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Lust and Attraction

Lust

With all judgments aside, lust is one the major reasons why we have survived as a species. Without lust (the sex drive), leading to reproduction, there would be no future generations of any species. Lust is defined as the craving for sex. And lust, by itself, has no further parameters than to complete a sexual act with another. Later, we will explore how lust and the sex drive evolved into more complex behaviors.

Lust and the fulfillment of sexual desires trigger a very potent biochemical response – the release of the hormones serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine and endogenous opioids (natural, opiate-like pain-pleasure chemicals similar to morphine). All of these substances together represent an amazing formula for relaxing the nerves and muscles, flooding the body with immense pleasure.

Neurobiologists have detailed these biochemicals in their medical studies, “Several observations have highlighted the role of monoamines [dopamine and serotonin] and of neuropeptides, in particular oxytocin, vasopressin and opioids, but this is only the beginning of the story.”(To give you an idea of how immensely complicated the sexual attraction process is explore The Neurobiology of Attraction Journal of Endocrinological Investigation 2003;26 3 Supplement: 58-60.)

Over time, lust evolved into attraction – the difference being that attraction is a focusing of desire upon a specific individual. While attraction can still be regarded as a primitive, biologically based drive, attraction is acknowledged to have a superior biological advantage to primitive lust, in that attraction motivated individuals to select preferred mating partners, thus safeguard mating time and energy and increasing the survival of the species.

Attraction

In the article The Biological Basis of Monogamy, we explored how the hormone oxytocin causes prairie voles in the Midwest plains to bond for life as mates. Unlike their cousin species rats (all part of the rodent family), when prairie voles secrete oxytocin, it travels to brain receptors that trigger the behavior of selecting a permanent mate. In the prairie voles, this identifying of one’s mate occurs through a special scent-detector called the Vomero-Nasal Organ.

Fortunately, humans do not identify each other by smell. People identify each other through facial recognition, voice patterns, body language and an assortment of visual cues. Facial recognition is a lot more complicated that it sounds. A facial expression results from one or more motions or positions of the muscles of the face that forms a complex language of non-verbal communication.

Researchers have dissected and analyzed this process to amazing science of its own, beginning with identifying that our facial expressions are mostly controlled by the seventh pair of cranial nerves, which emerge directly from our brain to provide motor stimulation to the facial muscles. So literally, the actions of these muscles communicate the direct thoughts and feelings we are experiencing.

Facial expressions are one form of non-verbal communication that greatly influences attraction or repulsion between the sexes. Body language, gestures and eye contact are the other major components of non-verbal communication, which tell volumes about our true motives and how we really feel. In fact, one researcher, Albert Mehrabian, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, UCLA, developed his own Mehrabian's rule, which explains that when we speak to the opposite sex: 7% of meaning is in the words that are spoken, 38% of meaning is paralinguistic (the way that the words are said), and 55% of meaning is in facial expression. So clearly, our facial expressions and voice intonations, gestures, and other subtle visual cues (raising of the eyebrow, wink of the eye, genuine smile) are 93% of what the person perceives.

The Duchenne Smile

And speaking of smiles, a French neurologist named Guillaume Duchenne (who was crowned the father of electro-therapeutics), deduced that smiles that result from true happiness are the only ones that form a genuine smile – which is now termed a Duchenne smile). Duchenne smiles are formed by a unique of facial expression by flexing the muscles near both ends of the mouth and around the eyes. (A Duchenne smile contracts the zygomatic (cheekbone) muscles of the cheek and eye, forming crow's feet. The crow's feet indicate that the smile is genuine and that the smiler is truly happy. It is a laughing smile with teeth showing and mouth open.)

Finally, every form of facial expression has been analyzed by a researcher named Paul Ekman (who taught psychology at Princeton and Rutgers), and catalogued according to the anatomical muscles, eyebrows, etc. into the Facial Action Coding System. And neurologists have identified that facial attractiveness is processed to a large degree with the activation of the left ventral tegmental area of the brain.

Types of Attraction

Women’s Attraction to ‘Bad Boys’

Why is the lure of dangerous men that attracts females, especially in their younger years. As rock n’ roll (encapsuling rock, rap, etc.) has shown, teenage girls in the millions go “ga ga” over hard rock eccentric, skuzzy musicians or gangsta thug rappers. Why is this? Why does the traditional loner, outsider, anti-hero in movies stir the passions of so many women? (Even middle-age women adore James Bond and other tough hunks.)

This phenomenon (the mystique of the tall, dark stranger) has been identified in psychology as the Dark Triad of personalities. While psychologists have identified these characteristics as possessing the combination of Machiavellianism (power focused), subclinical narcissism (self-centered), and subclinical psychopathy (risk-taking, anti-social behavior), the lure of this to women has been through several subconscious influences.

First, testosterone is a hormone that in men is linked to more dominant personality traits -- outgoing personalities, charm, and excitement. Second, narcissistic males tend to embellish their tales of sexual conquest, leading women to believe they are more sexually potent.

Women’s Attraction to Males for Long-term Relationships

While youthful girls are smitten with exciting, dangerous boyfriends, these men are usually only successful in short-term relationships or causal affairs.

Adult women, on the other hand, focus on different qualities for a long-term mate. Men who are reliable, responsible, productive and willing to build trust, intimacy and commitment offer more attractive qualities for the long run.

So conclude, we have traced how lust and sexual desire evolve into a different level of attraction that is more socially evolved and more beneficial to the long-term survival of the human race.

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Sources: The Neurobiology of Attraction Journal of Endocrinological Investigation 2003;26(3 Suppl):58-60 Neuropeptides and Social Behavior: Effects of Oxytocin and Vasopressin in Humans Progress in Brain Research Vol. 170 ISSN 0079-6123 Reward, Motivation, and Emotion Systems Associated With Early-Stage Intense Romantic Love Journal of Neurophysiology 94: 327-337, 2005 The Duchenne Smile: Emotional Expression and Brain Physiology: II Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Vol. 58(2), Feb 1990, 342-353 Mehrabian's Communication Research Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) (www.businessballs.com) Dark Triad (en.wikipedia.org) The Dark Triad and Normal Personality Traits Personality and Individual Differences Volume 40, Issue 2, January 2006, Pages 331-33 The Dark Triad of Personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy Journal of Research in Personality Volume

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