Patterns of Psychosexual Infantilism

by Wilhelm Stekel

Book by Stekel, Wilhelm

Genres: Psychology

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Wilhelm Stekel was an Austrian physician and psychologist, who became one of Sigmund Freud's earliest followers, and was once described as "Freud's most distinguished pupil". According to Ernest Jones, "Stekel may be accorded the honour, together with Freud, of having founded the first psycho-analytic society"; while he also described him as "a naturally gifted psychologist with an unusual flair for detecting repressed material." He later had a falling-out with Freud, who announced in November 1912 that "Stekel is going his own way". His works are translated and published in many languages.

Reviews

[Være · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered many interesting and unpleasant things about myself reading this. Intrauterine fantasy would have sounded to me like a total absurd if it wasn't for the fact it made complete sense. Know thyself and be amazed with wonder.

[Steven H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC INTERPRETATION OF SEXUAL ATTRACIONS ‘OUTSIDE THE NORMAL’

Wilhelm Stekel (1868-1940) was an Austrian physician and psychologist, who was one of Freud’s most prominent followers.

He wrote in the Introduction, “This book is written for physicians, psychologists, and those who deal with human maladjustments as a part of their profession. Although many of the cases cited in this book undoubtedly are ‘interesting’ because they represent drastic deviations from normal patterns of behavior, they have been published because of the important underlying components and the dynamic factors responsible for the deviations. Many of the cases presented here belong to a group of disorders formerly designated as ‘perversions.’ We consider the term ‘perversion’ as unscientific and, in addition, as carrying an unnecessary moralistic stigma, acquired through common usage… We prefer to use the term ‘paraphilia’ for all those conditions where the sexual attractions (‘philia’) is directed toward a goal that lies outside ('para’) the normal, heterosexual object relationship.

“The term ‘Psychosexual Infantilism’ emphasizes the psychodynamic structure of the clinical entities described. It refers to conditions which are of psychic origin, pertain primarily to the sexual sphere, and represent effects of fixation on or regression to INFANTILE levels of emotional development. The psychotherapeutic task in these cases is often extremely difficult… The success of psychotherapy in cases of psychosexual infantilism shows that the regressions of fixations underlying it are not reversible., and that after the patients’ anxieties have been allayed, it is possible to reconcile the patients with reality. Psychotherapy offers new hope to the disappointed and helps the anxious to work out constructive plans of adjustment. Thus the patients’ impulse to seek refuge in reveries of childhood can be successfully overcome.”

He asserts, “The child cannot stand to be ignored and is very ingenious at tricking the adults into giving him love and attention… The pampering of sickly children is especially apt to produce in them an abnormal longing for sickness which asserts itself in later life. Psychosexual infantilism is but a re-emergence of this reaction-formation. Characteristically enough, it appears in relation to people whose sympathy and love cannot be won otherwise. The procedure of physical care and handling, in itself, is a source of erotic stimulation and makes the child want to be sick.” (Pg 13)

He state, “many mothers… often create situations which cause an overstimulation of the anal mucous tissues… Some mothers imagine themselves to be particularly clever when they administer an enema to the baby whenever he cries… All superfluous treatments of this kind, as well as too frequent insertions of the thermometer, contribute to the development of anal erotism… Grown people, too, are ridiculously fussy about … other forms of irrigation, all designed to provide a masturbatory stimulation of the anal zone under the pretext of a hygienic measure.” (Pg. 41)

He continues, “The toilet generally occupies a central position in the sexual life of the child. To him the toilet is … a vehicle of erotic stimulation. It is all too easy to overlook the importance of elimination in the life of the child.” (Pg, 43)

He observes, “It should be remembered that the child is essentially bisexual and that he is attracted both by his own sex and the opposite sex. Mutual contacts, therefore, may occur among brothers and/or sisters.” (Pg 48)

He contends, “In the lower social strata, sexual freedom is much greater than we care to admit. Servants, especially, tend to compensate for the lack of social freedom by an abundance of sexual license. The moment of revenge on the employer through corruption of the progeny comes as an additional incentive. That is why maids delight in the seduction of the sons of the family, indulge in relations with the master of the house himself, and gladly enlighten the daughters of their employer… The maids go even a step farther and help the seducer in breaking down the moral inhibitions of the girls.” (Pg. 61) Nevertheless, “I have nowhere seen evidence of any physical or psychological harm done by such early seductions of boys.” (Pg. 62)

He asserts, “The eternal infant is a dependent person. He dreads being alone. His psychic infantilism is manifested in many of his physical habits. His abnormal attitude toward food---either he has great desire or is disgusted by particular foods---has a sexual basis. His oral zone substitutes for the genital zone…. Such a person has feelings of inferiority… But neurotics would not cling to their weakness and pettiness if they did not get secret gratification from such ‘inferiority.’” (Pg. 85-86)

He states, “Psychosexual infantilism bears most clearly the mark of a transfer. Just as the child bestows life upon every inanimate object, to these neurotics, who never cease to be children, bestow life upon the objects about them. Basically, transfer is an emanation of the ego vitality onto the things, large and small, of the surrounding world.” (Pg. 159)

He argues, “exhibitionism is a disease and not a depravity. Once you have got the conviction that exhibitionists suffer greatly from their compulsion, you cannot but sympathize with them… When a person’s inhibitions are on the wane, his infantile self takes over, and he again becomes a narcissist, an exhibitionist, a mysophiliac [one attracted to ‘filth’], and a sadist. We must therefore consider exhibitionism as a compulsion with its own psychogenetic history, to which analysis is always the clue and sometimes the remedy.” (Pg. 197)

He observes, “It is not sufficiently well known that the passage of urine frequently servs the infant as a form of sexual gratification… the strongest sexual stimulations are most pronounced in those parts of the body which are organically predestined to play a prominent part in all future sex life.” (Pg. 211)

He states, “To Freud goes the credit for having called our attention to the tremendous importance of infantile ano-erotism. Among the erogenous zones, the anal region has a paramount significance.” (Pg. 236)

He contends, “I am personally convinced that all the jails in the world would not suffice to hold all the adults who had at one time or another misbehaved with children.” (Pg. 291)

He suggests, “the solution of the problem of the ‘minor fetishism’ lies in the fact that preference is given to those erogenous zones of the partner’s body which had pleased one most on one’s own body.” (Pg. 319)

He recommends, “Only a real love which stands on its own merits can save the infantilist. He must be ready and willing to sacrifice his infantile fantasies for the sake of the beloved person. However, since his fantasies are closely interwoven with the patient’s total personality, he may be afraid to sacrifice them and thus lose his own personality.” (Pg. 389)

He concludes, “All the unfortunates described in this book are victims of hypocritical sexual morals… I have attempted to show in my books like as it really is… I have unfolded the painful history and the suffering of humanity which spends itself in the futile struggle between instinct and inhibition, between drive and culture, between impulse and morals. An unhappy world creates unhappy people, and unhappy people create an unhappy world. A vicious circle… I cannot but feel that the denial of love is humanity’s greatest weakness. All great constructive works are creations of love. We need an education for love. We must be trained in overcoming our hatreds; we must be shown how we can turn our love toward our fellowman, how we can develop with and through our fellowman, and thus prepare a happier future for all of us.” (Pg. 392)

This book may appeal to those studying the development of psychosexual theories.