We see now that the two statements correspond. The individual becomes neurotic because he is unable to overcome the abnormally strong instincts. Epilepsy as well as grand hysteria serve as means for releasing the abnormally stressed instincts during slumber states.[14] It would appear therefore that a certain relationship must exist between homosexuality and epilepsy; in fact we shall take the opportunity later to report in full a case illustrating that relationship.
These instincts involve not only homosexual and heterosexual cravings. They include also sadistic tendencies and mysophilia, koprophilia, necrophilia and particularly the linking of sexual and criminal tendencies. Neurosis represents them under grotesque changes, attenuations, transformations, substitutions and exaggerations, all having counterpart in the homosexual neurosis. The relations between homosexuality and sadism are particularly interesting and will be considered fully in the following pages.
We may formulate our notion of the development of homosexuality as follows: A person with abnormally strong instinctive cravings is induced early in life to surround these cravings with inhibitions. The early awakening of his sexual instinct and its precocious functioning bring him into conflict. The processes of repression and of sublimation set in to deal with these cravings much earlier than in other persons. For one reason or another the heterosexual components are repressed and the homosexual are evolved. The heterosexual cravings are hemmed in and rendered useless by disgust, hatred or fear.
Homosexuality arises out of bisexuality as a result of certain particular attitudes which become determined very early in life. But not always. Such traits may appear also relatively late in life. Why and under what conditions does that happen? In the chapters next following we propose to take up this problem.
II
The development of Sexuality—The Bisexual Ideal of all persons—The fundamental Law of Sexuality—The role of homosexuality in Neurosis—Womanly men and mannish women—Gerontophilia—Love of Prostitutes—The significance of Sexual symbols—Various masks of Homosexuality—Transvestites—A case of Transvestitism—The significance of the hose as a Symbol—Love at first sight—The critical age—The pleasure Seeker—The case of a man passing through the critical age—Neurotic types of homosexuality—The Don Juan type—Psychoanalysis of a Don Juan—Passionate falling in love during advanced age, significant—Analysis of a Don Juan.
Das Christentum gab dem Eros Gift zu trinken:—er starb zwar nicht daran, aber er entartete zum Laster.—Nietzsche.
II
Christianity has given Eros a poison cup; Eros was not killed thereby but has been turned into a taint.—Nietzsche.
Freud who supports the theory of bisexuality with all the weight of his authority, points out that hitherto we have entertained wrong notions concerning the nature of the relations between sexual instinct and sexual goal. The sexual instinct is at first independent of its object and owes not its origin to the excitations roused by the sexual object. The earliest stage of man he has designated as autoerotic and he has described for us the infantile form of onanism.