CriticaLink | Freud: On Narcissism | Terms

Erotogenicity is the activity of any part of the body (including, of course, the genitals) of sending sexually exciting stimuli to the mind. Any part of the body can serve as an erotogenic zone if the ego invests the part with libido--that is, if the part is cathected. The concept of erotogenicity is important to Freud both for his general theory of human sexuality and for his theory of a variety of psychological illnesses, including the neurotic conditions of hypochondria, neurasthenia, and anxiety neurosis.

• Adler, Alfred
• Bleuler, Eugen
• Busch, Wilhelm
• Ferenczi, Sándor
• Heine, Heinrich
• Jung, Carl Gustav
• Kraepelin, Emil

• anaclitic object choice
• anxiety neurosis
• cathexis
• Cogito
• dementia praecox
• erotogenicity
• hypochondria
• hysteria
• idealization
• instinct
• introversion
• libido
• narcissism
• narcissistic object choice
• neurasthenia
• neurosis
• Oedipus complex
• paraphrenia
• primary narcissism
• retrogression
• schizophrenia
• sublimation
• superego
• transference neuroses
• Umwelt
• vicissitude