Messmer
Tourist
Let me go into more detail about the question: Do you ever sometimes feel/believe that your sexual attraction towards animals (Your zoophilia) was inadvertently caused by something you did in your past, most likely during puberty? The reason I'm asking this is because I personally blame myself for my sexual attraction towards dolphins and my complete lack of sexual attraction towards humans. I always tell myself "It's all my fault". I was just wondering if anyone else even remotely felt similar or, maybe, felt like that in the past but overcame it.
I may have written more than I realistically should've, and you could probably skip a large majority of it, but I just wanted to get everything off my chest. I'll leave a TL;DR for people at the bottom who don't want to read a novel on how the brain sexually develops... and a small part of my teenage years.
I originally posted a less informed version of what you're reading now in the Why Did You Become A Zoophile? thread, but I felt like this deserved its own thread. Before posting the original version of this, in that thread, I stated that I was born like this but recently I've been doing some reflecting on my past, and I realized something personally disturbing: it's kind of... All my fault...
Let's lay some ground work, I am sexually attracted to cetaceans, mostly the Common Bottlenose Dolphin. I feel zero, zilch, nada sexual attraction in regards to humans. How could is of been my fault, you ask? Let's go back, and learn about the human mind and how it sexually develops along the way.
How do paraphilias even develop? (I'm assuming you all know what a paraphilia is) We're gonna' need to do some explaining first.
Sexual attraction (any attraction) involves a complex mix of brain reward circuits, sensory systems (especially vision and touch), emotional processing areas, and learning and conditioning. For someone, like myself, to become attracted to dolphins instead of humans, several neuropsychological factors must be involved.
A.) Early Learning and Sexual Imprinting:
One leading theory in psychology is that of sexual imprinting: during early sexual development, certain stimuli become "imprinted" as erotically significant. My experience as an example: a child or teen with intense fascination for dolphin psychology and philosophy behind consent (e.g. though books, documentaries, experience) might later find that sexual arousal becomes linked to dolphin imagery or characteristics. Once established, these sexual preferences can become highly stable and crystallized in the mind.
B.) Conditioning of Sexual Arousal:
Some sexual attractions develop through classical or operant conditioning: if someone experiences sexual arousal while exposed to dolphin imagery or experiences (e.g. swimming with dolphins), their brain might associate dolphins with sexual excitement. For some people, repeated fantasies and masturbation involving dolphins reinforces the attraction neurologically through dopamine reward pathways.
C.) Sensory or Aesthetic Preferences:
Some individuals have a unique neural response to certain shapes, textures, or motions: smooth, rubbery skin, hydrodynamic body shapes, the rhythmic, undulating swimming motion. The fusiform gyrus (involved in visual recognition) and the brain's aesthetic judgement areas may process these features as beautiful or sexually stimulating.
D.) Anthropomorphization and Social Cognition:
Humans are wired for social bonding. The temporoparietal junction and medial prefrontal cortex help us attribute minds and emotions to others. Some people (me) anthropomorphize dolphins strongly--perceiving them as intelligent, communicative, even flirtatious. This could create an emotional and sexual bond.
Why No Human Attraction?:
This might seem like it doesn't explain why people like me don't feel sexual attraction towards humans, but it very easily does. Sexual orientation and attraction patterns often stabilize in adolescence. A person whose sexual imprinting or conditioning focused exclusively on animals may simply never develop erotic interest in humans because the brain was focused on imprinting interest on certain animals instead.
How?:
Hormonal influences: During fetal development and puberty, sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen) influence how certain brain regions grow and connect. These hormones help shape sexual motivation, partner preferences, and bodily responses to sexual stimuli. This "organizational" effect is why male and female brains show some differences in sexual interest patterns -- though individual variability is huge.
Puberty: The Onset of Sexual Attraction:
Puberty brings dramatic changes: surge in sex hormones, growth of reproductive organs, and new sexual sensations. Around this time, the brain's reward system (especially the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area) become highly responsive to sexual stimuli. Visual images, smells, touches, or fantasies can trigger intense feelings of arousal or romantic longing. This is when sexual preferences typically crystalize.
Ages They Start and "Stop" Developing:
(I'll try and make this quick)
• Childhood (0-9)
- No true sexual attraction yet
- Children do show curiosity about bodies and differences between sexes, but this is not sexual in the adult sense
• Pre-Adolescence (9-12)
- Hormonal changes begin quietly, causing subtle shifts in interest:
- Curiosity about romance
- First crushes (often non-sexual but still emotionally intense)
• Puberty (12-17)
- Surge in sex hormones triggers:
- Sexual thoughts and fantasies
- Physical sexual arousal
- Awareness of sexual attraction to certain people or "types"
• This is when sexual orientation and many sexual preferences start to become clearer
• Late Teens to Early 20s (17-24)
- Sexual attractions become more stable and consistent
- Specific "types" often crystallize (e.g. preferred body shapes, facial features, personalities)
- Sexual fantasies often become more patterned
Researchers often call this period the consolidation of sexual orientation and preference.currently
This next point could get a little controversial, and I don't 100% believe it played a role, but I still think I should mention it.
