PORNOGRAPHY USE: What You Need to Know

The word "pornography" comes from the Greek words "porno" and "graphia" meaning "depictions of the activities of whores." In common parlance, it usually means "material that is sexually explicit and intended primarily for the purpose of sexual arousal."

Statistics shows that for every normal webpage, there are 4 pornographic pages. Dark powers are unleashing their worst on our planet. Pornography has taken a deep root in our moral psyche and is gradually tearing families and nations apart. Sexual immorality is a deep wound on the conscience of the practitioners and the scars remain for life. Most who have become victims have lost their relevance on earth.

My intention in preparing this article is to show you the untold negative effects of pornography. I believe that when the dangers are known, it becomes easier to steer clear from porn.

1. Addiction
The first change that happens is an addiction-effect. The porn-consumers get hooked. Once involved in pornographic materials, they keep coming back for more and still more. The material seems to provide a very powerful sexual stimulant or aphrodisiac effect, followed by sexual release, most often through masturbation. The pornography provides very exciting and powerful imagery which they frequently recall to mind and elaborate on in their fantasies.

Once addicted, they cannot throw off their dependence on the materials by themselves, despite the many negative consequences. 

I discovered from my studies on this subject that the “most intelligent” people (both males and females) are the most vulnerable to porn addiction. The reason is because they have a greater capacity to fantasize, which heightens the intensity of the experience and makes them more susceptible to being conditioned into an addiction.

2. Escalation

The second phase is an escalation-effect. With the passage of time, the addicted requires rougher, more explicit, more deviant, and "kinky" kinds of sexual material to get their "highs" and "sexual turn-ons." It is akin to what individuals afflicted with drug addiction feel. Over time there is nearly always an increasing need for more of the stimulant to get the same initial effect.

If their wives or girlfriends were involved with them, they eventually push their partners into doing increasingly bizarre and deviant sexual activities. In many cases, this results in a rupture in the relationship when the woman refuses to go further - often leading to much conflict, separation or divorce.

Let me quickly point out that from my findings, being married or being in a relationship with a willing sexual partner does not solve their problem. Their addiction and escalation are mainly due to the powerful sexual imagery in their minds, implanted there by the exposure to pornography. They often prefer this sexual imagery, accompanied by masturbation, to sexual intercourse itself. This nearly always diminishes their capacity to love and express affection to their partner in their intimate relations. The fantasy is all-powerful, much to the chagrin and disappointment of their partner. Their sex drive is diverted to a degree away from their spouse. And the spouse could easily sense this, and often feel very lonely and rejected.

3. Desensitization
The third phase that happens is desensitization. Materials (books, magazines or films/videos) which were originally perceived as shocking, taboo-breaking, illegal, repulsive or immoral, in time, come to be seen as acceptable and commonplace. The sexual activity depicted in the pornography (no matter how antisocial or deviant) becomes legitimized. There is increasingly a sense that "everybody does it" and this gives them permission to also do it, even though the activity is possibly illegal and contrary to their previous moral beliefs and personal standards.

4. Acting Out Sexually
The fourth phase that occurs is an increasing tendency to act out sexually the behaviors viewed in the pornography that the porn-consumers have been repeatedly exposed to, including compulsive promiscuity, exhibitionism, group sex, voyeurism, frequenting massage parlors, having sex with minor children, rape, and inflicting pain on themselves or a partner during sex. This behavior frequently grows into a sexual addiction which they find themselves locked into and unable to change or reverse--no matter what the negative consequences are in their lives.

A highlight of few examples given by Victor B. Cline might illustrate this.

• Marriage Threatened: A 36-year-old married male, university-educated, a professional and very successful financially, had an addiction to pornography, masturbation and frequenting massage parlors where he had paid sex. He had an excellent marriage, four children and was very active in his church, where he assumed important positions of responsibility. While he felt guilty about his engagement in illicit sex, which was contrary to his religious, ethic, and personal values and had the potential of seriously disturbing his marriage if found out, he compulsively continued to do that which, at a rational level, he did not want to do. His problem came to light when he infected his wife with a venereal disease. This created many serious and disturbing consequences in his life and marriage.
• Incest: A 30-year-old single male, religiously active and very committed to his faith, had a history of pornography-addiction. He was too shy and backward to ask adult females on dates. So he developed intimate relationships with his four-and seven-year-old nieces and their girlfriends which culminated in his repeatedly sexually molesting them. The modeling of explicit sexual activity in the "adult" pornography which he consumed helped fuel his sexual appetite and interest in these children. Because of his guilt over what he was doing, he eventually sought professional help. However, his state had a "disclosure law" which required that he be reported to state officials for his sexual abuse of these children. Because of his cooperative attitude and the fact that he sought treatment on his own, he was placed on probation, received long term psychotherapy and is now living a more normal life. 
• Most Frequent Consequences: The major consequence of being addicted to pornography is not the probability or possibility of committing a serious sex crime (though this can and does occur), but rather it’s the disturbance of the fragile bonds of intimate family and marital relationships. This is where the most grievous pain, damage and sorrow occur. There is repeatedly an interference with or even destruction of healthy love and sexual relationships with long term bonded partners. If one asks if porn is responsible or causes any sex crimes, the answer is unequivocally in the affirmative, but that is only the "tip of the iceberg."

TO BE CONTINUED….