Many males who did not use visual stimulation seemed almost apologetic, as if every "real guy" is supposed to use it. Not true! If you don't need it and fantasy suits you just fine, great. As Dr. Ruth says, the brain is your body's most important organ, so exercise it!]
I use pornography...enough said!
- age 15, Florida
I use visual stimulation a lot of the time, but not always – usually a movie on HBO or Cinemax. Sometimes I use a magazine.
- age 15, Massachusetts
If I do, it's pictures I download from the Internet, although when I do that, I feel guilty – like I'm taking part in some porn ring or something. I masturbated lying down in front of a mirror the other day and it was way cool. I might do that more often.
- age 28, Ohio
I've started masturbating using my high school yearbook. I'll usually turn to pictures with guys I know or guys I think are cute and make up elaborate fantasies. The thing that's great about yearbooks is everybody is made up so neat and handsome or beautiful and is smiling at you from the page – it makes the experience feel more romantic.
- age 15, Florida (female)
I usually close my eyes and fantasize about my girlfriend or some erotic experience involving other people or some erotic masturbation experience. So I guess in a way I do use a form of visual stimulation – but I see it in my mind. I've found when I picture what I want to picture, the enjoyment is heightened to new levels.
- age 19, Oklahoma
I don't actually use visual stimulation *while* I masturbate, but although I am straight I often look at pictures from the Net of gay men. I like looking at their "private parts" – this turns me on and gets me prepared for my next session.
- age 15, United Kingdom
Strangely enough, although I am straight, the only time I ever masturbated looking at a picture it was of a woman. (Specifically, Elizabeth Hurley! Yes guys, she even turns some women on.) Later it occurred to me she was posed in a sort of mannish way. Anyway, to answer the question more directly, I never look at a picture. Sometimes I watch videos, but to be honest, it's the sounds of sex that turn me on way more than the sights. So usually, I just let the videos run without actually watching them.
- age 29, New York (female)
Many picture sites on the Web require adult verification, which obviously I don't have. But many sex story sites don't require any. I like to read them while I'm masturbating and put myself in the fantasy.
- age 15, Texas
I use magazines or videos to build me up and get me ready to go. But in the home stretch I turn off the tape or put the magazine aside and fantasize about someone I know or have seen. I think of either a real or an imagined event, an encounter. I play the conversation in my mind as if I were writing a story of the scene.
- age 34, Kentucky
I usually try to find pictures on the Net that look like friends I would like to masturbate with. I just look at the pictures and imagine us masturbating together. One of my friends let me masturbate him once, and I always get an erection when I see a picture of someone who looks like him. I like to look at pictures of girls too, but it's always better if there is a guy my age in the picture.
- age 16, Oregon
I use visual stimulation just about all the time. Pictures, movies, stories are all good. I actually get very aroused from all-male pictures, but I doubt I would ever want to do more than play with guys. I could never have sex with a guy, but I could see myself fooling around.
- age 18, Kentucky
I use all kinds of pornography – mostly pictures and videos. Sometimes I use books, but I prefer videos. I wouldn't recommend it as an everyday thing, though. As I have found out after a while, it gets to the point that it is the only way you can get off. I'm not saying that is bad, but there is always too much of a good thing.
- age 21, Washington
A few years ago a friend bought me this awesome Playmate of the Month calendar. I used to masturbate to it all the time, and we even masturbated together a couple times with the calendar. As you can imagine, some of the pages have become quite stained!
- age 20, Michigan
"Visual stimulation"...you make it sound so classy! I don't believe in *porn,* but I can't help myself if "Baywatch" is on and I'm home.
- age 17, California
Now that I'm older I use videotapes as a stimulation enhancement about a third of the time. Every once in a while I use a magazine – letters or pictures, just to think of something different than what I've experienced. When I do use a video, I can't get off until the guy in the video does because I'm fantasizing I'm him. I'm guessing this might be true of many guys.
- age 33, Illinois
Yeah, I usually use pictures. I can get porn only from the Internet, which is a pity, because half of the stuff on the Internet is sick. A lot of the time I just use a picture of a girl (with her clothes on), and that is often enough to make a big difference.
- age 17, United Kingdom
I don't use any visual stimulation – well, not usually. What I do mostly is just masturbate. I don't really think of anything in particular. I have used things before, though; I used to turn on the Playboy channel, and although the picture is scrambled, you can still make out what is going on – so I would masturbate to that. Also, one of my friends gave me a magazine with pictures of naked guys in it. I used that for a while, too. I just seem to get more turned on by naked guys. I guess I am bi. Oh well.
