Love, Sex, and Pheromones
Internet romances may fade the instant the couples smell each other for the first time. Officially we call it "psychoneuroendocrinology", but it is the smell of love that gets to us all. Love has a science and a chemistry all of it's own.
Most human perfumes are floral scents on top, and essences of animal sweat and anal glands underneath.
We humans are definite slaves to our hormones and chemicals. The most expensive human perfumes are often made with an extract called “civetone” which is extracted from the anal glands of the African civet cat. ( I don't even want to know how they get it out of there ! )
Butt why do we do it ?
Smell is the most primitive of our senses, and the one that seems most linked to lust and affection. So perfumes are big business and interesting science. For both med and dogs.
We have known for decades that pheromones can affect the behavior of lower animal species. The equivalent of animal Love Potion No. 9. (The most expensive animal perfume in the world is for dogs is Chateau Poochie – at $4000 a bottle it smells like dog butt.) For those with more blue - collar tastes and a limited budget there is always "Butt So Fresh ".
The Athena Institute for Women's Wellness Research...
in Pensylvania squirted heterosexual male volunteers with pheromones "designed to improve the romance and their lives". Each subject kept daily behavioral records for such socio-sexual behaviors as kissing, informal dates, formal dates, sleeping next to a romantic partner, and sexual intercourse. Pheromone users were much more likely to engage in all of these behaviors. (Men wishing to purchase this perfume can mail ten dollars to this web site.)
Pheromones are why ...
- Women tend to end up on "his" side of the bed, or wear his shirts or robe while he's away
- Why a child's security blanket or teddy bear lose its appeal when washed
- Why dancing is a courtship ritual common in nearly every culture
- Why the menstrual cycles of women who live or work together become synchronized
- Why libido (the sex drive) peaks during the middle of a woman's monthly menstrual cycle
- What makes the sports hero, or the "macho" man so attractive to most women
- Why libido declines with age
- Why sexual variety is the spice of life?
- Why men and women develop sexual attractions that were not present before puberty
- odors are more important than visual stimuli in determining sexual attraction
- the sequence of our courtship
- Why tall, dark, and handsome is merely a visual description of a masculine scent signature
-Why women smell most appealing to men while ovulating
- affect the developemental timing of puberty
- determine our personal preferences in a member of the opposite sex
- are why testosterone levels are lower in married men than bachelors
Sexual Behaviour of Women ....
varies with monthly cycles of the “hormones of love”. Nightclub based research has shown that young women wear shorter skirts and generally show more surface skin during the time when they are ovulating.)
The Monel Institute for the Chemical Senses has shown that women have a preference for the sweaty T shirt of their partners over that of random male sweaty T shirts. This subconscious smell effect also explains the habit many women have of wearing one of their partner’s stinky old shirts during times of separation and loneliness.Menopause often brings a frustrating decrease in sexual behavior. (Maybe that is why it is called Men – Pause. ) But small amounts of the male sex hormone androgen (the hormone responsible for lust in both sexes) significantly boosts “interest” in romantic events in both men and women.
The "V" Spot - the Vomero Nasal Organ (VMO)
This most interesting anatomical discovery since the finding of the G spot has been description of a previously unknown sexual organ hard-wired to the areas of the brain that handle sexual interest. This newly discovered organ, the “vomero-nasal organ” exists in pits and grooves within the nasal cavity. Neurons go directly from this tissue to the areas of the brain obsessed with desire and love. (So maybe there is something to the “big nose” theory after all.) The vomero-nasal organ is also involved in maternal bonding to infants. It also helps to explain why inhaled smells have such a profound effect on love and attachment.
The effect can be completely subconscious and subliminal. Inhaling small amount of certain hormones can stimulate the vomeronasal organ and boost sexual interest without the Sniffer even being aware of a detectable scent. If it happens to be included with Chanel No. 9 -- so much of the better!
Oxytocin - the "Hormone of Love " ...
is Oxytocin is another hormone that is usually thought of as being involved with breast feeding and uterine function. It also is involved in love behaviour. Rats that are fed extra oxytocin are more attentive to their mates. Oxytocin may turn out to be the sensitive new age hormone! Nipple stimulation is the trigger for the release of oxytocin, which helps explain why this activity boosts loving attitudes towards both breast feeding infants and sexual partners. Oxytocin has been nicknamed the "cuddle hormone".
Humans may even be able to sniff out ...
appropriate organ donors and partners. Acceptance or rejection of tissue transplants is controlled through an immunologic mechanism called the Major Histocompatability Complex, or MHC.
MHC differs dramatically from their own. (In normal language this means you sniff out and fall for people who have a different blood type than you (to encourage genetic diversity ) .
Humans seem programmed to find someone more desirable who’s MHC differs dramatically from their own. (In normal language this means you sniff out and fall for people who have a different blood type than you (to encourage genetic diversity ) .
Love is blind, but really knows how to sniff.
Those smells tell a lot about the genetics of the person being smelled. So genes as well and jeans affect who we fall in love with. And the next time you are walking in the park and see dogs rush over and sniff each others backsides, don’t feel so superior. They are doing exactly the same thing that we do. The dogs are just better at it, and a wee bit less inhibited.