We don't really have a medical consensus on what it means to be "addicted" to something.  The general ideas surrounding addiction is that it is a behavior that is compulsive/obsessive (e.g. very hard for the patient to stop) that interferes with their quality of life in a material way.  It is generally well known, for example, that patients in recovery from substance use disorders often turn to behavioral addictions, such as gambling (in the DSM) and pornography (not in the DSM).  But I think the test for whether a pornography user is "sick" needs to be based on the impact on the patient's QoL and not on some arbitrary standard.  My view is that behavioral addictions (see the literature on exercise addiction, for example) are valid addictions (illness) when a patient is using the behavior exclusively for the purpose of (1) avoiding facing real-life problems and (2) up regulating the same neurotransmitters that would be augmented artificially, say in the case of Opioid Use Disorder (DSM5-304.xx),  Intense exercise up regulates endorphins, which are opioids and can produce the same feelings of contentment/relaxation/etc as exogenous chemical opioids.  But when does a behavior, such as viewing pornography or exercising intensely, become addictive (and not merely healthy, or in the case of pornography, a form of entertainment).  How much pornography is too much pornography?  I think the answer is idiosyncratic, based on the individual patient, and if there is to be a future Pornography Use Disorder, its key metric should be on whether it causes the patient to become isolated (negative impact on psychiatric health) and interferes with their normal functioning in other aspects of life, and most of all, if the patient WANTS TO STOP viewing pornography but CANNOT STOP.  In that case, I think the patient does have a behavioral addiction that justifies treatment of some kind.  

I believe, when a renowned person creates it is known as art and when other do it, is called pornography.

We don't really have a medical consensus on what it means to be "addicted" to something.  The general ideas surrounding addiction is that it is a behavior that is compulsive/obsessive (e.g. very hard for the patient to stop) that interferes with their quality of life in a material way.  It is generally well known, for example, that patients in recovery from substance use disorders often turn to behavioral addictions, such as gambling (in the DSM) and pornography (not in the DSM).  But I think the test for whether a pornography user is "sick" needs to be based on the impact on the patient's QoL and not on some arbitrary standard.  My view is that behavioral addictions (see the literature on exercise addiction, for example) are valid addictions (illness) when a patient is using the behavior exclusively for the purpose of (1) avoiding facing real-life problems and (2) up regulating the same neurotransmitters that would be augmented artificially, say in the case of Opioid Use Disorder (DSM5-304.xx),  Intense exercise up regulates endorphins, which are opioids and can produce the same feelings of contentment/relaxation/etc as exogenous chemical opioids.  But when does a behavior, such as viewing pornography or exercising intensely, become addictive (and not merely healthy, or in the case of pornography, a form of entertainment).  How much pornography is too much pornography?  I think the answer is idiosyncratic, based on the individual patient, and if there is to be a future Pornography Use Disorder, its key metric should be on whether it causes the patient to become isolated (negative impact on psychiatric health) and interferes with their normal functioning in other aspects of life, and most of all, if the patient WANTS TO STOP viewing pornography but CANNOT STOP.  In that case, I think the patient does have a behavioral addiction that justifies treatment of some kind.  

When you spend more time looking at paper  - and masturbating to what you are looking at - than looking on your wife or a real women,  then you know you are addictive to pornography.

For me who has been drawing nudes in art school this question is hurtful. You never abuse a model in art but so called porn stars are badly abused. In abuse the phenomenon of identification with the abuser (STockholm syndrom) appears and the abused cannot escape anymore. Of course it happens that some crazy artists (for example just seen in art galleria two photos of erect penises) blur the understanding of real art. I would not have accepted those pictures in an art galleria. Real art leaves something to the imagination, it awakes good feelings or activates good actions; porn gives bad aftertaste and unfaithfulness . The young persons are seduced by TV and computers to perceive perversion as "normal phenomenons".

Movies,  magazines, writings, photos, or other materials that are sexually explicit and intended to cause sexual excitement

Perception of Pornography is in the mind of the perceiver. In some people, anything and everything can arouse lust; what that arouses lust in one may not arouse it in another (bhinna ruchi lOka, ie The world/people differ in their tastes).

'Seven Minutes' by Irving Wallace ( a fictional account of the effects of pornography and the related arguments about freedom of speech) is must read for all who want to study about pornography. I have read it and it is worthwhile reading. One of his bst books

Narayanan

It depends how one see. One may see such pictures as art! Another  may see it as pornography!

What ever it is, it must be presented in artistic and decent manner? How it is presented and how it is perceived?

Matters a lot!

