THE HOMO-SEXUAL NEUROSES.
Freud was the first to make clear that the so-called “perversions” and
“inversions,” which appear in certain adult types in striking forms,
belong to the normal sexual life of the young child. They are also seen
in veiled forms in many cases of nervous illness.
We have already given some consideration to the analogy between certain
forms of sexuality and the narcissism of childhood--having shown that
the former trait is a fixation (at least there is a preponderance
of psychological evidence to this effect) of the emotional erotic
development at a primitive level.
It should be emphasized, as it has been in the preceding pages, that
inversion is by no means synonymous with degeneracy. It will, of
course, be conceded that there are degenerate homosexuals, just as
there are degenerate heterosexuals.
Barring the neurotic disposition, however, inversion is found among
persons who otherwise show no marked deviation from the normal.
Not only may a homosexual be a person of normal capability, but he may
possess outstanding intellectual qualities and be distinguished by high
cultural attainments.
The eminence achieved by a number of inverts has already been referred
to; as also have been the prevalence of general homosexual practices
among the people of ancient nations at the heights of their culture.
Among the latter, as we have seen, inversion becomes an institution
endowed with important functions.
From the standpoint of anatomical development and the libido, there are
frequently found in the inverted a diminution of the sexual impulse,
and a slight stunting of the generative organs. However, this is not
preponderately the rule, so it must be recognized that inversion
and somatic hermaphroditism (bodily bisexual characters) are quite
independent of each other.
Freud has demonstrated how neurosis is definitely connected with some
phase of the sexual instinct--often the suppression of its normal
manifestations. In addition to that, he has shown that the symptoms
of neurosis only too frequently represent the converted expression of
impulses which in a broader sense may be designated as _perverse_, if
they could manifest themselves directly in phantasies and acts without
deviating from consciousness. The inference, therefore, is that the
symptoms are partially formed at the cost of abnormal sexuality. “The
neurosis is, so to say, the negative of the perversion.”
Psychoanalysis has brought to light the fact that the well-known
fancies of perverts which under favorable conditions are changed into
contrivances, the delusional fears of paranoiacs which are in a hostile
manner projected on others, and the unconscious fancies of hysterics,
agree as to content often in the minutest details.
This illustrates that the unconscious mental processes of all persons
have much that is held in common, based upon biological promptings
that are the common property of mankind. The varied ways in which they
manifest themselves are due to the different trends of disposition,
mental aptitude, environmental influences, etc.
According to the psychoanalytic hypothesis, the sexual impulse of the
psychoneurotic shows all the aberrations of morbid sexual life. This
principle may be summarized as follows (after Freud):
(a) In all the neurotics without exception there is evident feelings
of _inversion in the unconscious psychic life, fixation of libido
on persons of the same sex_. It is impossible, without a deep and
searching discussion, adequately to appreciate the significance of
this factor for the formation of the picture of the disease; but it
may be safely asserted that the unconscious propensity to inversion is
never wanting and is particularly of immense service in explaining male
hysteria.
(b) All the inclinations to anatomical transgression can be
demonstrated in psychoneurotics in the unconscious and as
symptom-creators. Of special frequency and intensity are those which
impart to the mouth and the mucous membrane of the anus the role of
genitals.
(c) The partial desires which usually appear in contrasting pairs, play
a very prominent role among the symptom-creators in psychoneuroses.
They are known as carriers of new sexual aims, such as peeping
mania, exhibitionism and the actively and passively formed impulses
of cruelty. The contribution of the last is indispensable for the
understanding of the morbid nature of the symptoms; it almost regularly
controls some portion of the social behavior of the patient. The
transformation of love into hatred, of tenderness into hostility,
which is characteristic of paranoiacs, takes place by means of the union of
cruelty with the libido.
The significance of the erogenous zones in relation to inversion is
important. Moll’s concept, which divides the sexual impulse into the
impulse of contrectation and detumescence, is useful in this field.
(Contrectation signifies a desire to touch the skin; detumescence the
subsidence of the state of physical sexual preparedness.)
“In the perversions, which claim sexual significance for the oral
cavity and the anal opening,” as Freud remarks, “the part played by the
erogenous zone is quite evident. It behaves in every way like a part
of the sexual apparatus. In hysteria, these parts of the body, as well
as the tracts of mucous membrane proceeding from them, become the seat
of new sensations and innervating changes in a manner similar to the
genitals when under the excitement of normal sexual processes.”
