I have been reading In the Shadows of the Net by Patrick Carnes, David Delmonico and Elizabeth Griffin. Though the book is now dated with its statistics (and due for another edition), its principles and concepts are accurate and worth reading. In their fourth chapter, they discuss one’s arousal template, that is, the various preferences for what turns us on sexually, “the total constellation of thoughts, images, behaviors, sounds, smells, sights, fantasies, and objects that arouse us sexually” (54). He immediately after that says, “While most of us, if we’re asked, can describe what turns us on, we generally react unconsciously to these sexual stimuli.” One’s arousal template is developed through a complicated process involving (1) physiology, biology and genetics, (2) culture, religious and ethnic, (3) family history, (4) experiences, (5) sexual history and (6) abuse and/or exploitations (55).
However, a couple pages later, he says, “There are situations, thoughts, actions, places, and images that trigger your arousal template. Often, however, you’re not very aware of them, but you find yourself sexually aroused anyway” (57-58). So there are triggers and there are arousal templates. Note that the arousal template is the “total constellation” while triggers are only causes to parts of the template.
Now, the important part in all this semi-complicated psychology is that internet pornography or cybersex, as these authors like to call it, can become part of one’s arousal template and even change it!
It used to be thought that one’s arousal template could not change. Well this was because people were generally more conservative in their behaviors, but now in the wake of the internet and cybersex, we know that one’s arousal template can change rather fluidly. This is because people become engrossed, addicted, and obsessed with internet pornography. Then with this new obsession, one begins to investigate “their sexuality” further and further into more and more depraved settings, even to breaking the law (child pornography). We all can now do this faster and faster thanks to the evolution of the internet (from 28.8 kbps [was there something prior to this?] to T3/DSL/Cable, even beyond).
Do you know what your arousal template is? Do you know what your triggers are? Please post comments about what triggers you have.
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