Paraphilias
-
- newbie
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2017 3:24 pm
- Age: 25
- Pronouns: she/her
- Location: USA
Paraphilias
Is there a scientific reason known for why humans experience paraphilias? Do other organisms experience them as well?
-
- previous staff/volunteer
- Posts: 10320
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 9:06 am
- Age: 33
- Awesomeness Quotient: I raise carnivorous plants
- Primary language: english
- Pronouns: she/her
- Sexual identity: queer
- Location: Coast
Re: Paraphilias
Hi Kittyivymusu,
There's a lot of debate about what creates or nurtures paraphilias. Some people argue that they are picked up or conditioned into a person during childhood, while others argue that there may be a deeper psychological or biological source. Other people point out that paraphilias can arise later in life, or be attached to a specific partner and not generalizable to a person's whole sexual history. In other words, nobody is really quite sure as to their origin. As for other organisms experiencing them, it's unlikely that they do. The whole concept of paraphilia requires a concept of "normal" and "abnormal" sexuality, which other organisms don't have (I suppose humans could identify those behaviors within other species, but I can't say how much that actually happens).
There's a lot of debate about what creates or nurtures paraphilias. Some people argue that they are picked up or conditioned into a person during childhood, while others argue that there may be a deeper psychological or biological source. Other people point out that paraphilias can arise later in life, or be attached to a specific partner and not generalizable to a person's whole sexual history. In other words, nobody is really quite sure as to their origin. As for other organisms experiencing them, it's unlikely that they do. The whole concept of paraphilia requires a concept of "normal" and "abnormal" sexuality, which other organisms don't have (I suppose humans could identify those behaviors within other species, but I can't say how much that actually happens).
And you to whom adversity has dealt the final blow/with smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go/turn to and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain/and like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again.
-
- scarleteen founder & director
- Posts: 9703
- Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:43 am
- Age: 54
- Awesomeness Quotient: I have been a sex educator for over 25 years!
- Primary language: english
- Pronouns: they/them
- Sexual identity: queery-queer-queer
- Location: Chicago
Re: Paraphilias
Object attachment is something we see in other species, mind, we just can't really say if those feelings are sexual or not because we lack the inter-species communication to do that!
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead