The Erotic Mind: Unlocking the Inner Sources of Sexual Passion and Fulfillment

Identifies unconventional facts about human sexuality that link such factors as anxiety, anger, and guilt to sexual arousal while presenting case stories that offer insight into enhancing the sexual experience

Too many sex therapists focus only on the removal of inhibitions, thus ignoring the complex and paradoxical sources of passion, declares San Francisco-area psychotherapist Morin in this intriguing, insightful mix of analysis, anecdote and advice. Drawing on 351 respondents, straight and gay, who discussed their erotic lives with him, Morin has developed an "erotic equation": attraction plus obstacles leads to excitement. This formula, he avers, is neither tidy nor predictable. He suggests that sexual obstacles in one's youth create lifelong scripts for arousal, while a range of feelings?including exuberance, anxiety and anger?can intensify arousal. Morin advises readers to confront the unresolved feelings that produce "troublesome turn-ons" and offers a seven-step guide to modifying or expanding one's erotic patterns. In long-term relationships, Morin observes, passion is hardly guaranteed; he advises couples to recognize and address the interactive tension between intimacy and sexual desire. $35,000 marketing campaign; author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Unlike most authors who focus simply on physiological fulfillment, sex therapist and psychotherapist Morin asserts that it is our erotic psyches that require detailed examination. More specifically, he claims that understanding our peak sexual experiences and fantasies offers the greatest opportunity for self-discovery and, thus, revitalized sexual experiences. Based on a groundbreaking, in-depth study of more than 1000 provocative confessional stories, Morin's theories are supported here by excerpts and analysis. His new perspective offers insight into the many paradoxes of erotic life, such as how anxiety, guilt, and anger?generally thought to have a negative impact on sexual arousal?often turn out to be aphrodisiacs and why the best sex is dynamic and risky rather than static and safe. While this work is written in a jargon-free language for a broad appeal, its more detailed sexual passages may be a concern in certain environments. Nevertheless, Morin's thought-provoking book is essential for all human sexuality collections.?David R. Johnson, Arnold LeDoux Lib., Louisiana State Univ., Eunice
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.