EROTICA AND IT'S ROLE IN HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

ORIGIN AND REASON OF EROTICA

Lets trace the route of how Erotica emerged in civilized human society. In early human ancestors, males and females didn't have the need for hiding genitals. However, evolutionarily as humans resembled more to the present form, female body began to show prominent physical changes that males. For instance, breast development and wider hips. Males tended to prefer these features for healthy progeny resulting in conditioned sexual arousal and preference.

At this point, sight of female physique attracted more than one man's attention. But its a fact that a female can give birth to the child of one male only.  Hence is the need for the female features to be out of sight to minimize sexual desire. Along with this need and growing socialization, came the veil, dupatta, burkha etc.

Now coming to the present, the male to female ratio is completely in disruption. As a result, along with prohibitions on sex, there is less opportunity to explore the opposite gender. Ultimately that which is out of sight is generating curiosity.

What is beneath the dupatta needs exploration. Such a need channelizes itself in forms such as fondling without consent by unknown men at literally every place imaginable. Peeking toms and exhibitionists can come out abruptly at any moment to play with the modesty of an unsuspecting woman!

Source: www.psypost.org.

Under such circumstances erotic literature, Kama sutra and pornography made much apparent place. The rationale is that "Look at it with all your time and fantasize all you can".

EFFECTS OF EROTICA ON SEX

Humans have created something extraordinary out of all their basic needs and erotica out of sexual needs is undeniable. Interestingly, there are studies indicating that erotica actually has an impact on how sex as an act is perceived!

What is Erotica? With the term "Erotica", the first thought that comes to mind is of Sexually Explicit Material(SEM). It can be in written, audio, images, videos or in symbolic form. Since sex is a taboo in the socialized world, anything related to sex becomes a taboo as well. That which is obscene more or less in the same way across nations with regards to human sexuality is explicit. On being consumed in any form, SEM brings arousal of sexual in nature.

Remembering the revelation of the famous American serial killer, Ted Bundy, that violent and graphic pornography fueled his desires to kill for sexual pleasure, and looking at the fact, that majority of the rapists(including sexual violence inside marriage) have been reportedly found to be extremely addicted to porn content, it becomes needful to acknowledge that indeed Erotica impacts sexuality and desire, be it in criminals or normal individuals.

Global issues like rape, marital rape, child pornography, teen pregnancies, overpopulation, gender inequality are all overpoweringly throbbing the greater need for understanding this phenomenon of human sexuality and desire.

According to the Social Cognitive Theory of learning by Albert Bandura in psychological studies, humans have the tendency to learn and copy behaviors from others, if not immediately, at a later point when need arises.

QUESTIONS FOR THE READER

Then, we can infer that indeed Erotica is very involved in how humans behave and feel during intimate moments. The question is, how many of us are willing to talk about a topic which we consider as a Taboo, but which we enjoy behind closed doors?

 Without acknowledging that it impacts human thoughts and actions deeply, how much are we going to indulge ourselves in something that has global side effects?

With all kinds of sexual evils and mishappenings on the rise, has it not become the need of the hour to stop treating it as Taboo?

Message for the reader- Talk more, discuss on the issue, and begin the first steps towards social change, so that humans move towards becoming more enlightened and balanced towards their own sexuality and sexual needs!

Annu Biswas