Unfulfilled desire, exhibitionism and over enthusiasm to last forever. 

taking pornographic content has been created. Expand and improve the broadcast media and the Internet, has an important role in the prosperity of the industry. Of course, different countries have different rules for shaping the industry. Statistics show that 50% of Internet users regularly watch porn

Dear Subhash C. Kundu ·

We are not talking about paintings like in Kamasutra. Those men who defend western pornography are probably those who keep it going, the abuse of children women and animals as Cecilia said. Imagine that Sweden had to put into legislation shortly that it is forbidden to have sex with an animal. Some people really stem from apes or the apes would feel ashamed to be their relatives! Now it is evidence based!

Pornography: Rape of romance and love. Commercial depiction of sensuous, lovely, memorable experience of life.

Dear Cecilia,

This site you recommended formulates the steps to addiction very well: 

Five Stages of Addiction

Early exposure. Most guys who get addicted to porn start early. They see the stuff when they are very young, and it gets its foot in the door.

Addiction. Later comes addiction. You keep coming back to porn. It becomes a regular part of your life. You're hooked. You can't quit.

Escalation. After a while, escalation begins. You start to look for more and more graphic porn. You start using porn that would have disgusted you when you started. Now it excites you.

Desensitization. Eventually, you start to become numb. Even the most graphic, degrading porn doesn't excite you anymore. You become desperate to feel the same thrill again but can't find it.

Acting out sexually. At this point, many men make a dangerous jump and start acting out sexually. They move from the paper and plastic images of porn to the real world.

Dear All,

I think pornography is commercialized sexuality (and all its collateral – visual, tonal, pseudo-literature products) which are distributed in order to exploit human sexual misery. Pornography is a kind of exploitation as well as a manifestation of human anti-culture.

Dear All

Could pornography (in some form) have been the first immorality?

Narayanan

Cf Sodom and Gomorra, no cameras available

See kamasutra, kOkasatra, etc. May be our ancients were doing what we preach or preach not to do now days. May be their memories are haunting our brains. May be they did these to learn biology; who knows?

Narayanan

Perversion was never done with the intention to learn biology

It is a mental disorder being exploited for commercial benefit. In no other  way it can be explained. Am not an expert in medicin but my understanding is that the basic human instincts make us search for answers and that need gap is being commercially exploited. It is a big social challenge which people are not willing to discuss and stop. Results of It are being faced by nations and society.

I personally feel that pornography is a good addition to the internet given that we already have to use it. The internet itself has made us lazy and reliant on technology, but it will not go away and that is a discussion for a different time anyway.

I say that it is a good addition to the internet because, when not used excessively, it can be a great outlet to let out some sexual aggression that inevitably comes with our modern capitalist lifestyles (I can only vouch for the US here, but it is very real). Maybe it could prevent some rape in India, as I hear this is a problem. As usual, some people will not understand that too much of anything is not good, but I guess that is also kind of another issue...

Given the very broad spectrum of things that are called "art", why not call pornography art as well? When done right it is very beautiful.

Well, Cory

Then it should be a science; may be called Pornology. For our Ancients it must have been so. It also involves a lot of experimentation, isn't it, and to many it is mostly boring (that means it is a Science)

;)

Narayanan

Cory,

"Given the very broad spectrum of things that are called "art", why not call pornography art as well? When done right it is very beautiful". If you write this you are either numb to the pain caused by the porn industry or you already took some steps on the addicton ladder. Rape is not at all sexuality, it is purely instrumental aggression and the "outlet" theory is out!

The legal definition of what constitutes pornography has become increasingly murky in the years since the advent of the internet.  Particularly so when considering issues such as sexual exploitation and underage youths in particular.  Generally speaking, modelling is not considered 'pornographic' unless the images constitute something 'sexually suggestive or provocative'.  Yet, this is an entirely qualitative assessment.  While on one hand we can come to a consensus whether or not an image is truly sexual in nature, it is by no means a consistent standard which we can apply across all times and places.  For instance, an image which one person finds sexually appealing might be in no way arousing to another.  The example coming to my mind is human feet, the sexual fetish being known as podophilia.  Myself, I 'hate' feet.  I cannot think of a less attractive part of the human anatomy.  At meetings I can hardly look under a conference table for fear that I might see a foot.  However, for others this is an absolute fixation which occupies the whole of their sense of sexual identity.  Therefore, an image of a foot (shoe catalogs, etc) might constitute 'pornography' for an individual, whereas for myself it is entirely repulsive.

Yet, on the issue of pornographic addiction.  It would seem equally difficult to assess what truly constitutes an addiction versus a fascination.  I would estimate that pornography has become an addiction when it genuinely interferes with ones productivity and quality of living.  I've heard of 'pornography addicts' who have genuine issues with things such as marriages, jobs, etc.

