Note: This thesis is the result of Muhammad Hazem's collective efforts and unaccredited reproduction is not permissibleI've watched a very interesting analysis of the vague concept of pleasure from a Buddhist (1). Generally, we can agree that actions that provide satisfactory results in return are pleasure-implicit. This is an approved approach to defining pleasure. What comes next is looking at our actions, one action at a time, and deciding whether they are pleasure-eliciting or not. For example, will going for a football game with my friends the night right before my exam elicit pleasure? Will driving my car at 200 kilometer/hour elicit pleasure? Controversially, the answer is always a confident yes and a confident no. Meaning, depending on the interpreter's approach to defining pleasure and its relation to and influence on other life aspects, the answer will grow. If you get to think about your life, you will find it the result of individualistic efforts to attain happiness, which is a mindset founded upon pleasurable undertakings. Of course, that implies that there are '' right '' and '' wrong '' ways of pursuing this universal and humane aim. Arguably, we can create hundreds of pages simply attempting to conclude the right and wrong ways whereby the aim can be fulfilled. It is because such conclusions are the result of mind work, which can obviously be fueled by personal preferences and concerns, that it is rather impossible to reach universally likable concepts regarding such matters. Generally, however, we can attempt to measure a right or wrong mean by considering the below aspects:
1.
Could it elevate into an addictive practice? 2. Could it impair other life aspects?3. Could it incur a social cost? 4. Could it provide long post-action pleasure? Of all the pursued actions of pleasure, I would like to specifically talk about pornography watching and the usually associated act of masturbation. From a physiological perspective, we are conditioned to desire sex; the old portion of our brain, which is responsible for providing pleasurable feelings as a reward for primitive undertakings such a having sex and eating food, would appreciate one definition of pleasure: act upon cravings. Do not foresee consequences (2). Arguments have been made in favor and against pornography. Scientists proved that the brain changes it constructs, the impairment it causes, and the fact that our brains are not evolved to tolerate the novel nature of pornography are all cues to disregarding it as an act worthy of pursuit (3), whereas others have argued the normality of the phenomenon and the mere fact that it is an advanced way of quenching a raging sexual appetite with no harmful consequences whatsoever.Of course, other damages have been highlighted that go far beyond brain changes to affect spouses, the overall society, and the viewer's individualistic life.Let us start considering the 4 questions below and discuss their compatibility with watching pornography and masturbating to it. The first question is: can it elevate into an addictive practice? I believe that this is a very interesting question because we all instinctively agree that addictions are a bad thing.
The general definition of an addiction is the inability to abstain from an action regardless of its negative consequences. Or, as I've heard it on the beyond today TV show from Gary Antion: Marriage and family counselor, medicating a certain state by going for another uncontrollable state (4); that is, medicating anxiety and stress by watching porn and climaxing to it. So, why can I claim that pornography is addictive? Pornography, which is the depiction of explicit sexual acts intended for arousal, addresses the old part of our brain and activates the reward circuitry which releases dopamine-the molecule of addiction. The old part of your brain cannot tell the difference between an image and a reality. Therefore, if you are viewing an image of a naked woman, you will get the same physiological reactions of realistically seeking a naked woman-increased pulse rate, dilated pupils, and shallow breathing. This is the first point.
One may wonder, '' So, if it is as physiologically normal as seeing a naked body in a sexual intercourse, what is the problem? '' The problem is, sexual intercourse includes 2 participants, pornography includes numerous participants. The edge of pornography is all about novelty and the slot-machine thrill of discovery and cruising countless bodies and scenes. The addictive aspect lies in the unusual dopamine squirt that your brain releases in exchange of what your eyes processes. Pornography is one of the most exciting, thrilling, and fascinating things that can stimulate unequaled pleasure. Additionally, adolescents are susceptible to pornography addiction more than anything as their '' hormones kick-in '' and their sexual appetites reach its ultimate state.
The extreme dopamine squirt may grow to be exclusive to pornography watching, leaving all other actions dull and mundane. Compare between a mouth-watering, delicious piece of cake with the sweetest aroma and a plain cheese sandwich; you cannot expect equal pleasure experiences. What addictions, regardless of their nature, enjoy in common is desensitization, sensitization, and hyperfrontality. Desensitization is the fall in dopamine release as a result of habituation to the source of pleasure and the need for heightening the pleasure sensation by going for more bizarre and extreme imagery. Sensitization is the hyper-stimulation to any cues that may trigger a craving for porn. Finally, hyperfrontality is the weakening of your prefrontal cortex (5)- the part of the brain responsible for impulse control, weighing consequences against each other and evaluation and decision making- where impulse control diminishes and slavery to the addictive practice becomes reinforced.
The porn trap is a famous book about overcoming problems caused by pornography co-authored by Wendy Maltz and Lary Maltz. One of its chapters termed '' the porn relationship '' emphasizes how porn addiction can create a psychological dependency. Simply, in times of distress and turbulence, what medicates can seem to be a very convenient solution. The mere concept of dependency arises from things that we resort to as a solution to an undesirable state. Dependency can be upon your spouse, a chocolate bar, a friend, a favorite song, or pornography. The unfortunate reality is that when exposure to pornography happens accidentally in an early age and grows to be an addiction, the situation is not a simple case of dependency; brain changes occur, sexualization happens, premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction are highly probable, profound self-esteem loss as a result of getting desensitized to plain porn types and going extreme, and many other consequences that magnifies the issue to the point of an addictive practice that can literally screw your life up.
Pornography is addictive because it is not sex; it is much more visually ravishing. It is diverse, it is fascinating, and it is the cake without the calories and the instant pleasure without the pain in the eyes of many (6). You do not have to commit to a person to enjoy a naked body. Surprisingly, porn is the sweet physical part of a relationship, disregarding the distress, communication, intimacy and maturity that come with being committed to a real human being. Pornography is based on the power of the triple As: affordability, accessibility and anonymity (7), giving it a sexy flavor. Simply put, pornography is the ultimate short-term pleasure and the devastating set of long-term and well-rounded consequences.
In conclusion, the answer to the first question is a definite yes. Pornography is a hyper stimulation to your brain that can inspire an addictive practice. As a reader, I believe that you should view ample resources to ascertain the validity of my points. There are a lot of helpful websites out there highlighting the harmful effects of pornography and masturbation to it.
To be continued
List of references:1. Inspired by: Ask a monk: Pornography and masturbation addiction, and addiction in general: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Lg9P-VekA 2: Inspired by: Things you did not know about porn part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Lg9P-VekA 3: Inspired by: Doing what you evolved to do article: http://www.yourbrainonporn.com/doing-what-you-evolved-to-do 4:Inspired by: Beyond Today: Stopping the addiction with porn: http://www.yourbrainonporn.com/doing-what-you-evolved-to-do
5: inspired by: What is the prefrontal cortex-http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-prefrontal-cortex.htm -Maturation of the prefrontal cortex: http://www.hhs.gov/opa/familylife/tech_assistance/etraining/adolescent_brain/Developme nt/prefrontal_cortex/
6: Inspired by: The first introductory video that you can obtain after registration on: http://www.sexualurgecontrol.com/ 7: Inspired by: Your brain on porn (Luke Gilberson): Covenant eyes/page 14/3. Actively engage in community/paragraph no.5
