the (forced) act. After the act he was overcome with nausea. One
hour after the assault he again had coitus with the same woman and with
her consent but that time he no longer experienced any satisfaction.”
That proves that the orgasm depended on his abuse of force. The fear is
fear of violence, the disgust is disgust of self, both coming into play
so as to protect one against deeds incompatible with one’s ethical
standards.
I know a large number of homosexuals who have actually confessed to me
that they are able to have intercourse with women only while they are in
a strong rage. But then they are in fear of themselves, so dangerous do
they become. One subject confessed to me that he had nearly strangled
his sexual partner. Other homosexuals feel an inexpressible rage just
after coitus. In such cases the heterosexual act is associatively
related to some criminal act. Some unconscious fancies depict and urge
cutting up, strangling or beating the female companion. These men are
extreme woman-haters and hatred is always deadly.
I reproduce here a single relevant observation:
55. Mr. H. K. is a well-known homosexual who prefers particularly males
of low standing. The more powerfully built the men are the greater is
his orgasm. He prefers to choose packers, furniture movers, expressmen
and generally individuals of strong build. His greatest orgasm he
experienced during intimacy with a member of an athletic club, a man who
had a very small penis. He feels such a strong fear of women that he
does not trust himself in a room alone with one. He does not remember
having ever been sensuously stirred by a woman. Several times he tried
intercourse with prostitutes but fled each time as soon as he found
himself alone in the room with the woman. A cold sweat breaks out over
his brow and he runs off precipitately as if pursued by a thousand
demons. A short analysis over a few days revealed that this was a
typical case of a criminal fancy, the subject having indulged for a long
time in the onanistic fancy of strangling a woman. (“All women ought to
be exterminated” ... is a favorite sentiment often expressed by this
man.) In his phantasies he has also committed assaults on men, and the
thought of ripping open the anus of a man has occurred to him already
several times.
His fear of women is the fear he may forget himself and strangle one of
them. But he is also afraid of men, that is, he also fears he may commit
some assault on a man. Therefore he protects himself through choosing
men of powerful physique. They should be stronger than he. Thus he feels
assured that he will not be able to assault them. Lately he has been
seeking a mannish woman who should also be stronger than he. Evidently
he proposes to protect himself also in that case ... against himself.
The homosexuality showed itself to be a flight from his criminal
heterosexual tendencies.
Other homosexuals protect themselves against woman through disgust. How
closely hatred, fear, and disgust stand in this connection may be seen
in the following observation by _Hirschfeld_:
“A certain homosexual related to me that he is able to have intercourse
with a woman but that immediately afterwards he is seized with a
terrible anger against the woman and once after the act he spat at her
in disgust; since that, in order to avoid consequences, he leaves the
room as hastily as possible immediately after the ejaculation.
“How far the aversion may go is shown by the case of the homosexual
_Herzog von Praslin-Choiseul_ who at Paris in 1864 strangled _post
coitum_ his young bride, the daughter of _General Sebastiani_. It may be
mentioned in this connection that by far the greater number of sadistic
women who prevail upon masochistic males of grossest physical and mental
type to carry out acts of violence upon them are in reality homosexual
women with a sexual aversion to men. Professor _Albert Eulenburg_ told
me that all the alleged sadists among females whom he knows have proven
themselves in reality to be homosexuals. I, too, know but three women
among twelve sadists who deny homosexuality.” (_Hirschfeld_, _loc. cit._
p. 96).
First we learn that this homosexual, through fear of himself, runs off
in the nick of time. The act of spitting may be the symbolic substitute
for a more serious act. If additional testimony were needed to support
the relevance of my conception, the case of the _Duke von
Praslin-Choiseul_ stands forth as the clearest proof one could wish.
Plainly _Hirschfeld_, as usual, confuses here cause and effect. The
_Duke did not strangle his bride because he was homosexual,—he had taken
flight in homosexuality, because he felt impelled to commit a “passion
crime” and he tried to protect himself against his own wild instincts_.
