Anatomy of an Aphrodisiac
Risk, mystery, and the placebo effect
By Kate Liebers |
|
Fear Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
For those looking to add an extra spark to a Valentine's Day date, a risky activity could generate some frisky outcomes. The findings of behavioral scientists Donald Dutton and Arthur Aron (1974, 1989) suggest that when interacting with people of the opposite sex, those who are revved with adrenaline tend to re-associate their arousal from the activity to passionate feelings for the other person.
The researchers put two groups of males on two different bridges - one was solid and low, the other swaying high above a rocky river - with an attractive female at the other end. Both groups were asked to fill out a questionnaire after crossing the bridge, and the female offered her number in case they had questions. Those who had crossed the higher bridge were more likely, the survey found, to accept and later call the woman than those who had not experienced the same adrenaline rush.
For those interested in trying their own version of the study, indoor rock climbing could add a jolt of instant romantic fervor. Local facilities are handily available at Vertical Adventures (6295 Busch Blvd.) or, when the weather warms up, the outdoor climbing wall on the Whittier Peninsula looks pretty amazing, too.
For the more sedentary couple, studies also support the old fashioned Rent-A-Scary-Movie technique as one that inspires attraction. Several studies have analyzed results indicating that males who meet a female after being aroused (from fright, exercise, or viewing erotic material) were more likely to rate her as "more attractive" than males who had not endured the same excitement.
Amp Up the Romance with a Little Mystery
Sometimes, you don't know if things are actually going to work out. The relationship might be at that stage where you know it's been fun, but you know the end will be worse if things . . . drag on . . .
One fun and subtle solution could be hauling your (possibly) significant other to a psychic.
Some psychic consultants in Columbus specifically cater to readings for couples. One consultant even offers to analyze the energies of merging destinies via email (priced per question).
Yet with prices hovering around $100 for an hour of fortune telling (or $30 for a mere palm-reading), consulting the cosmos might be more expensive than what it's potentially worth. In which case, you may consider investing in your own tarot card deck, and also essential: a manual for interpretation thereof.
This activity could be enjoyable even for those not pursuing Valentine's activities with such romantic fatalism. The card arrangement is intended to reveal insight about a person's challenges, hopes and fears, influences, and past as well as immediate future - a more interesting conversation piece than your grand-mama's Disney classics gravy boat.
Those who find their partner in a deep sleep can accomplish some homemade truth seeking. While sleeping, people are considered to be less likely to engage in activities that require a heightened stage of consciousness - such as lying. Consequently, those who are asked questions while sleep talking have been said to readily reveal the truth, or give away a secret. In personal experience, asking people questions while they nap simply wakes them up.
The Placebo Effect
Making dinner for your beloved is romantic. Making a dinner fueled with high-caliber aphrodisiacs is even more so. Yet, some quick research on foods that purportedly possess sex magic reveals at least three main similarities: their effectiveness is questionable, they can be hard to find, and they are more expensive than a Valentine's Day reservation at White Castle (yes, there is such a thing).
Skeptics consider the foods to be related to sexual activity in a merely symbolic or aesthetic - not chemical - way. The more common foods on the aphrodisiac grocery list - such as strawberries, almonds, avocado, bananas, figs, or oysters - represent seeds, semen, or genitalia.
The chemical influence certain foods have on arousal is dubious, yet studies have isolated certain chemicals associated with fertility, sexual desire, and even fidelity.
A study of brain hormone chemistry, for instance, revealed that vasopressin encouraged fierce monogamy. The study (granted, it was conducted on moles) suggests how the mammal's brain undergoes chemical changes after copulation, enticing the creature to become highly territorial of his new mate.
Similar chemical reactions happen in humans' brains after orgasm, and these chemicals are what give chocolate such a great Valentine's Day reputation. For example, an orgasm results in a spike in phenylethylamine (PEA), a chemical also found in chocolate. The sensation of elation can also be attributed to serotonin, which comes from tryptophan - also found in chocolate. Furthermore, when anandamide binds to the cannabenoid receptors in the brain, heightened sensitivity and euphoria result. The presence of both anandamine and PEA in chocolate could interact to create an amorous aftertaste.
Skeptics state that PEA, when eaten, is deactivated by metabolization. When considering delivering a box of chocolate, consider that what counts, at the very least, is the thought.
Originally Published: February 1, 2010