Hyperfocus and Special Interests:
This point is especially plausible in people on the autism spectrum of obsessive tendencies, and as you can guess from me me even bringing this up, I was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Dolphins could potentially become a special interest for someone with autism; I 100% believe dolphins were a special interest at that point in my life. Intense focus can produce deep emotional attachment and vivid mental imagery. In rare cases (remember: rare, not all), the interest can acquire sexual elements, particularly if the person is sexually inexperienced with humans, which I definitely was.
After everything I've just wrote, have you figured out why I say it's my fault? ... I'm gonna' tell you anyway.
While growing up I was considered a "normal" child with above average intellect, and a "strange" interest in academics for my age. I was really into philosophy, even at 11 years old. But there was one thing that always bugged me, and it was the problem with animals giving consent. I never understood, if an animal is giving clear and concise consent, why is it still considered rape? I was also really into psychology at this time, so trying to answer this question seemed right up my alley, but I didn't have any resources or money for research, so I had to wait. When I was getting money of my own, at either late 15s or early 16s, I started researching, and the first animal I researched was the second smartest animal to humans, dolphins. You can probably figure the rest out, but I'll continue. I was in the midst of puberty, my hormones were the highest they'll ever be, and all I was doing was researching the intellect of dolphins and how emotional and communicative, and even flirtatious they can be. Also the subject matter, consent in regards to sex, not for humans, no no no, but dolphins, so, at that time, my 16-17 year old brain, unbeknownst to me, sexually imprinted on dolphins, due to everything I was learning about them. This also wasn't helped by the fact teenagers during puberty have a tendency to masturbate and fantasize quite a lot, and you guessed right, none of my fantasies were about humans, they were all about dolphins, which caused my brain to, and still, associate dolphins with sexual excitement and a neurological dopamine reward pathway. So basically it is 100% all my fault.
TL;DR:
Do you even slightly think your sexual attraction to animals is your fault? I do, I believe this because as a teenager (15-17) my academic interest in psychology and philosophy caused my brain to sexually imprint on dolphins instead of humans.
Reflecting on my past has caused me to realize that it's all my fault. It's my fault I'm this way. I would be "normal," I wouldn't have to hide who I am if not for what I did, and there's nothing I can do about it. My brain is currently already too developed to have any drastic changes made to it. I can't do anything about, and it's all my fault.
If you find anything I've said even remotely relatable, please, please say something, It could help both me and you and anyone too scared to comment.
That's about everything, I might think of stuff later, but I'll probably just comment on this instead of editing it. I'm not gonna' proof read this because I've written all this on a small tablet and it would take an eternity, so if there's any grammatical errors, just ignore them.
I may have written more than I realistically should've, and you could probably skip a large majority of it, but I just wanted to get everything off my chest. I'll leave a TL;DR for people at the bottom who don't want to read a novel on how the brain sexually develops... and a small part of my teenage years.
I originally posted a less informed version of what you're reading now in the Why Did You Become A Zoophile? thread, but I felt like this deserved its own thread. Before posting the original version of this, in that thread, I stated that I was born like this but recently I've been doing some reflecting on my past, and I realized something personally disturbing: it's kind of... All my fault...
Let's lay some ground work, I am sexually attracted to cetaceans, mostly the Common Bottlenose Dolphin. I feel zero, zilch, nada sexual attraction in regards to humans. How could is of been my fault, you ask? Let's go back, and learn about the human mind and how it sexually develops along the way.
How do paraphilias even develop? (I'm assuming you all know what a paraphilia is) We're gonna' need to do some explaining first.
Sexual attraction (any attraction) involves a complex mix of brain reward circuits, sensory systems (especially vision and touch), emotional processing areas, and learning and conditioning. For someone, like myself, to become attracted to dolphins instead of humans, several neuropsychological factors must be involved.
A.) Early Learning and Sexual Imprinting:
One leading theory in psychology is that of sexual imprinting: during early sexual development, certain stimuli become "imprinted" as erotically significant. My experience as an example: a child or teen with intense fascination for dolphin psychology and philosophy behind consent (e.g. though books, documentaries, experience) might later find that sexual arousal becomes linked to dolphin imagery or characteristics. Once established, these sexual preferences can become highly stable and crystallized in the mind.
B.) Conditioning of Sexual Arousal:
Some sexual attractions develop through classical or operant conditioning: if someone experiences sexual arousal while exposed to dolphin imagery or experiences (e.g. swimming with dolphins), their brain might associate dolphins with sexual excitement. For some people, repeated fantasies and masturbation involving dolphins reinforces the attraction neurologically through dopamine reward pathways.
C.) Sensory or Aesthetic Preferences:
Some individuals have a unique neural response to certain shapes, textures, or motions: smooth, rubbery skin, hydrodynamic body shapes, the rhythmic, undulating swimming motion. The fusiform gyrus (involved in visual recognition) and the brain's aesthetic judgement areas may process these features as beautiful or sexually stimulating.