Particularly interesting from the criminologic-psychologic standpoint
are the cases of epileptics who during the attack are diverted from
their usual sexual path. The epileptic is a criminal who during the
attack carries out some criminal deed. Ordinarily the deed is carried
out in the phantasy, but here and there the epileptic commits overtly
some deed of uncommon cruelty. During his epileptic attack the patient
gives expression to his criminal trend. The attack is the equivalent of
the crime. Readers interested in this important problem I must refer to
my original study.[3] I have been much surprised that it has received so
little attention on the part of neurologists and criminologists. It is
the fate of psychoanalysts. The current fashion in science has decreed
our ban, our works are overlooked and are neglected even when they are
of fundamental significance, like my contribution on epilepsy.
Epilepsy, with the exception of the Jacksonian type, is a particular
form of hysteria. In the hysterical attack, too, the unconscious forces
break through and the individual carries out various instinctive
promptings while his consciousness is side-tracked. The epileptic attack
represents more the criminal, the hysterical corresponds more to the
sexual urge. Naturally the epileptic attack may also substitute some
sexual crime (_crime passionelle_), and that, frequently, is the theme
of the attack. It is thus obvious that homosexuals who shun crimes of
passion may fall easily a victim to attacks during which the crimes are
carried out vicariously. In our study of sadism we shall analyze in
detail such a case.[4] Here I wish to point out merely the interesting
fact that during the epileptic attack heterosexuals commit homosexual
acts and reversely.
56. Mr. W. H., 39 years of age, a strongly built young man, comes to me
to be treated for epilepsy and every time he is accompanied by an
attendant. Since his 16th year he suffers attacks and several times he
was seized while on the street. For that reason he does not go out alone
and is always accompanied by his attendant, a simple fellow to whom he
seems much attached. He is totally incapacitated from following any
occupation for it turns out that his attacks are more frequent when he
endeavors to work. On account of his attacks he has prevailed upon his
well-to-do father to keep him in the country where he has nothing to do
but to go on walks. He is soft and pliant so long as things go his way.
But if contradicted he flies into great rage. He does not burst out with
anger but tries to control himself and soon afterwards he has an attack
during which he sees red. He reproaches himself a great deal on account
of his failure to achieve something in life and because he is the cause
of so much trouble to his parents. His ethical standard is a very high
one and that is a point of great significance in the differential
diagnosis of genuine epilepsy. He bemoans his misspent life and wants to
be cured. If only there were some way to free him of the trouble!
Regarding his sexual life: he relates that he is decidedly homosexual
and that boys and handsome young men particularly attract him. The
attendant is clearly a protection against his homosexual excitations.
When he meets boys who attract him he clings to his attendant pretending
to fear an oncoming attack. While living in the country at the present
his attacks come on only at night and in bed. He does not recall the
_aura_, except that he sees red, and he remembers no dream starting or
accompanying the attack. He masturbates occasionally; always with the
fancy that he is playing with small boys. I suggest to his parents that
he ought to be psychoanalyzed. In view of the hopeless character of
other current therapy this may be his only chance of recovery. The
father agrees. But as the patient lives some distance from Vienna I
advise the father to remove him to the city for the duration of the
treatment. This he also agrees to do. Next day the mother calls and asks
me to use my influence to prevent the boy from staying in Vienna. That
would bring him back home and she is tremendously afraid of him. Her
husband does not know it, she has kept it from him. During the attacks
the son turns on her and attempts to attack her. Once she succeeded to
repel him only by the exercise of her strength. During the attack he
rolls his eyes fearfully and threatens she must die because she is
responsible for everything. I arrange that the patient should see me
only twice a week after that. But on the third appointment he failed to
appear, because I had stipulated as one of the first conditions of my
treatment that he must go to work. The very next day he reacted with
several attacks. The father found that the treatment proved “too
exciting” for the boy, and I agreed readily to give up the analysis when
the father took entirely the son’s side and disagreed with the
suggestion that the boy must take up some occupation.
