Chapter IV · 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.