Introduction
By Leonard A. Lowag, Ph.D.
Change Partners is a story concerning paraphilia, the practice of forms of sexual activity which are unacceptable by organized society and which typify the individual who achieves sexual satisfaction through means other than those set down by his civilization. Paraphilia takes in a broad range of deviant practices; it encompasses pederasty, voyeurism, cunnilingus, fellatio, analingus, masturbation, and other erotic practices which preclude the procreative biological function of man. Interrelated within this framework, throughout the book, is a graphic display of sadism and masochism, as well as a study of exhibitionism and group sex.
The story revolves about two couples living in London, who enter into a sexual liaison whereby each individual takes the opposite mate and embarks on an erotic holiday, as it were, for a limited period of time. The initial two, Connie and John, who live together in common law, are a most curious pair; he is a voyeur and a bit of satyr (and for that matter, who isn't?), while she is a confirmed masturbator and general paraphiliac. They live among the upper middle class and have excellent contacts, one of which is a wealthy twosome, Clem and June, who enjoy the life of the idle rich and browse about for diversified entertainment; in this case their hobby comes to be Connie and John. The entire recital is an exaggerated romp in ribaldry; however, for those who are searching for psychological data concerning the sex deviate, this is an excellent study.
The author presents as his prime exhibit in the art of narcissism, the youthful and lovely Connie, who, while possessing the proper shape outwardly, is grotesquely malproportioned otherwise. Connie presents the perfect picture of the self-possessed masturbator, although to give verve and spirit to the story she is at the same time shown to be driven by forces of exhibitionism; these two personality traits create some hazardous and unlikely scenes in the book.
Autosexuality, or self-love, which expesses itself in masturbation, is perhaps the most tragic form of libido in existence, for within its lonely boundaries there is none to share the joys of erotic love. The autosexual is his own partner in the sex act, and after the climax of masturbation, feels even more lonely, more guilty, and less able to cope with his world. Still he continues his role in life and maintains his solitary place in his inner world of "I" and "Me," for it is impossible for him to have feelings of eroticism for another so long as he is in love with himself.
The true autosexual is the person who has been denied by circumstances the flow of sexual energy into normal or even other abnormal channels. Many times he ejaculates without feeling any significant pleasure, for these people who cannot love are those whose psychosexual development has not reached the stage of genital primacy. For example, the infant loves himself with supreme egotism and lives completely in the present, with emphasis on isolation, in which each bodily function brings a gratification identified with the sexual nature. Later, this self-love is replaced by love for others, and his sexual desires are directed toward those from whom he receives pleasure and gratification. There are some individuals with such great self-love that they have difficulty in sharing even time and effort, with others and have no energy to direct toward others in sexual relationships. The neurotic-psychotic fits this pattern: his sexual functioning is blocked by his concern with his own aches and pains, or by bizarre ideas concerning the outside world. Certain artistic temperaments fall into this group also, as do those who are so preoccupied with their work or a hobby that they have no interest for sexual functioning. Kinsey has said that humanity is fifty per cent heterosexual, thirty per cent homosexual, and twenty per cent autosexual.
The invert finds sexual pleasure in masturbation, during which he can relate erotically to any person or thing he desires. Masturbation in itself is a form of sexual release which may be used by anyone with no harmful effects but when this form of gratification is used to the exclusion of normal means, it becomes a threat. Many alcoholics fall into the self-love pattern. Unable to find enough emotional satisfactions to gratify themselves, they resort to alcohol or drugs to dull the pain of reality, and live in a world of fantasy. Most alcoholics have a longing for affection which they are unable to gratify. Often they live a solitary existence because of a social anxiety complex, and find security and happiness only in overindulgence in alcohol. At these times, their self-esteem is raised considerably and they are able to be on friendly terms with others about them, particularly those of their own sex. Since they generally can love no one but themselves, they derive little real satisfaction from heterosexual relationships. In looking about me, I find society fitting more and more into this pattern of anti-social behavior. Man is tense and preoccupied, and unable to relate to his fellow man; yet, given a few alcoholic drinks, he immediately regains the charm and ease of manner which he has been lacking. I believe it has become an absolute necessity to restore our civilization to the point where it's inhabitants are able to maintain some level of dignity and self-confidence.