This case shows the outbreak of homosexuality during the attacks and an
affective relationship to the mother such as is shown by many
homosexuals, as we shall explain more fully later.
The reverse also happens,—heterosexuals committing homosexual deeds
during the attacks. The repressed components of sexuality always break
through during the attack.
_Tarnowsky_, too, speaks of “_epileptic pederasty_.”[5] The “epileptic
pederasts” are usually of active character. As an example he mentions
the case of a criminal who came under his personal observation. A young
man, wealthy, apparently fully heterosexual, goes to the house of his
beloved after a sumptuous dinner during which he had imbibed a great
amount of wine. The lady of the house not being at home he went to a
room where a 14-year-old boy was asleep, assaulted him and also the
chamber maid who ran to the spot attracted by the boy’s outcries. After
that he fell into a sleep which lasted 12 hours. When he awoke he
recalled nothing of the episode. It was found that he was subject to
epileptic attacks particularly after wine. _Hirschfeld_ observes in this
connection:
“Usually the epileptic neurosis—which, as a matter of fact, I have
noticed but rarely among homosexuals—influences homosexuality in the
sense of removing the inhibitions and increasing the impulsive energy of
the instinctive cravings. I have had under examination a particularly
serious case of this character, a man-servant, subject to epilepsy who
during a fit of rage and anger strangled to death and then hacked to
pieces a boy. In this, as in similar cases, there was a previous history
of a fusion of homosexuality and epilepsy. At any rate it is conceivable
that during the beclouding of consciousness induced by the epileptic
seizure all psychic factors undergo such a complete transformation that
even tendencies ordinarily wholly foreign to consciousness and not even
tolerated in the foreconscious, insofar as the latter may be revealed,
find ready outlet. _Burchard_, too, has observed an epileptic of normal
sexuality who during the seizures committed homosexual assaults on other
patients.” (_Hirschfeld_, _loc. cit._, p. 214.)
What I have said about the influence of alcoholics holds true also of
epileptic attacks. The latter also neutralize the inhibitions and the
bisexual and criminal aspects of human nature come clearly to surface.
It is noteworthy that _Tarnowsky’s_ patient also indulged in alcohol
before the onset of the attack.
The following case shows that the attacks may also be simulated:
57. Mr. Z. T., a bisexual, subject to anxiety attacks, relates that he
suffered a great deal once because his mother devoted herself very
lovingly to a brother during the latter’s illness. He was 22 years of
age at the time and extremely jealous. Once he found himself alone in
the room with his mother. Without knowing what he was doing he threw
himself on her with the intent of assaulting her. The mother shouted and
the sisters and servants came rushing in. He simulated an epileptic fit,
threw himself on the floor and remained for an hour apparently in a
faint. Physicians were called in and they declared the condition
epilepsy. For two days he acted as if he heard nothing of what was said
and knew nothing of what was going on. His deed caused him endless
shame. He was not reproached on account of it and he spent two months in
a comfortable sanatorium.
How closely related are make-believe and illness with every neurotic!
This young man suffered also from fear and disgust of women but that, as
well as his whole anxiety neurosis, disappeared completely under
psychoanalytic treatment. The case stands as one of my most successful
therapeutic accomplishments.
We turn our attention now to a consideration of the disgust with which
homosexuals are inspired by the other sex. I have already repeatedly
stated that the disgust represents a repressed desire, that it stands
for the repulsion of unbearable tendencies. Heterosexuals show a similar
aversion for their own sex,—a feeling which the homosexuals have
repressed. That much the very beginner in psychoanalysis knows; the
observation belongs to the _a b c_ of practical psychology.
