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In her opening remarks, Bibring noted that masturbation is a borderline phenomenon which is accepted as both a normal biopsychological process and one that is often treated as pathological. She struck the keynote of the panel in suggesting the continued need for our scientific inquiries into this ubiquitous phenomenon, to further our understanding of the place and function of masturbation.
Irwin M. Marcus presented a historical survey of the literature. The many and varied contributions he briefly summarized included references to Freud, the 1912 Discussion, Annie Reich, Anna Freud, Ernst Kris, Bornstein and others.
In order to devote this report to the stimulating clinical considerations of the panel, I will not dwell on the valuable contributions of the past. Suffice it to say that masturbation, masturbation conflicts, and the associated fantasies and dreams were recognized early by Freud. Freud observed the occurrence of symptoms and clinical syndromes as related to conflicts in this area and later broadened the concept of masturbation to include all forms of autoerotic stimulation. As Sidney Levin pointed out in the discussion, Freud emphasized that pathological fixations could arise either from excessive suppression or inadequate suppression of masturbation and masturbation fantasies.
The physiological effects of masturbation have long ceased to be a concern, but the dynamic interaction of object relations, masturbatory activity,