At the time of puberty, the generative centre or the centre of voluptas begins rapidly to grow and comes into increased activity. The internal messages become then so frequent that they charge the entire body with a considerable amount of nerve energy and cause in the generative organs a certain congestion, stimulation and irritation. This spontaneous tumescence, produced with the growth of the centre of voluptas in the brain, is then the cause of calling to life the impulse of detumescence. The individual has the strong desire to free itself of the material congestion and of the nervous tension. In animals the impulse of detumescence is, with a very few exceptions, identical with the sex-instinct. Most animals have no desire for contrectation. In man the impulse of contrectation is the more important. If the individual practises total abstinence, i. e., if he abstains even from the gratification of the impulse of contrectation, then the state of spontaneous tumescence would return through the internal messages, at certain periods, just as rut periodically appears in the animal. As a rule, however, total abstinence from the gratification of the impulse of contrectation, material or mental, is very rarely or never found in the civilized adult man or woman. Hence the state of tumescence in man is not given the chance to reach its periodicity, but is always produced by the gratification of the impulse of contrectation.
Mechanism of sex-activity.—The mechanism of sex-activity may thus be compared with the charging of a Leyden jar with electricity. The generative organs must first be charged, like the jar, with a certain material turgescence and with nervous energy, in order to evoke the impulse of detumescence. The comparison with the Leyden jar may be moved even a step farther. Just as the charge of the jar with electricity is of a longer duration, compared with the instantaneous discharge at its contact with the earth, so is the charge of the organism with nervous sex-tension usually of longer duration in comparison with the short duration of the discharge.
During the gratification of the impulse of contrectation, by imagination, look, word or actual contact, the organs are charged with nervous energy and vital fluids. This charging is connected with a certain kind of fore-pleasure and may last considerable time, from a few minutes to several hours or even days. The satisfaction of the impulse of detumescence when the vital fluids and nervous energy is discharged by coition, pollution or any other way, is of very short duration, normally lasting a few minutes only. Sexual activity, hence, consists in the charging and discharging of the vital fluids and nervous tension. The sexual act and copulation are not synonymous. The act begins with the satisfaction of the impulse of contrectation, which comprises by far the greatest part of sex activity. Copulation, on the other hand, represents only the final stage of the drama and is of short duration.
Emotions of puberty.—The state of tumescence is a necessary condition of sexual gratification, and in ordinary life is effected by contrectation, i. e., it is, as a rule, voluntarily produced. The case is different at the time of puberty. At this period, the tumescence is evoked by internal promptings.
With the beginning of pubescence, the stepping-stone between the child and the man or woman, the secondary characteristics, as beard, enlarged larynx, musculature in man, and filling out and rounding of the body, development of the breasts, enlargement of the pelvis in woman, are becoming noticeable. It is the period of the rapid acceleration in the growth of the centres of generation, and indefinable yearnings and moods, wishes and fears assume domination of the growing child. Sweet inexpressable emotions of wonder, awe, and amazement disturb the thoughts and actions of the awakening consciousness. Mysterious sensations, foretastes and impulses fill the heart of the ripening individual. For the man it is the beginning of the period of “storm and stress.” It is the time when the elemental cosmic fire of love is bestowed upon the eyes of youth, and an infinite yearning is implanted into his soul by an invisible power. At the approach of this time, a tender fledgeling of longing is implanted into the heart of the girl. She becomes quiet and shy. She shows a shrinking timidity and coyly takes flight at the least approach of him at whose sight her hungry emotions are profoundly stirred.
With the increase in size and vigor of the generative organs, the bodings of sexual desires and the cravings of the natural instinct take possession of the individual’s thoughts and fancy and awaken in him erotic ideas and lustful feelings and the strong impulse for the organs to function.
When the genital centres have been fully developed, the individual gets a conscious realization of its sexual power, and the psychological reactions of animal passion manifest themselves in the irresistible desire for intimacy with an individual of the opposite sex. This desire is inscrutable and transcendental. There is no knowable reason for its existence present. Ordinarily the idea of a desire is realized by bringing vividly to the mind the memory of a former desire gratified. But at this time the individual has not as yet had the experience of carnal pleasure, neither is it conscious of the ultimate object of the sexual instinct, the propagation of the species. Yet it is instinctively drawn towards the person of the opposite sex, and at its sight the hungry emotions are peeping through every action. The individual’s nature is both chaste and voluptuous. It is chaste because the individual has no knowledge as yet of libido or lust, yet it is voluptuous, it is all-impulse.
The impulse of contrectation is the first to impress itself upon the mind of the individual. With the intimacy, the impulse of detumescence becomes also imperious, and the desire to enjoy the full possession of the beloved object begins to manifest itself. These are, then, the two desires the individual is henceforth well aware of and which it is anxious to gratify. The real purpose of the instinct of sex has been hidden to man. Seldom or never is amativeness guided by the desire to propagate the race. Sex-activity is chiefly desired for the satisfaction of the sensual cravings.[U] The animal in its sex-relations is largely or exclusively guided by the impulse of detumescence. The same is the case with men in a low state of civilization, with their promiscuous admiration of the opposite sex. What such savages desire is a relaxation of the nervous tension and a discharge of the genital congestion. In men of high culture the impulse of contrectation is the more imperious, and mental attraction is added as a factor in the love-game, i. e., civilized men are more erotic than libidinous in their nature.
The different phenomena appear in the just described order, if no disturbances interrupted the natural course. If the individual was allowed to reach adolescence without interference, then at the period of puberty, when the centres of generation begin to increase very rapidly, and the generative organs reach their full development, a certain kind of material congestion and nervous tension would ensue. But the congestion and tension would be of slight intensity to require a specific discharge. The absorptive power of the seminal vesicles and of the uterus would easily master the increased secretions, or the overflow would be discharged once or twice a month during sleep, mostly without even awakening the sleeper. Such a frequency of nocturnal emissions, especially if not accompanied by bad effects the next day, are perfectly normal.
But in ordinary life natural development without disturbance is rarely or never met with. Hence the sexual activities take an entirely different course. Boys and girls are brought up promiscuously in flats, in schools or on the streets. The first component of the sex-instinct, the impulse of contrectation, has an early opportunity to develop, even before puberty, as may be seen in the early attachment of children. By the time puberty is reached this impulse has been completely developed. The opportunity for the gratification of this impulse is everywhere present. Hence the tumescence is not evoked by internal messages and natural promptings but through the actual contact. With the beginning of the contact, be it in thought, look, word, or touch, simultaneously also begins the sex-act. Having begun the act it is natural and normal for the lovers to have it completed. If the stimulation of the erogenous zones is prolonged beyond a reasonable space of time without relaxation by an emission, a sense of incompleteness and dissatisfaction will ensue.