In the case of a married man, the state of mental energy and efficiency is still more increased by a powerful incentive and stimulation felt by every normal man to exert his best efforts and to strive to the best of his ability for the welfare and good name of his family. Strange as it may seem to some, the sexual impulse and feeling has had the greatest influence on the development of morals and social ethics. The popular old-time idea that the sexual organs and feeling are something shameful, disgusting, and loathsome is based on a gross ignorance and on a crude, vulgar, and narrow-minded interpretation of the great natural provision. Whatever shameful, immoral, or degrading there may be about the sexual feeling and function is put into it by the ignorant, vicious, and vulgar mental attitude and unclean thoughts of man.
Surely the impulse and organs of the human body, designed by the Great Creator for the highest function of human life—that of transmission of life—cannot be shameful, nor vulgar, nor immoral. The broad and intelligent interpretation of sex raises it above a mere animal instinct, ennobles and purifies it from any element of low and brutal passions, and by instilling in the man a feeling of sacredness and moral obligation on his part towards the future family, renders the sex problem a subject worthy of reverence and earnest study.
The Physiological Bases of Sex Impulse.
For a clear understanding of the natural mechanism by which a sexual impulse is originated, set in motion, and brought to its natural climax—ejaculation (emission of the seminal fluid)—it is necessary to explain briefly the nervous apparatus controlling this sexual function. The main nervous center directly controlling and setting in motion every successive step in the sexual act is located in the lumbar (loin) part of the spinal cord. This is the center of erection. This center can operate under certain circumstances spontaneously, without active control of the will or consciousness, but ordinarily it is under full and absolute control of the brain centers forming sexual ideas and impulses. The center of erection can be stimulated or excited either by impulses from the sexual brain center, which is by far the most frequent way of the two of forming sexual desire, or it can be stimulated by impulses from the genital organs. The most common causes producing erection thru impulses from the genital organs are: a mechanical friction or tickling of the genital organs (intentional, as in self-abuse, or accidental and spontaneous); irritative influences in various diseases of the genital organs; pressure on the nerves by the bladder distended with urine (particularly on awakening in the morning); the seminal vesicles overfilled with seminal fluid, or even the blood congestion caused by lying on the back. All these causes, with the exception of a deliberate masturbation (self-abuse), can produce an erection without active participation of the consciousness or will power: they belong to the realm of subconscious acts, but their intensity never grows sufficiently strong to bring about a natural resolution of the sexual reflex thru the ejaculation of the seminal fluid. The only exception is the sexual irritation produced by the seminal vesicles overdistended with secretion; in this case it comes to a resolution thru a “wet dream,” or night emission. The very fact that a healthy, normal man never has wet dreams in the daytime in a waking state conclusively shows that under normal circumstances a natural sexual feeling is never so intense or imperative as to consider it as a natural necessity, calling for gratification. The ordinary active state of mind and concentration of attention on the regular pursuits of life is sufficient to keep vague sexual impulses in the realm of the subconscious. It is only the active participation of mind and the concentration of attention on these impulses that brings them out on the surface of consciousness. Once this vague impulse or idea is perceived by the mind as a sexual idea or emotion, if the will power of the man is not strong enough to push it back again and to submerge the impulse in the realm of the subconscious, the imagination steps in and, by conjuring up various lascivious and sensual images and dreams, stimulates and fans up the flickering light of the original impulse into a mighty, all-devouring, irresistible flame of sexual passion, overpowering all reasoning and self-control of the man. Once it has yielded and has permitted the sexual subconscious impulse into the field of consciousness and attention, the mind becomes less resistent, more sensitive and susceptible to all sexual stimulation, the imagination runs riot, and every sensual impression is not only not resisted, but eagerly sought for. The slightest stimulating impression that leaves a man with normal acting mind perfectly indifferent and cold, or even evokes a feeling of disgust, such as vulgar, indecently-dressed women, suggestive stories, ribald songs, etc., sets such a man on fire and renders him a helpless slave to an animal passion.
