Category Archives: Article

Our Sexual Universe

When Sexuality Derails

This article is about forbidden sex, following an introduction to normal sexuality as ubiquitous. Here we try to understand the mechanisms of deviant and dangerous sex, so that we can take our precautions.

For understanding a variant of female sexuality we recommend Psychological Universe’s: http://www.selvuniverset.com/2018/01/16/fed-sex-just-way-done/

For an  understanding why male sexuality has been considered being a big problem for the human race: The sexuality of men, – unspoken aspects.

For a specific sexual problem for young males read: http://www.selvuniverset.com/2016/12/02/he-cant-get-it-up/

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The shadow of devestating and forbidden sex, by jemini

Sex as Omnipresent. A short Introduction.

Family bathing as naked as when they were born

(Sometimes sexual tensions are less present among naturists without clothes, as the above family group, than among people with colourful wrapping around their private parts.)

What is it more to say about human sexuality  than has already been said or written? There are thousands of books available in libraries and in book stores on this topic. And there are certainly many more to be written. These few paragraphs cannot replace this vast knowledge. Nor can it pay honour to all the research in this field.

I write about a special painful corner of our sexual universe this time. That is to help understanding and explaining more of  why it exists. Mostly I want to pay attention to some crucial mechanisms that make it persist. The mechanisms that underlie those cases of sexual aggression, violence and pain that we hear about in the news everyday.

Sex is everywhere.

It’s possible but rather futile to deny that sex has an omnipresent position in our lives. Both Sex as gender, and sex as reproduction, as well as sexual activity between  people has a powerful effect on us. In many ways it seems to dominate our subconscious psychological universe.

Marketers have known this since the 1850’s. Today it is difficult to avoid sexually suggestive advertising, not to mention pornography. An example of that: I started this Site in May 2015(not as archive says 2014). Back then I used to get proposals in the comments to put naked women on the website to increase public interest!

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It is no exaggeration to rank sex close up to our basic need for water and food, care and contact, clothing and shelter.pyramid of basic human needsA pyramid of human needs derived form Abraham Maslow

Sex as prohibited

Even in human lives were sexual contact is absent, sexuality is present in some way. As restricted or prohibited for different reasons; – physical, religious or by incarceration, – sex is somewhat shining in its absence.

You may ask yourself why so many dogmatic and conservative Christians are preoccupied by sex. They seem to immerse themselves in other people’s sexual activities. This even more than they indulge in compassion for others. Advocating solidarity with the least privileged, helping the poor, the discriminated and people in need of protection, seem to rank lower on their agenda.

Didn’t Jesus  walk with the outcast? Didn’t he acknowledge  the prostitutes,- more for their status as fellow humans, than for their promiscuity?

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“I am pure as a Saint. It is you that carry the devil’s sin.”

It’s a well known unconscious strategy in our psychological universe, to assume that others have the flaws in their personality and behaviour that we deny and despise in ourselves. That mechanism is called projection.

Psychoanalyst C.G.Jung held that all these tendencies that we don’t accept in ourselves, seek refuge in our so called Shadow. The harder we are being on ourselves, the more our Shadow will expand. Accordingly we will also be using more projection, along with enhanced distortion of the conception of others, in accordance with our shadow properties.

When the urge for sex goes undercover.

Then what happens when marriage is prohibited in the Catholic Church?  Is the denied desire for sexual contact only transformed into a stronger devotion for God and for good deeds? We know that the urge for sex in such environments, often goes undercover, until it comes to the surface in media as child abuse.

Why do we hear so many reports of Muslim extremist both in the middle east and in Africa, for example Nigeria, that kidnap, violate, and mass rape small girls? In Nigeria this year 300 are reported killed, many of them children.

NIGERIA_GIRLS_BOKO__698466aBoko Haram imprisoned girls

Sex as genes and hormones

I have recently shown that there is no empirical evidence from later research in genetics, to assume that psychological traits, personality, and psychological disorders are determined by the Genes.

Regarding sex as gender, sex as reproduction and sex as sexual interest, however it is otherwise. Here we certainly are mostly influenced by our Genes . Genes that trigger maturation of our body, from childhood through puberty and maturity, all the way up to old age.