Nevertheless, we still find disgust and scorn of woman pointed out as
proofs of homosexuality. Disgust is not a proof of the absence of the
proper _libido_. The true homosexuals would show a complete indifference
towards the opposite sex. Occasionally they do assume such indifference
for their attitude is always affective and negativistic. _Hirschfeld_
contradicts himself repeatedly on this point.
In one place he emphasizes that the genuine homosexual is indifferent
towards woman and shows no disgust:
“On this point also I find myself in agreement with _Numa
Praetorius_,[6] who in one of his essays remarks that most persons ‘show
an inclination towards one sex but only indifference towards the other
sex.’ He is of the opinion that the disgust of heterosexuals’
feeling-attitude of disgust towards homosexual deeds, too, is an
intellectual process induced by the prevailing social attitude and
judgment rather than instinctive and innate. If the dislike were genuine
heterosexuals would hardly get along so easily and so often with
homosexuals nor would the latter carry on so readily masturbatory acts
with the opposite sex, even though the acts be limited to mechanical
excitations.” (_Hirschfeld_, _loc. cit._, p. 218.)
But another passage of the work reveals the opposite view:
“A 26-year-old workingman relates: ‘At 17 years of age an older friend
of mine induced me once to have sexual intercourse with a woman—I was
unaware at the time of my _urning disposition_—and I felt such disgust
that I vomited. Since that time I have a “holy horror” of any contact
with woman, until a few weeks ago when driven to despair I tried to
control myself. It was useless, I could attain neither erection nor
ejaculation and instead, the continuous irritation brought on an
inflammation of the member.’”
“A Bavarian merchant relates: ‘As a result of repeated intercourse with
women I have acquired a serious nervous derangement, a strong sense of
lassitude associated with vomiting and migraine lasting for days. The
odor exhaled by woman causes me greatest distress. I am now unable to
gratify a woman, but on the other hand contact with a soldier makes me
happy, it strengthens and revives me.’” (_Hirschfeld_, _loc. cit._, p.
96.)
In the passage next following he expresses himself even more plainly:
“It is very striking to note that women in executive positions,
directresses, etc., are much more severe with the male employees,
servants, etc., than with the female personnel. There are homosexual
males who avoid any service by women and chiefly for that reason dislike
restaurants employing female waitresses. Also, there are homosexual
women who avoid business relations with men for similar reasons. Without
knowing why, homosexually predisposed girls begin early to feel that
being conducted home by gentlemen is something superfluous as well as
unpleasant. Many _urnings_ and _urlinds_ actually experience a physical
distress when some member of the opposite sex so much as helps them on
with their coat. _I know several homosexual physicians of extreme
sensitiveness whose aversion to the female characters is so strong that
physical examinations of women, particularly of their sexual parts or
breasts, is highly repulsive to them and the aversion may go so far as
to make it impossible for them to undertake such an examination._”
(_Hirschfeld_, _loc. cit._, p. 98.)
Such accounts prove that the attitude of the homosexual towards the
opposite sex is not one of indifference. Where that is claimed it may be
doubted; at any rate it does not correspond with psychoanalytic
experience. Hatred, anger, disgust, physical discomfort serve as
protections against the other sex. That is true of male as well as of
the female homosexuals.
For a short space I shall now limit my observations to male homosexuals.
I shall attempt to make clear how I have arrived at my present
conception. _The homosexual’s scorn of woman, his emotional
revulsion-attitude against the other sex, is precisely what led me to
formulate my new conceptions._ I had the opportunity to analyze a
homosexual. During the very first consultation hours there was revealed
that heterosexual stage through which every homosexual must pass.
Previously it was my custom to refuse to analyze homosexuals because I
had assumed _Hirschfeld’s_ view that _uranism_ is an innate condition.
