A psychological challenge for all men is the capacity to maintain, as Freud suggested, a "phallic position" toward romantic partners in adulthood.  By the term "phallic position" Freud was attempting to differentiate metaphorically the erotic nature of adult male sexuality (i.e., to be "firm" and "penetrate") from the infantile sexuality of childhood (i.e., to be dependent on and soothed by a powerful maternal figure). Throughout all of his work, Freud demarcated the successful transition from infantile to adult/erotic sexuality as the main criterion by which a man achieves psychic health, enabling him to set goals, compete, achieve, and maintain a solid sense of self in relationships as well as in professional and leisure pursuits.  However, for the contemporary heterosexual man, a surprisingly common phenomenon is movement and shifting between the phallic position and more regressed, primitive forms of being reminiscent of infantile sexuality.  Nowhere is this more notable than in a heterosexual man's romantic relationship with his female partner.  In the next meeting of the Men's Group on Saturday, August 20, 2016, 10:45 AM to 12:00 PM noon,  I will describe in more detail the components of infantile sexuality and the phallic position, and outline what supports or obstructs the transition from the former to the latter.  I will specifically address the most common derailment of this transition, i.e., when a man begins to treat his female partner not as lover but as mother.  This erosion of the erotic bond between partners typically occurs gradually and insidiously, may be signaled by a reduction in or loss of sexual desire, and is commonly manifested in more superficial couples' complaints and problems including poor communication, unresolved conflict, jealousy/cheating, and perceived inequities in tasks and responsibilities.