HOMO-SEXUAL PANIC.
Dr. Edward J. Kempf refers to the pressure of uncontrollable perverse
cravings as “_acute homosexual panic_,” which is frequently observed
whenever men or women are grouped alone for prolonged periods, as
in army camps, aboard ships, on exploring expeditions, in prisons,
asylums, and schools.
The acute panic of the personality is due to the perverse sexual
cravings which threaten to overcome the ego, and disestablish the
individual’s self-control. At the same time, the affections for winning
social esteem are pushed into an eccentric adjustment. The weakness
of the ego may be attributed to fatigue, debilitating illness, loss
of the love object, homesickness, misfortunes, imposition on the part
of a superior, or erotic companions. As the individual shows his
eccentricities and irritability, he is often teased and tormented
by his fellows. With this there comes a loss of social influence,
which develops a sense of inferiority, or strengthens the feeling of
inferiority that already exists.
The attempt to overcome the fear of inferiority spurs the subject
on to intense compensating efforts which, however, because of their
eccentric character, further increases the antagonism. Thus we have a
vicious circle in the realm of the emotions and affective nature, which
gradually becomes a persecution. The erotic individual, under these
circumstances, as the perverse sexual impulses tend to force him into
further danger, becomes panic-stricken.
The perverse craving causes delusions about, and hallucinations of,
situations, objects and people which tend to gratify the craving.
Still, Kempf says “The pressure of the perverse craving occurs despite
the social honor and social future of the individual. Horrified, he is
swept off his feet into a hell of hallucinated temptations and demons
of distractions.”
With regard to the physiological reactions of fear to painful contact
stimuli, this authority states they are quite like the fear reactions
to horrible, painful hallucinated stimuli. The mechanism of the
terrifying dream, for instance, like the hallucination, is first an
effective disturbance due to the repressed autonomic tensions becoming
released by the relaxation of self-control (as in sleep). During
sleep indigestible food will cause increased effort on the part of
the stomach and intestines. This produces consciousness of unpleasant
sensory images which may coalesce into a horrible perception, like
black dots forming a picture. This horrible image, in turn, causes the
fear reaction. “The next stage would be to compensate by awaking, by
flight or counter-attack. _When the erotic, hallucination is felt to be
an external reality, and no defense is found, panic ensues._”
The panic may be more or less serious, lasting from a few hours to
several months. The disturbances to the physical processes and the
bodily economy as a whole, attending such dissociations of personality,
may be very serious. All these ill results, under the given
circumstances, are traceable to _fear_.
The definite physiological effects of this uncontrolled
emotion--fear--are increased blood-pressure and pulse-rate, increase
of adrenin and thyroid secretions, increase of blood sugar and
decrease of the digestive and assimilative properties of the stomach
and intestines; also decrease of heterosexual potency, and pronounced
increase of trial and error movements of the skeletal apparatus--hence,
restlessness, irritability, insomnia, etc.
On the other hand, the acute dissociation of the personality, in
both sexes, may become chronic and run a protracted course, varying
from several weeks to many years. Final recovery may ensue, or (1)
the condition may become permanent without further deterioration, or
(2) the condition may pursue a course of progressive deterioration
depending upon the negative nature of the transference and adjustment
to the erotic pressure.
A frequent accompaniment is the development of a vigorous, persistent
counter-attack of hatred, which becomes directed against the social
conventions. Its animus is aimed particularly against those to whom
social obligations bind the subject (as parents, mate, offspring,
employer, etc.) because they are repressing influences. The climax of
this is a loss of social adaptation.
Kempf believes that the tendency to homosexuality in males has a dual
determination. Not only are homosexual associations attractive, but
there is an insurmountable affective (fear) resistance to heterosexual
potency which becomes aroused by the amorous approach of the female.
Through some affective mechanism, she, like the “serpent-headed Meduza,
freezes his soul. Her sexuality horrifies instead of fascinates.”
Anxiety and depression may develop quickly after a heterosexual failure
in this type of male. Such reactions may be characterized by suicidal
impulses due apparently to an irresistible regression to the mother.
The subject feels that she cannot give him up, and he, being helpless
to free himself, in order to become devoted to another woman, finds
life is not worth living.
