The Concept of Bisexuality and Psychiatry1

INTRODUCTION On the occasion of the Silver Jubi lee Celebration of the N I M H A N S , this meeting together of neurologists, clinical psychologists, sociologists and psychiatrists is of significance. Although technically belonging to different disciplines, we all investigate the same subject, man . We all arc acutely aware of the complexities involved in the scientific t reatment of this subject. The re is a strong disparity between the sciences of inert mat ter and those of life, more particularly those of man. Physics and the like sciences are buil t on concepts which can be expressed tersely and clearly in mathematical language. They search for reality beyond the range of common thought. Such is not the position of sciences of man. M a n is an indivisible whole of extreme complexity. N o simple representation of him can be obtained through abstractions or through algebraic equations. There is no scientific method capable of grasping m a n simultaneously in his totality, his par t s and his relations with the external world. We are obliged to seek the help of various techniques and, therefore, to build different disciplines for apprehending our common object, man. Each discipline abstracts from m a n only wha t is at tainable by its special method. But the entirety of h im is left out, and what is left out is too impor tan t to be neglected. We are far from understanding man as a whole. We know him only as composed of distinct parts . In fact, our ignorance is so profound that , notwithstanding the enormous achievements of modern science and technology, humani ty today is caught in a severe crisis, the kind of which it has never before experienced. In the midst of an abundance of mater ia l wealth and technological knowledge, man finds himself a stranger in the world tha t he has created. He feels terribly lonely and frightened, helpless to cope with the stress and strain of modern life. Perhaps, something can be done to apprehend the total man , a bio-psychosocio-cultural integrated being. Perhaps, we the humble workers belonging to the disciplines of neurology, clinical psychology, sociology and psychiatry meet ing here to day can make a common endeavour to search for a perspective and open up a pa th towards understanding man in his totality. Let the words of poet Candidas be our guiding motto : " m a a is the t ru th above all t ruths , there is nothing above t h a t . " With this goal in view, I propose now to examine, in my humble way, the concept of bisexuality.