This particular patient suffered of various anxiety attacks and came to
be treated for his anxiety not for his homosexuality. His anxiety state
showed itself particularly as a fear of woman so that he could not trust
himself to be alone with one. Among his acquaintances there was also a
very sympathetic spinster. They went on walks together for hours but his
fear still dominated him and he could never trust himself with her alone
in a room. They held their conversations either in a public garden or at
a restaurant. Naturally I looked into this anxiety condition and began
to investigate this homosexual who had maintained relations with an
elderly gentleman for years, with reference to his heterosexuality. I
was surprised when he brought forth countless heterosexual reminiscences
from his childhood. During the first few days I heard the usual history
of _urnings_: the liking for girls’ games, womanly behavior, he had
always been more like a girl in everything, etc. But soon the picture
changed and the heterosexual tendency became gradually more evident. His
dependence on the attachment to the mother was striking. One-sided as my
attitude was at the time, I made certain deductions, somewhat hastily,
regarding the roots of homosexuality, and in the first edition of my
_Angstzustände_ (1908), after several similar experiences, I wrote:
“As is shown by my latest investigations these cases are frequently
neuroses. Some time homosexuality improves or may disappear under
psychoanalysis. Homosexuality represents merely the complete revulsion
of infantile incestuous thoughts. Homosexual males never experience any
erotic feeling in contact with a strange woman; they confess that they
can feel towards these women only as towards a sister or the mother.
That discloses to us the roots of homosexuality. The concept ‘woman’ is
unalterably fused with the concepts ‘mother’ and ‘sister.’ The _Abwehr_
of incestuous fancies determines the flight into homosexuality. That
transposition naturally is facilitated through corresponding somatic
changes. The homosexual, too, is a victim of infantile reminiscences.
Thus homosexuality turns out to be but a special form of the neurotic
repression.”
With youthful impetuosity I formulated the results of my investigations
somewhat hastily at the time and expressed the therapeutic results in
too optimistic a tone. In the course of time I learned to know better.
Many patients who considered themselves cured were only improved and
stuck to their _uranism_. We shall have to speak of that with full
particulars.
For the present I must consider more fully the theme “mother and
homosexuality.” The relationship between the two I had originally
conceived according to the Freudian formula. I did not see at the time
the influence of other forces, such as I have already pointed out here.
The earliest dream of my first homosexual, for instance, was about a
murder, the victim being a woman; I did not understand that dream. I did
not know that the fear of woman stood for the fear of criminal
tendencies, that the subject was a sadist who had saved himself through
homosexuality from committing some regrettable deed. These impulses
accompanied the incest phantasies which were unusually strong and of
which he was fully aware long before analysis. The latter were merely
pushed out of consciousness as unbearable. A short time later _Sadger_
published his first analysis of a homosexual and in that contribution he
formulated the thesis that like every other neurosis homosexuality
arises during the fourth year and that the task of analysis, therefore,
must be to reach back to the fourth year.[7]
_Sadger_ emphasized: “From the very first I assumed that the homosexual
tendencies may be acquired only if they are formed during the first four
years, precisely as in the case of hysteria and compulsive neurosis and
that psychoanalysis ought to uncover the fact. What stood beyond
psychoanalysis must be innate and corresponds to the sexual constitution
proper.”
That work, extremely one-sided and full of contradictions, still
attempts to reduce homosexuality to the love of the father. The mother
plays a limited rôle. It is mentioned passingly that the subject of the
analysis had never loved a being so dearly as the mother; but even
before the mother’s death an aunt had attracted to herself the boy’s
love.
But what are the conclusions drawn by _Sadger_ from the case? None
whatever! He is pleased that he has been able to bring to light such
interesting material but knows not what to do with it. Among the various
questions and answers there is a very significant passage suggesting an
important conclusion. Concerning his attachment to the mother the
subject states: “_And my love arose chiefly through compassion, because
father drank a great deal lately and paid attention to other women and
mother often wept and that made me feel badly._”
That is a fact which I have had occasion frequently to corroborate. The
children of drinkers and “woman-chasers” turn easily homosexual, in the
endeavor to be unlike the father. They then hate woman and scorn
everything that the father liked in particular. They become abstinent
and try to behave contrary to the father in every respect.
