From: bruzzone@alfred.carleton.ca (Alex Bruzzone)
Newsgroups: alt.sex
Subject: The "Male Mind" and his "Body": A relationship in conflict.
Organization: Carleton University

The "Male Mind" and his "Body": A relationship in conflict.
                    
                  "I have a dream sometimes that I'm lying
                  on the beach and these two big muscley 
                  guys come over to me and tell me what a 
                  great body I have. They stick around 
                  talking for a while and then we take our 
                  suits off and go swimming. I wake up excited 
                  and feeling sexy." (Bell, 1980, p. 78)

Interpretations for this kind of experience are often vague and 
offer little comfort, if any, to young males who truly feel and 
want to differentiate as heterosexuals (see note 1, below). For 
instance, the following advice is offered in Bell's manual for 
teenagers:

                 "A fantasy may be about someone of your own 
                 sex (a 'homosexual' fantasy). This may mean 
                 that you are trying out feelings and possibilities
                 that you will never choose to act on. It could also
                 mean that you would like to have a sexual
                 relationship with someone of your own sex --- 
                 anything from kissing or hugging to making love. 
                 Many people have a homosexual relationship at some 
                 point. For some it is a brief experience; for 
                 others it is a way of life." (Bell, 1980, p. 78)

This kind of advice does not meet the needs of many teenagers,
leaving them with many questions unanswered. As this 19 year-old
university student reports:

                 "I really enjoy going for a workout with my buddy 
                 in-between classes. We seem to like each other
                 a lot. But it scares me to look at his body 
                 because I sometimes feel that he turns me on.
                 I don't know, I'm no queer. I know I want to get
                 married and have children. I feel I'm straight."

For most young men the possibility of homosexual differentiation
is a devastating thought. For this reason, men *must* understand 
the meaning of homosexual imagery, which is so common in males.

Homosexual imagery is many times hidden, as reported in an 
article which appeared in the journal "Psychological Reports":

                 "The contents of [heterosexual] pornographic
                 films emphasizes close-up views of penises.
                 Fellatio is prominent. All ejaculations are
                 shown and the semen visible... Aside from a
                 few views of the female face and breast, the
                 contents is very similar to that of homosexual
                 films, in which views of fellatio and 
                 intercourse also comprise most of the film.
                 (Lester, 1984)

The Glasshouse Institute believes that men's psychosexual
development deserves special attention because of the constraints
that the "exposed sexuality" poses on the male psyche. (see note 2)

The notion of exposed sexuality refers to:

          1. The external nature of the male genitals.
          2. The observable characteristic of the male 
             sexual response (i.e. erection).
          3. The observable characteristic of the male
             orgasm (i.e. ejaculation).

The impact of the "exposed sexuality" has been conspicuously under
researched. Although very little is known of the effects that 
this characteristic has on the male mind, it can be easily shown 
that the feeling of shame (see note 3) plays an important role in 
the way men relate to erections and ejaculations.

The Glasshouse Institute is offering an alternative to the 
dilemma that men are faced with when confronted with
the "male body". Through self-awareness and the understanding 
of their bodies, men can experience masculinity in a deep sense. 
The male body will no longer be a threat or an obsession. 

If you are interested in more information, please respond with
a short E-mail message. (Type 'r' if using _nn_ or _rn_)

Notes
=====

1. Because in this new paradigm for sexuality the concept of Sexual 
   Orientation is rejected as invalid, 'heterosexual identity' 
   is used here to indicate a lifestyle (married, children). 

2. Men's relationship with their bodies is filled with constraints
   which men themselves discard as inconsequential. The main 
   source of these constraints is the erection. 

3. The feeling of shame refers to the 'family of shame emotions',
   such as shame, embarrassment, and humiliation.


References
==========

Bell, R. (1980). Changing bodies, changing lives: A book for
   teens on sex and relationships. New York: Random House.

Lester, D. (1984). Pornographic films and unconscious homosexual
   desires: An hypothesis. Psychological Reports, 54, 606.