But as soon as we leave the basic ground for making us physically ready for sex, – psychology and social experiences takes over. Our sexual activities, meaning the forms of sex we seek and enjoy, are much more complex. Still sexual activities interact and are reinforced by hormonal Activity. These are particularly neuro-chemical substances that makes us feel strong pleasure.exhibitions                Exibitionist trigging positive attention in his audience

sylvia-sleigh-concert-champetrePainting by artist Sylvia Sleigh

From sex as love and joyfulness, to sex as aggression and pain.

Anyone who has experienced the combination of sex and love in a relationship is fortunate. They will all know that this is an unbeatable physical and emotional joyful experience.

Throughout history and especially in our outspoken times, anger, pain and sex however, seem to be more and more interwoven in the texture of our sexuality. Sometimes this triadic combination however is even acted out in what we may call rather perverted sexual forms that seem to hurt one part in the relation more than to please.

 Sex without respect and reciprocity.

This kind of sex is not based on mutual consent, and underlying respect. It is mainly based on exploiting others through a position of power in the relation, and in afflicting fright and pain onto the victim.

This has very little to do with playing roles between supposedly equal grown ups, as in BDSM bondage sex. This is what I would call traumatic and traumatizing sexuality that does not relieve tension and excite mutual positive feelings in the relation. It only creates a bizarre desire and tension release, in the abuser, and fear, pain and disgust in the abused. Not to mention trauma!

Traumatizing sex

On weekly basis I meet victims of what Robert Stoller called “erotic forms of hatred”. These young people have experienced harsh exploitation from grown ups that they are supposed to have trust in. Not only have some of them been sexually seduced. Most of them have been violated and forced into very painful sexual activity.

When you meet an offender, – I no longer do, because when I out of 34 different types of patients have 5 victims of sexual violence, I concentrate my work on their pain and trauma, not the offenders. But when I met abusers, in my earlier work, truth to tell, I found them sadly depressed most of them, with much anxiety and intense psychological pain pent up in their muscular tissue, and body.

The psychological universe of the offender.

There are naturally different types of offenders. The child abusers I met were seldom consciously aware of their anxiety ridden behaviour. They were just somewhat restless, they told, and it seemed that their shameful acts with minors often had a tension relieving effect on their whole psycho-physical being. Just temporarily, – I must add. Since, soon after they restarted the hunting for children to rape.

Some very few of these men, felt bad about their acts. This is how life is, the common underscore was. –You know that, don’t you, they could say to me with a condescending glance.

Their psychological uneasiness and physical restlessness left little room for reflection and bad consciousness and remorse. If something like that surfaced their mind, they rapidly acted it out with alcohol, drugs or tranquilizers, even sexual fantasies about future abuse.

 Sex as a painkiller.

Sex is widely known by neuropsychologists to elicit neuro-chemicals that makes us feel aroused, exited, and well. Most of these chemicals are Dopamine, Oxytocin, Phenylethylamine and Endorphins, (endogenous morphine).

In sexual addicts, and risk-takers, very anxious people, gamblers and the notorious aggressive the dopamine levels are extremely high. In some drug addicts, low-achievers, and depressed the dopamine levels are extremely irregular and variable.

Dopamine makes the abuser feel very excited when he catches the victim. Phenetylamin that has the same effect as chocolate and cocoa, give him energy, positive mood, and sharpened attention. Contact with the victim’s skin may trigger secretion of oxytocin, the so called love hormone. In the battle to control the victim, however, dopamine and endorphin will take over and his psychological pain, both emotionally and physically, will be relieved! Back is some kind of ecstasy and delight, and a point of no return.

The abuser and the abused.

If the abuser has been a sexual victim himself in his life, he is now in control. The fright, helplessness and pain, is in the other, – the child. He the abuser can then empty all his despair, hate, despise, and lust, onto “the ungrateful little child whore and beast”! With a mixture of power and grandiose feelings, and hateful disgust for the poor child, he gets his heroine like sexual ecstasy that melts all good and bad feelings into an extremely tense euphoria.

stock-photo-child-abuse-composition-of-a-frightened-young-boy-sitting-on-the-wooden-floor-in-a-light-of-a-237679426

When this is all over, the prolactin level rises in his brain, and now comes the withdrawal face. He is exhausted, and even small moments of disgust from what he has done, can occur together with nonspecific sadness.