D.) Anthropomorphization and Social Cognition:
Humans are wired for social bonding. The temporoparietal junction and medial prefrontal cortex help us attribute minds and emotions to others. Some people (me) anthropomorphize dolphins strongly--perceiving them as intelligent, communicative, even flirtatious. This could create an emotional and sexual bond.
Why No Human Attraction?:
This might seem like it doesn't explain why people like me don't feel sexual attraction towards humans, but it very easily does. Sexual orientation and attraction patterns often stabilize in adolescence. A person whose sexual imprinting or conditioning focused exclusively on animals may simply never develop erotic interest in humans because the brain was focused on imprinting interest on certain animals instead.
How?:
Hormonal influences: During fetal development and puberty, sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen) influence how certain brain regions grow and connect. These hormones help shape sexual motivation, partner preferences, and bodily responses to sexual stimuli. This "organizational" effect is why male and female brains show some differences in sexual interest patterns -- though individual variability is huge.
Puberty: The Onset of Sexual Attraction:
Puberty brings dramatic changes: surge in sex hormones, growth of reproductive organs, and new sexual sensations. Around this time, the brain's reward system (especially the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area) become highly responsive to sexual stimuli. Visual images, smells, touches, or fantasies can trigger intense feelings of arousal or romantic longing. This is when sexual preferences typically crystalize.
Ages They Start and "Stop" Developing:
(I'll try and make this quick)
• Childhood (0-9)
- No true sexual attraction yet
- Children do show curiosity about bodies and differences between sexes, but this is not sexual in the adult sense
• Pre-Adolescence (9-12)
- Hormonal changes begin quietly, causing subtle shifts in interest:
- Curiosity about romance
- First crushes (often non-sexual but still emotionally intense)
• Puberty (12-17)
- Surge in sex hormones triggers:
- Sexual thoughts and fantasies
- Physical sexual arousal
- Awareness of sexual attraction to certain people or "types"
• This is when sexual orientation and many sexual preferences start to become clearer
• Late Teens to Early 20s (17-24)
- Sexual attractions become more stable and consistent
- Specific "types" often crystallize (e.g. preferred body shapes, facial features, personalities)
- Sexual fantasies often become more patterned
Researchers often call this period the consolidation of sexual orientation and preference.currently
This next point could get a little controversial, and I don't 100% believe it played a role, but I still think I should mention it.
Hyperfocus and Special Interests:
This point is especially plausible in people on the autism spectrum of obsessive tendencies, and as you can guess from me me even bringing this up, I was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Dolphins could potentially become a special interest for someone with autism; I 100% believe dolphins were a special interest at that point in my life. Intense focus can produce deep emotional attachment and vivid mental imagery. In rare cases (remember: rare, not all), the interest can acquire sexual elements, particularly if the person is sexually inexperienced with humans, which I definitely was.
After everything I've just wrote, have you figured out why I say it's my fault? ... I'm gonna' tell you anyway.
While growing up I was considered a "normal" child with above average intellect, and a "strange" interest in academics for my age. I was really into philosophy, even at 11 years old. But there was one thing that always bugged me, and it was the problem with animals giving consent. I never understood, if an animal is giving clear and concise consent, why is it still considered rape? I was also really into psychology at this time, so trying to answer this question seemed right up my alley, but I didn't have any resources or money for research, so I had to wait. When I was getting money of my own, at either late 15s or early 16s, I started researching, and the first animal I researched was the second smartest animal to humans, dolphins. You can probably figure the rest out, but I'll continue. I was in the midst of puberty, my hormones were the highest they'll ever be, and all I was doing was researching the intellect of dolphins and how emotional and communicative, and even flirtatious they can be. Also the subject matter, consent in regards to sex, not for humans, no no no, but dolphins, so, at that time, my 16-17 year old brain, unbeknownst to me, sexually imprinted on dolphins, due to everything I was learning about them. This also wasn't helped by the fact teenagers during puberty have a tendency to masturbate and fantasize quite a lot, and you guessed right, none of my fantasies were about humans, they were all about dolphins, which caused my brain to, and still, associate dolphins with sexual excitement and a neurological dopamine reward pathway. So basically it is 100% all my fault.
TL;DR:
Do you even slightly think your sexual attraction to animals is your fault? I do, I believe this because as a teenager (15-17) my academic interest in psychology and philosophy caused my brain to sexually imprint on dolphins instead of humans.
Reflecting on my past has caused me to realize that it's all my fault. It's my fault I'm this way. I would be "normal," I wouldn't have to hide who I am if not for what I did, and there's nothing I can do about it. My brain is currently already too developed to have any drastic changes made to it. I can't do anything about, and it's all my fault.
If you find anything I've said even remotely relatable, please, please say something, It could help both me and you and anyone too scared to comment.
That's about everything, I might think of stuff later, but I'll probably just comment on this instead of editing it. I'm not gonna' proof read this because I've written all this on a small tablet and it would take an eternity, so if there's any grammatical errors, just ignore them.