In summarizing his conception of this disorder, Kempf considers
the acute homosexual panic a distinct stage in the psychosis. He
maintains it may be diagnosed as readily as paresis by certain cardinal
conditions: (1) _panic_ and the autonomic reactions which accompany
grave fear; (2) the defensive compensation against the compulsion to
seek or submit to assault; (3) the symbols used by the erotic affect
and the disturbances of sensation it causes.
The latter are complained of as visions, voices, electric injections,
“dopy” feelings, “poison” and “filth” in the food, seductive and
hypnotic influences, irresistible trance states, crucifixion, etc. It
is necessary to estimate the significance of the systems in a neutral
environment and the significance of the various symbols used.
As previously stated, the condition of acute homosexual panic is
chiefly manifested in men and women who are grouped for prolonged
periods away from members of the opposite sex--and is considerably
different in its symptoms from the inverted sexuality which, for
whatever reasons, develops in the man or woman living in a more normal
environment.
With regard to the prospect for overcoming the disorder, Kempf states
that the prognosis of homosexual panic in a soldier or sailor is
usually favorable for that episode, but the future of that individual
is most insecure unless he obtains insight and a fortunate sexual
adjustment.
In a series of several hundred cases which have been recognized in
a period of half a dozen years, most of the cases recovered. The
occurrence of panic, later, among men who secretly re-enlisted in some
branch of the government’s service and were returned to the hospital,
as well as the return several years later of men who had profoundly
deteriorated after having been discharged as social recoveries, shows
that the recurrence of panic results from inability to control the
tendency to become perverse, that is, biologically abnormal. “This
abortive tendency seems eventually to become dominant and incurable.”
A NEURO-(PSYCHO-)PATHIC STATE.
Krafft-Ebing, already referred to, has described the peculiar sexual
feeling of the invert as a functional sign of degeneration, and as
a partial manifestation of a neuro-(psycho-)pathic state, in most
cases (he believed) heriditary. He has catalogued the following
characteristics as signs of this disorder:
1. The sexual life of individuals thus organized manifests itself,
as a rule, abnormally early, and thereafter with abnormal power.
Not infrequently still other perverse manifestations are presented
besides the abnormal method of sexual satisfaction, which in itself is
conditioned by the peculiar sexual feeling.
2. The psychical love manifest in these men is, for the most part,
exaggerated and exalted in the same way as their sexual instinct is
manifested in consciousness, with a strange and even compelling force.
3. By the side of the functional signs of degeneration attending
antipathic sexual feeling are found other functional, and in many cases
anatomical, evidences of degeneration.
4. Neurosis (hysteria, neurasthenia, epileptoid states, etc.) co-exist.
Almost invariably the existence of temporary or lasting neurasthenia
may be proved. As a rule, this is constitutional, having its root in
congenital conditions. It is awakened and maintained by masturbation or
enforced abstinence.
(We have already considered the fallacious reasoning of ascribing
homosexuality to masturbation. W. J. F.)
5. In the majority of cases, psychical anomalies (brilliant endowment
in art, especially music, poetry, etc., by the side of bad intellectual
powers or original eccentricity) are present, which may extend to
pronounced conditions of mental degeneration (imbecility, moral
insanity). In many urnings, either temporary or permanent insanity of
a degenerative character (pathological emotional states, periodical
insanity, paranoia, etc.) makes its appearance.
6. In almost all cases where an examination of the physical and mental
peculiarities of the ancestors and blood relations has been possible,
neurosis, psychosis, degenerative signs, etc., have been found in the
families.
It is Krafft-Ebing’s view that the study of antipathic sexual feeling
points directly to anomalies of the cerebral organization of the
afflicted individuals. “The very fact that in these cases, with few
exceptions, the sexual glands are found quite normal, anatomically and
functionally, seems to favor this assumption.”
Of all the old school psychiatrists of standing, it seems
Krafft-Ebing’s ideas are the most marked by superficial generalizations
and rash guesses to account for unknown factors. In contrast to the
concept of homosexuality as purely a neuro-(psycho-)pathic state, or
“degenerative taint,” we will consider in the next chapter the attitude
of Edward Carpenter on this subject. Carpenter is distinguished by his
calm reasoning powers and far-sighted vision, and while he perhaps
shows a partiality to the urning that is beyond the casual student, his
views must be considered in any fair and impartial study of the subject.