Psychology of sex - Total No. of Records in System :: 2032

PSYCHOLOGY OF SEXFreud remarks) essentially an impulse of curiosity, whichsome mothers unfortunately repress and so drive in andunduly emphasize. Here are the most "curious" parts ofthe body, the parts (with fingers and toes) that for achild are most like playthings. This interest may lead onto pleasurable sensation, but for most children it wouldappear that what may be regarded as sexual sensation isoutside the genital sphere, being sexual sensation of thethreshold, that is to say sensation of a kind that wouldin an adult lie on the threshold of the sexual sphere andlead up to it (thus legitimately belonging to the art olove)The difference is that such sensations in the child,.while pleasurable, do not usually pass over the thresholdof the actual sexual sensation.Such phenomena are in the first place most usuallyin the oral region. This we should expect, as the mostacute pleasure of the infant could scarcely failto be derivedfrom the sensitive lips of the mouth in contact withthe milk-yielding nipple of the mother. Since the nioutliis an erogenic or sexually stimulating zone in adult lifewe cannot be surprised that it should be a pleasure-centeron the sexual threshold even in infancy. Thumb-suckingsometimes becomes a substitute for nipple-sucking whenit is unattainable or outgrown; it is held by some althoughthe opinion is disputed by numerous authoritiesthat in predisposed children this may be a kind of masturbationand later lead on to ordinary masturbation. It is apractice found among a considerable and varying proportionof young children of both sexes and may even beginimmediately after birth.Only second to the emergence of the oral center isprobablythe anal center. As long as the motions are passedautomatically and without restraint there is little opportunityfor the anal region to become a pleasure center.[86]