Sexually acting out the trauma

For sure sex and sexual abuse can alleviate pain and irreconcilable emotions in the abuser, for some stolen moments. It can function as a temporary healing of wounds. But by acting out his trauma, by re-erecting the traumatic scene he once was trapped in, he continues the tragedy, by even passing it forward to the next generation. And is he really relived? Absolutely not! He has to re-enact this scene again and again until he is caught and incarcerated, and get psychotherapy.

Suggest help and friendship, not condemnation. Changing habit is necessary for the perpetrator, but difficult to manage alone.

Please, if you know someone, or feel you are in  danger of killing your psychological pain through sex with minors, stop and think twice.

This person or you yourself, carry a heavy burden of shame and guilt,  if you do not avert this act, such acts do inflict serious pain and tragedy on that young boy or girl for the rest of their lives. And you cast a persecutory black cloud over your dignity and life!

– The “very nice abuser.”

Remind yourself that even child abusers are different kinds of people. Some of them are even nice and charming people with all kinds of important jobs in the society. They are not violent and brutal, and believe in some way that even the child and minor may enjoy the sexual activities, at least after being introduced to the “rules of the game,” and used to it. They start the process with the child in an appearently very careful and gentle way.  But then after winning the childs trust, they gradually cross the crucial border of the childs sexual integrity, and exploit the child for their own sexual gratification. This is their gross betrayal of the child.

Don’t ruin this little girl and boy’s future! by 123RF.com
– There is a good chance to change this severe habit.

Most of these abusers, or even you if you unfortunately should belong to this group, will stop after being  caught or after receiving therapy. I hope you do even after just having read this article. However; An important start is  talking with someone neutral about it.  To all the others reading this, try being such a person to talk with.

And for you, if you abuse children, take a chance and talk too another person if you suspect that something is wrong with your sexual preferences. Be careful to pick a person that will not overreact and scare you from doing the right thing. Perhaps a priest or a person that will motivate you in the right direction and not immediately go to the police.  For your friends and soulmates if you have some I will say:  Do it in a friendly but serious manner. Only very few child abusers are beyond correction. Many are lonely and need friends or someone to talk to and confide in.

Don’t hate yourself even if you belong to this category of sexual attraction.

Self-despice does not ameliorise the situation. On the contrary, you need to restore self respect, by understanding what has happened to you, and deciding to change your habits. Most likely, it is not your fault that you are excited and sexually attracted to children. A lot may have happened in your life that has stopped your normal sexual development. But as an adult, it is your fault if you put this desire into practice and exploit children.

If you on the other hand has had a reasonably normal sex life, but constantly have to cross boundaries to achieve sexual gratification, you also should definitely seek help. In this area of problems, certain types of porn on the web can be very harmful.

 Pornography with Boy and Girl, by Meziers.blog

Last but not least: To share the secret with a non-pedophile friend, is an important start in realizing that this kind of sexual acting can and must come to an end.

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Genes and Psychology 3

The psychological shifts in perceiving infants and children.

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Child Psychology challenges the fierce belief in genetic heritage.

It was not until after WW II that psychological studies could challenge this old perspective of genes and heredity. Until then psychological research had had little to line up with, in respect to the traditional and mainly medically based notion of heredity.

– The chimpanzee studies

harlow1

Here Harlows studies of chimpanzee pups separated from their mothers, was one of the first significant contributions. Chimp kids who lost the relationship with their mothers, did not only show various forms of grief and sadness. They were also highly dysfunctional in their behavior. http://Harlow 1962). http://psykologisk.no/2014/04/en-studie-av-tilknytning/(From animal protectors view and many others this study was not considered right to the poor chimpanzee kids)

– Hospitalized children

Hospitalized child with depression

Before this, Rene’ Spitz (1950) detected that hospitalized children separated from their parents, developed depressive traits. These disorders were then named hospitalism and anaclitic depression. Ever since Spitz discovered the roots of this kind of depression, Hospital Child Wards world over have tried gradually to include parents in the treatment of small https://youtu.be/VvdOe10vrs4

– Maternal care and disorders

attachment220px-Mozambique024  Crucial bonds of love and care between mother and child

Two years later, in 1952, John Bowlby presented his attachment theory. The theory was based on empirical studies of the mother & child relationship, and was published in “Maternal Care and Mental Health” (Bowlby 1952). Here he focuses on the quality of the child’sattachment to the caregiver.

