Active imagination

From S.M.

Dear Lorraine,

Thanks very much for your email. Although the internet has shown I am not alone, your email gave considerable comfort.

Concerning the power of the mackintosh. I have given considerable thought to this enigma over the years. Considering my own experience and comments made on the internet there appear to be some common factors leading to the mackintoshe's power on an individual.

· Most devotees are male and experienced contact with mackintoshes around puberty.

· The sensual nature of the mackintosh and its association with females had a strong effect on adolescents.

· Devotees tend to have active imaginations and their sexual fantasies included mackintoshes. In time the mackintosh becomes a fetish.

· Most are troubled by thier attachment and ensure great secrecy, but their imagination continues to create fantasies.

The result is the mackintosh fetish is tied to the sex drive but is suppressed because of shame. Its power lies in the devotees imagination.

Fondest regards

S.M.

Dear SM

Thank you very much for your letter - sorry for the delay in my replying.

Let me check that I have understood correctly. Could the outline of what you are saying be put like this: when mackintoshes are widely worn by girls they get associated with them in the minds of boys who then get obsessed with macs instead of girls?

If I understand you coorrectly - Yes - this seems to me to be plausible! I like it a lot better than blaming a love for macs on bedwetting!

The next thing I suppose is to discover why only a small number of boys are affected in this way.

(And - my own 'theoretical' obsession) I wonder if you have any thoughts on why smell plays such a part? Is that just because smell plays a part in relationships between girls and boys? (I suppose I'm not sure it does!)

Best wishes

Lorraine

Dear Lorraine

You apologised for a late reply, but I am very late. My apologies, I picked up a virus/worm and it has taken ages to get the system back up.

I'm not sure your outline does catch what I am saying - maybe an over-abbreviation!.

The early recognition of the sensual nature rubberized, plastic, or nylon raincoats may occur in many ways but this does not give the mackintoshes the power which enthusiasts recognise.

The power, I believe, comes from an active imagination, introverted personality, and shame. These factors and the sex drive lead to mackintoshes becoming a fetish. The fetish is in sexual phantasies and secret dreams. The constent longing for the improbable gives the mackintosh its power.

As you see, I tend to doubt the hormone theory. The smell identifies the material and if one has developed an attachment to the material surely the smell would be attractive. I believe the material sets the early interest and the theme developes with time. It seems
some are enthusiasts for nylon macs, others pvc, and many latex. The common factors are soft supple sensual materials. It is not surprising that such materials become stimulating after all silks and satins have been used for some time.

One can theorize that sensual nature of the materials can result in sexual stimulation for some. It becomes much more difficult to rationalize the powerful attraction of these materials in the form of mackintoshes.

As you see Lorraine I am struggling to understand.

Fond regards

S. M.