The Role of Olfaction in Sexual Development

Abstract

Physiological studies of the olfactory sense in animals clearly establish a relationship between olfaction and sexual function. A number of observations indicate that such a relationship also exists in humans where, however, psychological considerations assume greater importance. Though affective responses to body odors are a common experience, their psychoanalytic implications have remained largely unexplored. Recently, evidence linking olfactory dreams reported by patients undergoing analysis to oedipal figures has pointed to the possible importance of olfaction in psychosexual development. Detailed observations of a male child in the oedipal phase are presented which support this possibility and suggest that the sense of smell plays a crucial role in the evolution of the Oedipus complex and in the establishment of sexual identity.