Page:Homo-sexual Life by William John Fielding (1925).pdf/48

 The acute panic of the personality is due to the perverse sexual cravings which threaten to overcome the ego, and disestablish the individual's self-control. At the same time, the affections for winning social esteem are pushed into an eccentric adjustment. The weakness of the ego may be attributed to fatigue, debilitating illness, loss of the love object, homesickness, misfortunes, imposition on the part of a superior, or erotic companions. As the individual shows his eccentricities and irritability, he is often teased and tormented by his fellows. With this there comes a loss of social influence, which develops a sense of inferiority, or strengthens the feeling of inferiority that already exists.

The attempt to overcome the fear of inferiority spurs the subject on to intense compensating efforts which, however, because of their eccentric character, further increases the antagonism. Thus we have a vicious circle in the realm of the emotions and affective nature, which gradually becomes a persecution. The erotic individual, under these circumstances, as the perverse sexual impulses tend to force him into further danger, becomes panic-stricken.

The preverseperverse [sic] craving causes delusions about, and hallucinations of, situations, objects and people which tend to gratify the craving. Still, Kempf says "The pressure of the perverse craving occurs despite the social honor and social future of the individual. Horrified, he is swept off his feet into a hell of hallucinated temptations and demons of distractions."

With regard to the physiological reactions