And yet how easy it would have been to stem this tide of passion in the beginning, just with the slightest effort of will power, by not allowing these vague impulses to come into the realm of consciousness, and by concentrating the attention on some purposeful occupation or healthy pleasure.
Thus it can be readily seen that the sexual impulse can never spontaneously intrude itself into the consciousness of a man, and that the sexual desire grows in intensity and becomes overwhelming only with the active participation of the man’s mind and the connivance of his will power. This fact is of tremendous practical importance for the problem of sexual continence and its solution.
When the mind is clean, and the attention is purposefully occupied, all danger of temptation and sexual missteps is eliminated. The main center of the sexual desire lies in the brain and in the mind, and not in the body. No “natural physical necessity” will be felt if one has full control of his mind. A mere abstinence from the physical act of sexual intercourse does not make a man moral, nor is it physically healthy or worthy of his great effort of self-control. His mind is torn asunder by a constant internal struggle between wildly-running imagination and will power, his mental repose is disturbed, his mental or physical efficiency is impaired. There is only one rational, scientifically correct effective way to control a sexual instinct; that is, to control the body by controlling the mind first. The easiest and most certain manner of obtaining this control of the mind is by keeping the mind busy and engaged by active, purposeful, and healthy interests. These interests by themselves, as it were, automatically, will keep the attention and all the faculties of the mind engaged, and thus in a natural way, without any special effort, the sexual impulses will be kept in the realm of the subconscious, as inner vague feelings, not interfering with the man’s comfort and efficiency nor disturbing his mental repose.
These theoretical contentions are fully borne out by practical observations in regard to the influence of the mind on the sexual instinct.
The Influence of the Mind on the Sexual Instinct.
Practical experience shows that no other function of the body is so absolutely controlled by the nervous system and more dependent on the state of the mind than the function of sex. All other instincts and functions of the body, like hunger, sleep, digestion, breathing, etc., are controlled to some extent by mind influences. Different feelings and emotions, like fright, worry, sorrow, etc., check and retard all functions for a while, but they cannot retard them for a long time, and surely cannot stop them altogether. How different it is with the sexual impulse. Different mental states can not only subdue the sexual impulse for many, many months, but they can completely check it for an indefinite period of time. The every-day experience of any man will show that when a man’s mind is occupied by any healthy and normal interest, when he is absorbed by mental or physical work, when his energy and attention are used up in a purposeful and productive occupation, no lascivious thought enters his mind, no sexual impulse disturbs his repose. It is only when the mind is idle, and the body did not work off its surplus of energy, that the fancy runs riot and a man is bent on mischief. Take one hundred cases, when a man or boy breaks loose and takes a plunge into the quagmire of prostitution, analyze the circumstances and influences that bring about this misstep, and you will find that in ninety-nine of these hundred cases the hero of this adventure is more of a victim than an active, deliberate perpetrator. Usually it is first a case of overeating rich, stimulating food that heats the blood and clouds clear judgment, the imbibing of sweet wine or alcoholic liquors still more excites and intoxicates our hero; heavy smoking adds its effects to ever-increasing dulling of intellect and checks the normal feeling of self-control and discrimination; vulgar jokes and smutty stories still more stir up sensuality; add to it vicious and stupefying influence of low-grade dancing halls, and as a last and finishing touch, the powerful effect of “gang-spirit”—the hue and cry of the crowd of “boys,” and you will easily see how our hero is swept away like a frail vessel by a mighty tide into the abyss of prostitution. This picture of every-day life plainly shows that under ordinary circumstances boys and men do not get into mischief unless their minds are idle and their judgment is clouded, unless their nerves are high-strung and their senses are inflamed by intoxicating and stimulating influences. This fact carries in itself a very valuable and encouraging lesson to those clean-minded and refined boys who make sincere and earnest efforts to overcome all possible temptations and to carry securely the treasure of their untainted manhood thru the trying and stormy period for a happy family life in the future.