Why do some people choose to share their sexual fantasies while others opt to keep them secret? A recent study published in the Journal of Sex Research offers fresh insights into the topic of fantasy disclosure.
What Are Sexual Fantasies?
Sexual fantasies are usually defined as mental images that are sexually arousing or erotic. Research has shown that nearly everyone fantasizes at least occasionally; however, a small percentage of the population has aphantasia (an inability to form mental pictures), and these individuals are literally unable to have imagery-based fantasies, whether about sex or anything else.
Some of the most common fantasies include sex with multiple partners, kink and rough sex, doing something taboo, and having sex in new positions or settings. A recent review of the fantasy literature concludes that there’s a lot of commonality in the things people fantasize about and that relatively few fantasies are statistically rare.
Why People Share (or Hide) Sexual Fantasies
So what factors affect whether we decide to disclose our fantasies or not? Researchers at Staffordshire University in the U.K. conducted an online survey of nearly 300 adults that explored people’s reasons for sharing versus hiding their most recent or favorite sexual…
