Sexual fantasy
In many cases, the use of fantasy scenes enables the inclusion of material into a work indicating the sexualized mental state of a character.
[12] The scenarios for sexual fantasies vary greatly between individuals and are influenced by personal desires and experiences, and can range from the mundane to the bizarre.
Fantasies are frequently used to escape real-life sexual restraints by imagining dangerous or illegal scenarios, such as rape, castration, or kidnapping.
[18] Researchers have additionally found a positive correlation between instances of sexual fantasizing and increased orgasm, arousal, and general contentment.
As such, fantasies allow individuals to enter a new realm (e.g. experience a position of power, innocence, or guilt) that contrasts the source of anguish, and enhances feelings of self-worth.
It is noted that anxious attachment individuals report significantly more instances of sexual fantasizing, and portray the self as feeble, dependable and powerless.
Research literature states that women are more likely to prioritize their own physical and emotional sensations, where men conjure images of sexual partners.
They evolved an ability to decipher "fresh features" of reproductive partners; clear skin, thick hair, fuller lips, and so forth.
[35] Many couples share their fantasies to feel closer and gain more intimacy and trust, or simply to become more aroused or effect a more powerful physical response.
[41] Thus, women are more likely to report romantic sexual fantasies that are high in intimacy and affection,[46] for instance associating their male partner with heroism and viewing them as chivalric rescuers.
Some of the patterns which have frequently emerged include men's greater tendency to report sexual fantasies falling in the following categories: exploratory, intimate, impersonal, and sadomasochism.
[56] Themes that were common to both genders regarding first sexual fantasies included sex with celebrities (such as movie stars), and also teachers.
Examples of paraphilic sexual fantasies include incest, voyeurism, transvestic fetishism, sex with animals (see zoophilia), and pedophilia.
[41] The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) states that paraphilias are rarely diagnosed in women, with the exception of sexual masochism.
[62] From this perspective, it is believed that female sexuality is more malleable since it is influenced to a greater extent by cultural views and expectations regarding how women should think and behave.
[63] For example, some studies have found that women prefer fantasizing about familiar lovers, whereas male sexual fantasies involve anonymous partners.
[50] Evolutionary psychology can also help to shed light on the finding that females have a higher proportion of sexual fantasies involving a male celebrity.
The theory suggests that this mating strategy may have been advantageous for our female ancestors, such that affiliation with a high status male increases offspring survival rate via protection and provision.
[50] In 1979, Masters and Johnson carried out one of the first studies on sexual fantasy in homosexual men and women, though their data-collection method is unclear.
[12] A 2005 study compared heterosexual and homosexual women in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and found some differences in the content of their fantasies.
In gender-specific findings, homosexual women had more fantasies about specific parts of a woman (face, breasts, clitoris, vagina, buttocks, arms or hair), while heterosexual women had more fantasies about specific parts of a man's body (face, penis, buttocks, arms or hair).
A 1978 study by Moreault and Follingstad was consistent with this hypothesis, and found that women with high levels of sex guilt were more likely to report fantasy themed around being overpowered, dominated, and helpless.
[72] Other research suggests that women who report forced sex fantasies have a more positive attitude towards sexuality, contradicting the guilt hypothesis.
[73][41] A 1998 study by Strassberg and Lockerd found that women who fantasized about force were generally less guilty and more erotophilic, and as a result had more frequent and more varied fantasies.
Prior to their acceptance, sexual fantasies were seen as evil or sinful, and they were commonly seen as horrid thoughts planted into the minds of people by "agents of the devil".
[83] For example, masturbation, oral, anal and homosexual sex were once illegal in some American states and even considered to be paraphilic disorders in earlier DSM revisions.
[87] Higher levels of psychopathy are associated with, impersonal, unrestricted, deviant,[105] paraphilic and wide ranges of sexual fantasies.
[105] The effects of psychopathy go further to increase likelihood of individuals carrying out their unrestricted deviant fantasies in real life[105] such as engaging in BDSM/sadomasochism or even rape.
The capitalization of the Fifty Shades trilogy changed the perception of BDSM from being extreme, marginalized and dangerous to being fun, fashionable, and exciting.
[95] Due to social awkwardness, most offenders lacked the opportunity to practice their sexual skills with a desired partner or gender and this contributes significantly to their reliance on their fantasies.
