August Forel

The Sexual Appetite August Forel

The Sexual Appetite

From The Sexual Question

A Scientific, Psychological, Hygienic and Sociological Study

By August ForelSexual appetite in the human mindProcreative instinctPassiveness and desireDesire for dominationDesire of maternity and maternal loveRoutine and infatuationPrudery and modestyFetichism and anti-fetichismPsychological relations of love to religion

Like every other desire the sexual appetite betrays itself by the physionomy. This consists in the play of cerebral activity, that is the thoughts, sentiments and resolutions, on the muscles by means of motor nerves and nerve centers. It is not limited to the face but extends to the whole body. The abdomen, the hands and even the feet have their physionomy; that of the muscles of the face and eyes is, however, the most active and most expressive. Sexual desire betrays itself in looks, by the expression of the face and by certain movements in the presence of the female sex. Men differ greatly in the way in which they betray or hide their sentiments and thoughts by the play of their muscles, so that the inner self is not always reflected without. Moreover, the expression of sexual desire by the play of the physionomy may be confounded with that of other sentiments, so that one who appears libidinous is not always so in reality, and inversely.