The Fantasy Factor

By Peter Dally

How do our sexual fantasies influence our lives?

Sex is no longer the taboo subject it once was, but many people still feel ashamed of their sexual fantasies. Delving beneath layers of social shame and stigma, Dr. Peter Dally examines the classic psychology surrounding sex and desire. Using fascinating real-life cases, The Fantasy Factor explores intimacy, consent, social norms and deviancy to shed light on an increasingly liberal society.

Are sadistic and masochistic tendencies far more common than we’d like to admit? What do they reveal about us? And how are these tendencies expressed at work and in our daily lives? Are our desires a power that can be harnessed or a disorder to be treated? Covering marriage, fetishes, pornography and even witch-hunting, The Fantasy Factor examines the lure of sexual fantasy that has been a constant throughout history.

Dr. Peter Dally (1923-2005) was the senior consultant psychiatrist at the Westminster Hospital, London, until his retirement in January 1988.