A more pressing problem remains however, as I've heard argued elsewhere, that pornography is essentially 'filmed' prostitution.  Now, I believe that (according to myself and others anyway) that sex work should be entirely legal.  Yet, in the spirit of consistency, it is entirely absurd that the sex worker should be criminalized as a villain, whereas the porn star is regarded as an 'adult film actor/actress'.  The stigma and criminality attached to the former is entirely antithetical to the accepting nature of the latter.  If we wish to be consistent in both theory and legal practice we cannot criminalize one and not the other.  Although I've voiced the opinion already, I believe that both should be legal.  Yet, the issue remains on problems such as sexual exploitation and trafficking, both of which are fed by the black market in illicit pornography.

Dear All

@Nicholas: Generally, non-availability causes withdrawal symptoms in the case of addiction, and none in the case of habituation; fascination need not entail indulgence. Can pornography addiction be associated with withdrawal symptoms?

Do animals have pornographic thoughts. I learned that female ducks are one of the most raped animals (Actually I was after the Etymology of ducks name in mMalayalam in a Biolinguistics perspective) Like humans, they also have two ovaries and almost a 'vagina and hymen', and almost 'menstruate' where as hens have only one ovaries and no other vagina etc (description given not exact). The name for ducks in Malayalam very phonetically similar to the word for menarche (start of menstruation). Any 'Animal pornologists' around?

Narayanan

The female mouse has also an estrus cyclus (as written in my paper). Still I thought there is a difference between the human beings and the animals, but I am obviously wrong!

Dear Beatrice

Of course many mammals have these; after all humans are also mammals. I was just studying ducks; and they compared it with hens. I am not sure about the other birds. Only thing sure is the similarities between ducks (and not hens) with human femals. In our literature too, walking like a Swan (it is just a glorified duck; just as Big bEn is a glorified watch:)) is considered as ideal and poets use this a lot! And the meaning of the name fits in with all these aspects.

Narayanan

After reading most of the contributions of my RG colleagues, I think that they provided more & possibly better than what I may say. However, my sincere advice is: beware dear RG friend from 2 tools that may be used for blackmailing & intimidation : money ,sex, or combination of both. Many "so-called personalities" have fallen into the trap & became slaves for other persons by one of these tools or both.

Béatrice,

I actually prefer porn where the women are doing it on their own accord. Maybe that is TMI (too much information), but I don't condone mistreatment of women either... Call me an insensitive man, but I feel like this is a different issue.

Narayanan,

Haha I bet if colleges offered a major in pornology a lot of people would study it. Science is only boring if you are not interested!

Cory,

"When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things."

The term pornography (derived through the French pornographie, from greek πόρνη, "prostitute", and γραφία, "written") indicates the treatment or representation, through writings, drawings, photographs, films, shows, etc., of subjects or obscene images, made with the principal aim of stimulating erotically the reader or viewer.

Dear Cory,

It is true that there would drive lots of interest if we had such a course. I have been writing an article on that topic and one friend took it from me without my permission, so earger he also to have a copy of that material.  I was showing it to him to get his perception on the subject and to proof read it too.

Sudeep, you opinion is of a great help. Please do not worry if you are an specialist or not. I want to see your impressions on that topic.

Brenda, thanks for the good links. Pornography was never meant to teach anyone anything. I agree with Beátrice. We should not fool ourselves and not let others fool us. People who see pornography regularly if not sick, they will be in most of the cases. Not all that drink beer will be addicted to it and so is with Pornography but a lot do get addicted soon or later. This make everyone who looks for it to be trapped. No matter how rich, your age, your sex. If you can understand what you see, that is all that is needed to have evolve to an addiction and change of brain circuitries.

Dear Ierardi,

Do I really need to look at this picture here in this discussion on RG? Is any man  unaware what we are talking about. Did this topic need an illustration?

Once again I am forced to look at the ugleness of the reality. I have seen this before, it is hurtful as Cecilia pointed out, we women do not enjoy to have these pictures in our faces all the time NOT even on RG.

Dear All

Nor do men need popups, porn or not. I didn't see Ierardi's photo.

It is all a question of time, inclination and availability; and also the more you feed on something, the more you want it.

The basic biological problem is the prostate, and the food we eat. I read somewhere that Man is the only meat eater with a prostate! Imagine if wolfs (real wolfs I mean) had prostate!

Essentially, meat and cheese (remember wine and cheese) are not good food  to reduce Hyperprostatism, and pornographic tendencies.

As regards the Indian Books and Art, personally I think that they were studying this just as they studied everything.

I have been to Sun Temple, Konark, Orissa, where largest number of Rock sculptors are seen. There also many other sciences hidden there. None of the sculptors were erotic. Families including children are regular visitors.

The Guruvayur Temple in Kerala has many great pictures, truly erotic, that I have seen as a child. But now a days authorities do not allow even adults to look at them. May be what was not erotic at that age has now become erotic!

This is a Temple where many childless couples go and stay for 41 days or so, do penancing and early morning bath (and of course strict vegetarian diet even for non-vegetarians); and many later are blessed with child. I believe ancient eroticism was intended for couples to have a full married life, and may be this helped in conceiving too. It is all related to the mind too, and not only the body.

