The role of unconscious homosexuality in the paranoid constellation

The literature dealing with Freud's original concept of unconscious homosexuality in the paranoid constellation is reviewed. Many of the more recent contributions view unconscious homosexual features as secondary to others; as such, they are pseudophenomena. This communication suggests that unconscious homosexuality in the male is denied, rejected, and projected because the passive, anal, sadomasochistic aspects are felt as degrading and humiliating. In the female, unconscious homosexuality is also felt as degrading and humiliating. In both sexes, the feeling of humiliation derives from real experiences in childhood. Unconscious homosexuality is viewed as the organizing principle in the paranoid constellation.