_Sadger’s_ patient actually points out this tendency. He states: “Father
clearly had no homosexual inclination as he was a great admirer of
women. From the time he began telling me about the school—he was
particularly fond of French women—he also advised me to marry only a
French woman and showed me French pictures and the photos of various
French women. It was thus instilled in me that I ought to marry a French
woman.” And what did the father accomplish thereby? Was it jealousy or
pity and love for the mother? The father accomplished the contrary of
what he set out to do. Instead of obedience he was met with spite. The
subject relates: “Later when I became aware of my homosexual
inclinations, _everything French-like was particularly hateful to me,
especially the French women, I no longer liked the French language or
anything whatever related to French_....”
The subject had a pronounced fear of marriage, having seen a sad example
of it in his own home. He dreams of getting married, a minister is about
to perform the ceremony, and he is so unhappy in the midst of it that
upon awakening his happiness knows no bounds. He fears every great
passion. “I am afraid of a really tremendous love, because such a
passion always makes me unhappy.” The analysis discloses other relations
to the father which are of greatest significance.
The feeling-attitude in question dates in fact from the earliest
childhood. As yet we are ignorant of child nature and we do not fully
appreciate that the fundamental traits of life show themselves very
definitely during early childhood. This boy must have conceived early
the thought: _I must not be like the father!_ and so he turned away from
women because the father was an admirer of that sex. Whether this choice
of attitude was also influenced directly by love for the father I am
unable to assert in that particular case. It seems to play a
contributory rôle and greatly denied love may enhance the child’s
attachment to the mother. _But does not the example of a drinking
“woman-chaser” contrasted to the picture of a quiet suffering mother
seem to be enough to induce the differentiation and to maintain it as
its underlying determining motive?_ Back of the homosexuality of the
first case of the kind analyzed by _Sadger_ stands the subject’s fear of
becoming like his father. The violent fancies disclosed in the course of
the analysis show that there are also other reasons for the subject’s
fear of woman. He is so constituted that he cannot see blood. This
peculiarity denotes the conversion of a craving for violence and
signifies a repressed sadism.
In Russia he once witnessed how a man split his wife’s head open with a
stone.... The occurrence so impressed him that he could never get it out
of his mind, and he also likes to dwell on wars and other bloody scenes.
There can be no doubt the man is a sadist and that with reference to
women in particular. He has full reason to fear woman. His fear is fear
of himself. He must turn to man, towards whom he does not feel the
instinctive sexual hatred which makes heterosexual excitations
impossible for him. When he has intercourse with a woman, he feels
subsequently a tremendous disgust and revulsion, the whole thing seems
to him unnatural. In the end he gives up all such attempts.
Obviously he is all the time seeking a kindly preeminent father for he
falls in love with an elderly philosopher, out of respect for
philosophy, as he paralogizes, because he looks to philosophy to redeem
him from his suffering. The differentiation is an attempt at gaining
freedom, a tendency to overcome the nature of the father. The love of
the philosopher is a substitution for the love of the father.
Thus we see the importance of the early life history of every subject
for the understanding of homosexuality. The constellation of childhood
permits the reading of the horoscope for the future. Perhaps this
uncontrovertible truth contains the root of all astrologic art, “the
planetary laws governing the facts of life.” The father as the sun, the
mother as the milder moon and the children, the stars. Our fate arranges
itself in accordance with the constellation of these planets. Blind
accident and innate forces cooperate to create man as he is.
But let us look further into the investigations of _Sadger_ to whom the
credit must not be denied of having applied himself earnestly to the
attempt of solving the problem of homosexuality.
His next publication appeared also in 1908.[8] Here we find clearly
taken into account the infantile heterosexual attitude which all
homosexuals usually forget but which always precedes genuine
homosexuality.