In our story, John, Connie's erstwhile mate, is represented as a first-class voyeur, as well as possessing a number of other outstanding paraphiliac traits. They are many types of voyeurs: those who derive pleasure from seeing without being seen, as the Peeping Tom; those who obtain great satisfaction from watching openly, as the onlookers in a burlesque show; and those who engage in heterosexual sex in front of giant mirrors, or enjoy coitus in the same room with other couples who are also copulating, so as to stimulate the senses through sight. There is also a type of voyeur who receives sexual stimulation by looking at nudist magazines, risque pictures and comic books, etc. With the trend of the times in clothes, television plays and commercials and motion pictures, it would be my guess that there is a bit of the voyeur in each of us. We must remember that there are degrees of toler- ance and intolerance in any known activity. Also, it must be understood that voyeurism and exhibitionism are outgrowths of autoeroticism. Quite often, too, it is the most unattainable which is most desirable to the voyeur. My favorite story in this regard concerns the time I accompanied a friend to an art class, complete with nude female models. The students were all male, and were engrossed in the task of sketching until I noticed that their gazes had been drawn to a window in the building adjoining ours. Closer observation revealed that the window on which all eyes were fastened looked in on a lady's bedroom in which the occupant was removing her undergarments. Although this sight was barely discernible, while in front of the men were several stark-naked girls, the students were straining to catch a glimpse of the forbidden fruit which lay next door.
John's voyeurism is fortified by tendencies toward sadism which are brought out by the wife of his friend. Hesitant at first to venture into this realm of sexual endeavor, he warms to the excitement this form of eroticism brings, once he has taken the whip to his partner's flesh. As is so often the case, John at first bordered on a masochistic temperament, which then evolved into a sadistic personality. Sadism as often upends into some type of masochism because of an individual's intense feelings of guilt. These two deviations are termed sadomasochism, to indicate a form of eroticism in which the infliction or suffering of pain brings about sexual excitation and/or satisfaction. As an example; as you read the accounts of the erotic beatings given to June by her lover, you will identify with either the whipper or the whipped. If you should picture yourself as the one delivering the blows, it still may be that subconsciously you imagine yourself the recipient of the whipping. It is a curious thing, this masochistic-sadistic trend; it is as love and hate, two sides of a coin and just as quickly reversed.
Group sex and wife-swapping have been established since the onset of our most primitive cultures, although as Westermarck pointed out, sexual hospitality among what he called "the lower races" can be viewed as a variation of our modern concept of hospitality in general. In these sexually hospitable societies, only honorable male groups, specially selected, were allowed sexual freedom with various females and never was this courtesy extended to all males. This idea was no doubt the forerunner of our sex clubs in which certain selected couples exchange mates as desired. It was Schnopenhauer who proposed the arrangement called TETRAGAMY, in which two young men marry one young woman and when she has withered, they discard her and marry another young woman, so that the men always have half a young wife each, the young woman always has two husbands, and the two males have each other as friends. According to Schopenhauer, this is physiologically more natural than monogamy. This idea differs from the more usual proposal whereby one male is shared by a number of women. In old Arabia, a husband was known to send his wife to a friend with good physical attributes, so that she might conceive a healthy child. As late as the nineteenth century, Burckhardt, the Arabian explorer, found that the custom still existed whereby a stranger was required to pass the night with his host's wife, and should the lady find him disagreeable, the lower part of his cloak was cut off and he was driven away in disgrace-a custom which paid tribute to the lady's choice. In ancient India it was customary for an honored guest to be allowed the bed of his host's wife. Ancient Britain practiced a communal marriage whereby brothers, fathers and sons shared a group of wives.
In a number of societies, an important factor in the martial rites was the defloration of the bride by a priest or other important male in the community. In the eighteenth century the Abbe Dubois speaks of temples where barren women went to be impregnated by the Gods-the priests, of course, acting in the guise of the Gods.
It is believed by some sociologists that freedom from sexual restraint on specified occasions would release man's tensions and enable him to be invigorated for his routine sex life. This may or may not be true, but as our society now stands, it remains necessary for many a man to walk along two parallels-the line of conformity and the one of non-conformity. He is forever falling to the one level and crawling again up to the other.
In our story, we find four sexually liberal individuals bent on exploration of the libido; four libertines of an unrestrained and promiscuous nature whose erotomania is virtually unparalleled. The author has outdone himself in presenting the broad scope of sexual deviation; there is little in the way of perversion that is not included in Change Partners. Perhaps, occasionally, it is well to tear off the outer shell of social acceptability and lay bare the corrupt inner layers of man's nature. And perhaps sexual deviation does not represent the worst side of humanity. It was William Makepeace Thackeray who wrote in the Nineteenth Century:
"Who loves not wine, women and song, He is a fool his whole life long."
-Leonard A. Lowag, PhD.