Dear Cecilia, this temple is more than 100 years, and a masterpiece of Kerala Architecture; the idol is that of Krishna. This is most frequented by mothers who see Krishna as a baby, and women who see the same Krishna as a lover, and men just follow them.

Narayanan

Dear Béatrice,

I understand how offend you can be with that picture Lerardi has posted, but as Cecília put it, it can be from a cathedral and its meaning was not to provoke sexual arousal, therefore it is not pornographic. I don't like that myself, but lately I have seen lots of it so that I can understand and see why people are attracted to such an image. I do understand that for a woman it is repulsive and I appologize for that, but I am sure Lerardi just meant to illustrate a concept. I did not know of that representation and it will help me. Once more, please accept my appologies for bringing to RG such a question. This is the second time I approach here a question related to that topic. The other one was about government policies to treat that problem.

Dear Vilemar,

Pas de quoi,  no one needs sexual arousal on RG, but all questions can be discussed.

Well..Cecilia...... maybe for some people, their sin of habit is pornography—and they ... The truth, as we were just saying, is that we do so piece by piece, bit by bit, with ... What all this means is that God has an impossibly high ability to forgive us. ... And step by step, address those behind-the-scenes problems

Dear Vilemar and Cecilia

As I said, there is this Temple (Guruvayur, Kerala; it is 1000 or so years old and not 100 as I mentioned) where childless couples do go for prayers to the God. We call it 'Bhajana'. They stay in the temple premises and usually eat food provided by the temple. Strictly vegetarian and very frugal (Meat, as I said earlir may stimulate prostate and porn thoughts, but may be decreasing the nature of the sperms). Along with that the 'Erotic picture' may stimulate. May be it is needed as a supplement. I have known of even Medical students who are ignorant of Sexual activity; this is not taught even in Medical schools. May be all these plus the psychological stimulation and belief does something valuable. Unlike animals, human does not really know about sex. It must have been an age when sex was intended for having children, and the pleasure was secondary.

I saw the picture. It does show explicit sexual acts and I think it is from Konark. As I said, crowds, men and women, Indians and Foreigners, all see it together without any feeling ashamed. May be you may not encourage children or you may divert their attention if they appear too curious. This is also what you do when children asks about how babies are born. You might feel embarassed, that is all; just as you feel when the temple elephants' penis comes out in the midst of the procession (this is not uncommon site) and the child wants to know what it is.

I think these were considered as necessary erotic and not as pornography as we do today. there must be some distinction between the two

Narayanan

Very true. Many are being touted as pornography. As I said, in Konarak, all can see all the sculptors; but in Guruvayoor, none is allowed to see. So the perceptions of the management, or rather how they think the public will percieve it, are different. This in essence is the difference between pornography, art and, may be, eroticism too.

I never meant that Western Scholars alone consider these as pornography. Many facets of India or Orient came got their standing only because of the ability and keenness of the Western Scholars.

Narayanan

Dear Cecília,

You are right about the missing NOT. I have already fixed it. Thanks for your comprehention. If there is any other amandment needed just let me know.

Vilemar,

I hope you get your stuff out before that other guy does. Imitation is a form of flattery, as you probably know already.

All,

I am no archeology professor but I am fairly certain that sculptures of nude people were fully intended to be beautiful pieces of art. Correct me if I am wrong. If not, then we would need to delve into the history of human evolution and determine when people (and other animals, for that matter) started pleasuring themselves because it felt good or, maybe more appropriately, when they started feeling embarrassed or offended by nudity.

I have heard that nudism becomes un-erotics after a few days in a Nudist camp; animals are also not aroused by nudity. This tells us something, isn't it. As I said earlier, we came to like when we, with a prostate, started eating meat or it may be the reverse. And I have read somewhere that in females, breasts are equivalent to the prostste. And come to think of it these two organs are the cause of the modern day scourge of cancer. May be humans deserve it!

Narayanan

Dear All,

I think pornography regarding its artistic value is a kitsch product. Pornography serves deformed demands of some who cannot approach sexuality in a healthy way. Pornography as a kitsch product simulates as this approach would be the real demand of a social layer. It may be dangerous mainly for young people because it can deform their desires and ability for intimacy of life.

The presented picture is a typical kitsch which presents a woman as a sexual object.

Dear Rahul,

I do not agree with your comment. Pornography as a “style” and business has nothing to do with the celebrity of the performer. Pornography is when a sexual act is depicted because of this act.

About the first part of your question I think that others have answered to you yet. About the art question I think that art is a peculiar way to express himself and pornography is made to give sexual arousal. Maybe someone is even an artist in this purpose. For the question you did not ask but a lot of people answered to you the same, I think that the majority of user of porno are not abuser and the majority of porno performer are not abused.