Sexual Attraction Towards The Parent
May 18, 2021, by Psychosexology W/ Gayatri
Have you ever had sexual attraction towards the parent of opposite sex??? The concept of developing sexual desires toward the opposite sex parent might sound vague as it is unacceptable socially and morally to develop attraction towards parents. But, it might happen with some children. This is known as Oedipus Complex.
Oedipus complex is another highly criticised theory of Sigmund Freud where he talks about the crucial psychosexual stage of development of children between the age of 3 to 6 years.
In psychoanalytic theory, Oedipus complex is a desire for sexual involvement with the parent of the opposite sex and a sense of rivalry and jealousy and anger toward the parent of the same sex. It is a crucial stage in childhood development.
In this stage, children feel jealous of same-sex parent as they think their mother is giving all affection to father or father is paying more attention to mother. Boy in this stage feel jealous if father gives more attention to mother as a boy has a sexual desire for mother. These feelings for the mother and rivalry toward the father lead to fantasies of getting rid of his father and taking his place with the mother. Children in this stage feel they are competing with thier same sex parent. And try to tak the place of same sex parent as they develop unconscious desire towards the parent of opposite sex. The hostile feelings towards the father lead to castration anxiety in boys, an irrational fear that the father will castrate (remove his penis) him as the form of punishment. And to cope with this anxiety and overcome this fear, boy tries to inherit the characteristics of father. Boy tries so hard to be like a father by trying to do the things which his father do and tries to adopt his fathers' personality. And which in turn makes father a role model for boy after some time and boy replaces his desire for mother with the desire for another women as he grows up.
When it comes to girls, this complex is known as Electra Complex. In this, 3 to 6 years old girl unconsciously develop sexual desire for fater and start hating her mother. Freud believed that the Oedipus complex was ‘the central phenomenon of the sexual period of early childhood’. He stated that early childhood experiences, unconscious desires does affect the personality of a person and the way he behaves. Even if theories given by Sigmund Freud were highly criticised, they still play an important role in undersranding human mind and behaviour.
Even now, field of psycholgy is underrated and people neglect the importance of mental health. But, the truth is that, this is what human beings really need to know, to know more about themselves and others.
0 Comments