efined as “a problematic relationship to a mood altering experience” (Schneider,Weiss, p26)
In his book “The Drug on the New Millennium, the Brain Science Behind Internet Pornography Use” Mark B. Kastleman provides a very detail description of the process that take place inside a pornography viewer brain. But in order to understand these processes it is important to examine how the mechanism was design to work during the regular sexual intercourse. He describes the process as going down the funnel, until the climax as reached. Once the climax is reached a couple slowly begins to emerge back to the reality.
The Narrowing Process of the Healthy Marriage
In a healthy marital relationship, sexual intimacy creates powerful physical, emotional, and chemical changes:
- A Narrowing Process: At the top of the funnel the married couple enjoys a wide perspective of the world and the people around them. Then, as they become physically intimate, their brains begin to narrow in focus… climax is the most narrowly and powerfully focused singular event that the brain can engage in… in order to achieve this place, the brain must narrowly focus its attention and block out all distractions(work, the children, paying bills, etc)
- The Release of Natural Chemicals: To aid … this narrowing process, the brain … begin releasing a flood of endogenous (meaning produced from within) chemicals… These natural chemicals include the following:
- Dopamine: Elevated levels of dopamine in the brain produce extremely focused attention…This chemical causes each spouse to focus intensely on the other at the exclusion of everything else around them… A release of dopamine is associated with craving and dependency in addiction, which may be why it can help produce a healthy attraction and dependency between the spouses…
- Norepinephrine: This chemical generates exhilaration and increased energy by
giving the body a shot of natural adrenaline. Norepinephrine has also been
linked to raising memory capacity. Whatever stimulus is being experienced in the
presence of this chemical is “seared” in the brain. This helps explain how a
couple in love can remember the smallest details of their beloved features…
- Testosterone: …Testosterone is known as the hormone of sexual desire in both man
and women. For man, however, it is the key hormone of desire, triggering feeling
of positive energy and well being…
- Oxytocin: … the flood of oxytocin at climax acts as natural tranquilizer,
lowering blood pressure, blunting sensitivity to pain and stress, and inducing
- Serotonin: This natural chemical is released right after climax, bringing on
deep feeling of calmness, satisfaction and release from stress. Anti-depressant
drug like Prozac are design to increase levels of serotonin.
- The Experience is More Than Just Physical: As husband and wife move down the
funnel together, there is more to the experience than just chemicals released in
the physical body… the mind; heart and spirit are all joined together… 4. A
Climax of Many Things: … the final crescendo resents a culmination of all the
things husband and wife have shared – doing the dishes, paying the bills,
raising the children…all that … make up a marriage.
Just like in marriage, a pornography viewer goes through a similar process. The involved chemicals, however, produce a completely different result.
The Narrowing Process on Internet Porn
When an individual enters the funnel
through the viewing of pornography, the physical and chemical processes are virtually
identical to those in marital sexual intimacy, but with some radical differences
- A Narrowing Process: At the top of the funnel, before beginning to view
pornography, the individual enjoys a wide perspective of the world. Pornography
addicts … describe the top of the funnel as reality: their public self… Just as
in the marriage funnel, the porn viewer begins blocking out distractions – but
he is blocking out much more. He is alone. The object of his narrowing is …
pornographic images. So along with work, paying bills, etc he also begins
blocking out all thoughts of 