The Many Facets of Intimacy
One challenge for men may be to expand our concept of intimacy beyond the stereotype that our primary (primal?) expression or experience of love is sexual. In a recent survey 88% of men had never experienced an actual orgasm. This, of course, is not the same thing as sexual arousal and ejaculation. Orgasm is defined as a vulnerable and authentic full body, mind and emotional experience of intense love making where the man feels emotionally closer after ejaculation. ie. rather than feeling like it's done with and now its time to sleep. There's a concept to mull over.The following facets of intimacy are offered to enrich the level of connecting with each other. Both men and women may find this list refreshing in the face of the bombarding media portrayals of shallow relationships on soap operas and in many movies and ads.
Sexual Intimacy
(erotic or orgasmic closeness)Emotional Intimacy
(being tuned to each other's wavelength)Intellectual Intimacy
(closeness in the world of ideas)Aesthetic Intimacy
(sharing experiences of beauty)Creative Intimacy
(sharing acts of creating together)Recreational Intimacy
(relating in experience of fun and play)Work Intimacy
(the closeness of sharing common tasks)Crisis Intimacy
(closeness in coping with problems and pain)Spiritual Intimacy
(the we-ness in sharing ultimate concerns of life)Communication Intimacy
(the source of all types of true intimacy)Engaging with this material
 | How can these facets of intimacy be realized to enhance the qualilty of your relationships? |
| Who would you like to share this list with? |
| What features do you already celebrate knowingly or unknowingly? |
| What areas of your intimate life are you neglecting? |
