Autoeroticism: When the Thing that Turns You on the Most Is…You
When you see yourself naked, are you totally aroused? Do you daydream about hooking up with yourself after work? Are you basically your own definition of slampiece?
By Natasha Burton
Related: A Few Notes on Office "Slampieces"
Working at Cosmo, you'd think that I've heard every sex term written, uttered, or conceived, ever. So, imagine my surprise-and delight!-when I got to add a new word to my vocab list today: Autoeroticism, as in being sexually aroused by yourself. (Which, as it turns out, should not be confused with creeptastic, watching-himself-in-the-mirror-during-sex Christian Bale in American Psycho.)
A psychologist recently wrote a fascinating a piece for Psychology Today on the term and some of the misconceptions surrounding it. Autoeroticism, like other sexual preferences and sexualities, works in degrees. So, if you enjoy getting down for some solo lovin' from time to time, then you're at least somewhat turned on by your (sexy ass) self. However, full-on autoerotic (or autosexual) peeps are solely aroused by themselves, meaning that they actually prefer masturbation to being with another person.
Related: How to Spice Up Your Solo Sex Life
As a self-professed autoeroticist dude quoted in the article explains: "While I have some romantic attraction to females, I do not consider myself extremely attracted to women...Nope, I am just autosexual. This does not mean I am a raging narcissist . . . but when it comes to the erotic, nobody can attract me like myself (yes, I do have a lot of mirrors) and definitely prefer masturbation (which I consider making love to myself) to any sort of intercourse."
Those who truly identify with this kind of sexuality find it fulfilling, not lonely. As another autosex person said, "I feel really attracted to myself, even in love. . . . [I think] autoromanticism better describes the nature of my sexuality. . . . Other people do not give me the same deep emotional connection as I seem to have with myself."
Kinda fascinating, huh? Just goes to show that what turns us on-and makes us feel emotionally fulfilled-can be as different and unique as each individual person. Hey, whatever works for you, I say.
Read more at Cosmopolitan.com!
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