What he discovered was that if the mother is not capable of giving the child a stable, safe and good enough relationship, this also most probably will stop the child’s healthy development. If the actual condition is unchanged and no remedy is presented, the child most likely will have to develop some special psychological survival or protection techniques. Such techniques however, very often form the basis of later psychopathology.

image of beahvioural disorder

images of psychopatology   The relationship between mother and child,  and mother, father and the child, has enormous impact on the child’s health and development.

– The old view of babies and children crumbles

Prior to this first psychological shift in the 1950’s and 60’s, in perceiving the infant and children, it was both among the general population, and in some academic circles, an often unspoken perception that the individual almost independent of environmental impact, just unfolded the inherited characteristics as the petals of a flower.
Certainly newborns were conceived as temporary helpless, so the environment had to be there to provide food, care, clothing and home. Besides having knowledge inculcated in terms of language learning, and learning the basic rules of the society’s and the prevailing norms, the child was supposed to reveal it’s genetic  properties automatically .

illustration of filling minds

The general notion therefore, was mainly that knowledge could be filled on to the  differently inherited containers for learning, that the kids had inherited, the same way you refuel gas on a tank. Then, widely differing later knowledge and behavioral consequences of this teaching, was likewise assigned to the different genetically shaped containers of the same babies as grown ups.

A similar attitude prevailed on matters regarding the child’s psychological and emotional development. Personality, with its presumed inherently positive or negative qualities were all in all and regardless of education, understood as contingent on the hereditary matrix.

This was as mentioned a common belief among the general population, despite the fact that Freud and his descendant’s developmental theories had begun to spread in Europe and the US.

To be continued in the article: http://www.selvuniverset.com/2016/07/31/i-am-like-an-unfinished-novel/

Litterature for Genes and Psychology 1,2,3 :

Bates,Timothy: (2012)  Journal of Personality og Personality Science.

Benjamin, J. (1988): The Bonds of Love: psychoanalysis, feminism, and the problems of domination. New York: Pantheon Books.
Benjamin, J :(1995) Like Subjects, Love Objects:  Essays on Recognition and Sexual Difference. Yale University Press. 1995.

Crick, Francis & Watson, James D: (1954) Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid, in Nature, 25 April 1953.

Fosse, Roar: (2009) Ingen Gener for Psykiske lidelser. Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening, Vol 46, nummer 6, 2009, side 596-600

Fonagy, Peter: (2001) Attachment Theory and Psychoanalysis , ( 2001)

Frank, Lone. (2012): Mitt vidunderlige gen. AdLibris, Oslo (2012)

Harlow, H.F. Development of affection in primates. Pp. 157-166 in: Roots of Behavior (E.L. Bliss, ed.). New York: Harper. 1962.

Jacobsen, Hanne Østli; (2012) Genene styrer deg, men hva styrer genene? I ”Forskning. no ”(Onsdag 19. september 2012)

Platon. “Menon” (380 BC) translated by B, Jowett, C.Scribner’s Sons, NY, 1871

Schibbye, A.-L.L. (2002). En dialektisk relasjonsforstålse i psykoterapi med individ, par og
familie. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.

Schibbye, Anne Lise Løvlie (1988): Familien: tvang og mulighet – om samspill og behandling.

Schibbye, A. L. L. (2009). Relasjoner. Et dialektisk perspektiv på eksistensiell og dynamisk psykoterapi. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.

Stern, Daniel N: The First Relationship: Infant and Mother (1977)

Stern, Daniel N:  The Interpersonal World of the Infant: A View from Psychoanalysis and Development (1985) and    (1998). ISBN 978-0-465-03403-1

Stern, Daniel N.: Diary of a Baby (1990)

Stern, Daniel N.: Motherhood Constellation: A Unified View of Parent-Infant Psychotherapy (1995)

Stern, Daniel N.: The Present Moment in Psychotherapy and Everyday Life (WW Norton & Company, 2004)

Trevarthen, C.: Conversations with a two-month old. New Scientist 2, 230-5 (1974a)

Trevarthen, C. & Tronick, EZ.: Intersubjective Communication and Emotion in Early Ontogeny
Cambridge University Press (1998). Redigert av Stein Bråten, digitalisert 2006.

Tronick EZ, Cohn JF.:  Infant-mother face-to-face interaction: age and gender differences in coordination and the occurrence of miscoordination. Child Development 1989 Feb; 60(1):85-92.