A law regulating and governing phenomena is only possible on the assumption that the law is the expression of the modus operandi of the governing power which has established the fixed rules for the performance of a certain action leading to a certain end. The law governing the phenomena of sex has evidently been prescribed for the purpose of the preservation of the species. This preservation is at the basis of sexual desire, and because the ultimate aim is unknown to the agent, the desire is instinctive in nature. For every instinct is an inward impulse, an unconscious, involuntary prompting to action, without a distinct apprehension of the end which nature has designed should be accomplished thereby. Hunger for love and hunger for food are both based upon the two instincts of preservation, the instinct of the preservation of the individual and the instinct of the preservation of the kind.
The hunger for food, manifested already by the new-born baby,T is based upon the instinct of the preservation of the individual, the sex-urge, manifested by youths and maidens at the time of puberty, before they have ever experienced any copulative libido, is based upon the instinct of the preservation of the species. The active principle of the mind, which is energetically devoted to the gratification of the sensual desire and the state of mind which is constantly yearning to satisfy the sensual want, are the promptings of this instinct. They exist at this early period independent of all experience. The absorbing feeling which seeks the consummation of its purpose, as well as the selection of the means to be employed, is not based upon previous experience. They are internal, unconscious messages which give rise to the conscious impulses, without waiting for the external stimuli which, later on, coöperate with the impulse to affect the nervous centres.
The conscious impulses, composing the sexual instinct, are, according to Moll, the impulse of contrectation, or the desire to effect a real or a virtual contact with an individual of the opposite sex, and the impulse of detumescence, or the desire to effect a certain material and nervous discharge. Any inclination, to become an impulse, must possess two qualities: it must move the individual to commit an act in which logic and calculation have no part; and secondly, while committing the act, the individual must be conscious of its immediate aim. The two component impulses of the sex-instinct possess these two qualities. They are unreasoning promptings to actions, the end of which is present in the individual’s consciousness.
Impulse of contrectation.—The impulse of contrectation is the conscious desire of the individual to obtain a contact with an individual of the opposite sex, if possible by the tactile sense proper; if not, at least, by the visual or aural senses, or by the imagery, by looking at a comely individual of the other sex, by listening to its voice, or by thinking of the person. This impulse is at the basis of the lovers’ desire to caress and fondle each other. This impulse is entirely distinct from the desire for sensual conjugation. It is found in children who have as yet no knowledge of sex. An individual may have the wish to touch an individual of the opposite sex, as for instance, in a public conveyance or at a dance, without any thought of sex-congress, and where sensual conjugation is entirely out of the question.
During the gratification of this impulse of contrectation (from the Latin word contrectare, to touch with lust), a certain tumescence (from the Latin word tumescere, to swell), or congestion of all the organs of the body, particularly of the genital organs, and an increased amount of nervous energy throughout the entire organism, takes place.
Impulse of detumescence.—At this stage the second component of the sexual instinct, the impulse of detumescence (from the Latin word detumescere, to diminish in swelling) comes into play. Tumescence causes a certain oppression, and the individual is impelled to cause a discharge of the material congestion and a spasmodic relief of the nervous tension. The procedure of this material and nervous discharge is specific. The man’s impulse is “penem in vaginam intromittere et semen ejaculare,” and the woman’s impulse is “membrum viri atque semen in vaginam suscipere eodemque tempore detumescere.” If the opportunity for the specific discharge is lacking, other unnatural means for emission are employed, or the organism rids itself of the oppression during the state of unconsciousness, as in sleep. Ejaculation, hence, gives pleasure because it relieves the mechanical as well as the nervous tension and causes a change both in the blood and the nerve supply. Hence, the impulse of detumescence is less a craving to gain a positive lust feeling as the impulse of contrectation.
Children’s affection.—The impulse of contrectation is already met with in small children. The desire to effect a physical contact is often observed among very small children. There are some children who are even susceptible to sexual excitement, but these are the exceptions, their emotions are pathological. Normally there appears to be no erethism of the sexual organs in children during the process of love-making. They have no knowledge of the meaning of sex. With them the caressing contact is an end in itself.
In the love-making of children we can distinguish two different modes, according to the age of the child. In the first period, between three and eight years of age, the child is perfectly ignorant of the meaning of sex. Still it may indulge in the pleasure of bodily contact with an individual of the opposite sex. During the second period, between eight to twelve years of age, the children are aware of the difference and even meaning of sex, still the erethism in the organs is still absent.
The presence of the emotion of love in children of the first period is shown in many ways. Children of the opposite sex fall in love with one another. They seek each other’s company. They sit close to each other and indulge in kissing, embracing, and lifting each other. They often present gifts to, and make sacrifices for each other. Even jealousy is not absent. The lover tries to monopolize the allegiance of the beloved one. This love in early childhood is characterized by the absence of shyness or of any sense of shame, which shows the complete sexual anaesthesia.
With the appearance of shyness and modesty in children of the second period, the love-making may be traced to the conscious sex instinct. The instinct is manifested by the tendency to conceal the love affairs. Modesty is a characteristic trait of the young lovers. When in each other’s presence they feel embarrassed and ill at ease. They appear awkward when left alone to themselves. They try to avoid each other and may even appear to the casual observer to hate each other. Especially does the boy try to simulate resentment. The girl is, on the whole, more aggressive in these early love affairs. The woman’s innate love of being wooed comes to surface later on when she has reached maturity. Yet even the boy’s emotions are discernible by the keen observer. The emotions of infatuated children may assume all the appearances of true love, with its joys and sorrows. Yet any thought of the reproductive organs is entirely absent.
Puberty.—Before puberty the sexual activity of the child consists thus in the desire and gratification of the impulse of contrectation. This contrectation does not cause yet a state of tumescence in the child, and without tumescence the impulse of detumescence is also absent. The first state of spontaneous tumescence is called into existence by internal messages.
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.
By some strange quirk of the human mind the error and fallacy have been fixed, even among thinkers, that sex-activity begins and ends with copulation.V The charging of the body with the necessary energy is considered a negligible quantity. We have taken out the final part of the act and elevated it to a fetich, in law as well as in sentiment, and consider all other sex activities as of no consequence. Yet the stimuli received through the other senses, causing the libidinous turgescence of the body, are the main part of the sexual chain of activities. The sexual act begins with the amorous caress, be it a caress in thought, look, or touch, as hugging or kissing. For contrectation or tumescence and detumescence represent only one act. One impulse is the sequel of the other. The Sermon on the Mount, preaching, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew v, 28), is nearer the physiological truth than the common accepted view.
The same disturbances which cause a break in the chain of sexual activity during childhood, puberty and adolescence are also responsible that in civilized men we can hardly speak any longer of an instinct of sex. If the instinct has not been disturbed by the intrusion of the stimuli of the senses and of the imagery before the period of maturity, the instinct of sex should enter into play at the time of puberty. But, as a rule, the stimulation of the erogenous zones is effected already before the time has arrived for the sex-instinct to make its appearance. During this stimulation, which, as we have seen, is already a part of the sex-act, a certain fore-pleasure is experienced. Henceforth the individual is desirous of the repetition of this experience. Especially when the orgasm has once been tasted, the memory of the same causes the individual to look for a repetition of the highest lustful sensation in human experience. Sexual activity is henceforth chiefly desired for the positive lust-feeling connected with it. This means to say that calculation enters into the activity, and with the entrance of calculation the activity ceases to be instinctive. Hence in modern men and women neither sex-activity nor propagation partake of the nature of an instinct. Normal sex-attraction being an offshoot of the reproductive impulse, it is perfectly natural that if the parent impulse loses its instinctive nature, the offspring will also lose it.