Sex Radicals: How Depth Psychology Understands Gay Men and Meth Sex

Abstract

A subculture, or underground community, exists where gay men regularly use crystal meth as part of their sexual experience. These men have multiple sexual partners and often gather in groups. They may find themselves staying up for hours, sometimes days, often experimenting with intense sexual practices from sado-masochism to consciously risking HIV infection. Though the use of crystal meth to enhance sexual experience has diminished since its epidemic in the gay community in the mid-2000’s, the phenomenon still exists and draws attention from the medical, political, and psychological communities, all of whom try to explain and help reduce its consequences and help those affected to find treatment. Depth psychology, in particular Jung’s theory of the archetypes, as well as Hillman’s emphasis on the soul’s experience and Freud’s notion of the difficulties inherent in adaptation to civilization, helps understand this phenomenon. This study applies the theory and practice of depth psychology, along with a phenomenological examination of the experiences of five participants who regularly use(d) crystal meth as part of their sexual experience, to offer a response and possible avenue of treatment. Shame, defiance and counterculture, as well as the search for meaning and ultimately for religious experience surface as vital themes and help put this phenomenon in a meaningful context.