- age 19, Tennessee
I use visual stimulation all the time! I have a magazine that has pictures and articles about people's "sexcapades" (as they put it), and the articles sometimes turn me on more than the pictures. I also view videos, because nothing is better than live action.
- age 15, Pennsylvania
This past year I've just started to come to grips with the fact that I'm a lesbian, and I'm starting to get used to masturbating while thinking of girls I know. I haven't come out to any of my close friends since none of them are lesbians, but sometimes I'll take pictures of them they've given me and thumb through them while I'm touching myself, and imagine that they know I'm gay and are okay with me kissing and touching them.
- age 16, California (female)
I usually put on the old X-rated [video] and watch that for a few minutes before I get busy. The only bad thing is that is doesn't take long before you're done.
- age 30, Minnesota
I enjoy looking at videos of solo action only. These are very hard to find and rent. If they show my "type," so much the better. Otherwise, fantasy takes over. Imitating the action stimulates the outcome much more quickly. Frequency? At my age, not as often as I would wish.
- age 81, New York
I like to masturbate to the Japanese comics. The girls in the comics always look so wide-eyed and cute, and the scenes can be so unusual and raunchy – girls smiling with a 2-liter coke bottle inside them, cute girls with huge penises, girls with spiky purple hair and gigantic breasts. My friends and I love to trade the stuff.
- age 16, North Carolina
I don't use visuals when masturbating or when doing any other sexual activity for that matter. Just knowing I have a loving boyfriend who can work wonders is enough for me.
- age 16, Pennsylvania (female)
I have, very recently, become a bit of a cyberporn addict. This kind of sucks because I don't feel the pornography I am accessing is in key with my values and morals, and I am trying to break the habit. Besides, not using my imagination is making me fantasy-lazy. And any time I can't fantasize, I'm just gonna go crawl into a hole and die.
- age 21, Ontario, Canada
The mind is a terrible thing to waste!
- age 29, Missouri
I almost always use visual stimulation. And for some reason I've gotten hooked on male/male gay porn. It's a weird thing to be into, but I find it a major turn-on!
- age 16, Kentucky (female)
Yeah, sure! I use pictures to masturbate about two times a day. At least one session is stimulated by sex videos. It turns me on! Just a side note: I get more turned on when I watch gay videos. I don't know – I am a voyeur, and watching two men doing it feels so...forbidden. Oh boy!
- age 26, Brazil
I like movies and pictures from the Net. Since they move, or require only one click to change to the next, there is virtually no effort on my part, so I can concentrate more on masturbating. I don't like books because it breaks my rhythm to turn the pages
- age 16, New Jersey
When I'm by myself, I like to masturbate to videos and magazines. But right before I have my orgasm, I like to look at my penis. When I'm masturbating with someone else, I usually look at them. Who needs pictures when you have a warm body right there!
- age 42, Oregon
I don't use pictures. I just think of how great it feels to masturbate. I like watching other guys masturbate, though. That gets me really horny.
- age 18, Oregon
Three words: "Red Shoe Diaries" (on Showtime).
- age 16, Oregon (female)
I always use photos of naked people I download from the Internet – at least when I start a masturbation session. I have learned how to masturbate left-handed so I can use my right to control the photo display. But when I am ready to ejaculate I usually switch to memories of past sexual activities I found particularly enjoyable.
- age 56, New Jersey
I use pornographic magazines such as Hustler and Penthouse about 50% of the time, watch pornographic videos about 20% of the time, and watch myself do it 100% of the time.
- age 19, Pennsylvania
Usually I don't use pictures. I love to just lie back and use my imagination. I can think up some pretty nasty stuff that does just fine for me. Don't get me wrong, I look at porn just as much as the next guy, but I don't need it to masturbate.
- age 16, Texas
The usual stuff, I guess. When I was younger it didn't take much – girls on TV, etc. Then magazines became my usual turn-on, and eventually, porn videos. Sometimes though, all it takes is to watch myself in a mirror!
- age 40, Texas
The only "visual" stimulation I use is in my mind's eye, when I fantasize about situations. There's an endless supply of them, they aren't regulated, and best of all, they're free.
- age 17, Missouri
I almost never use pictures. 95% of Net porn and mags are little more than hardcore sleaze, and I personally just can't "get it up" (so to speak) over a lewd display of genitals. I find my imagination to be a much better source of stimulation for masturbation, especially the remembered sound of my lover's voice.
- age 21, North Carolina (female)
Just guessing, but I'd say I use visual stimulation less than 50% of the time. What I do use takes various forms. Adult video is the most common for me, followed by erotic images I save off the Net, with erotic novels and adult magazines bringing up the rear. I also write erotica, and the writing itself is very much a turn-on and makes for some long, very satisfying sessions.
- age 40, Mississippi
I am not gay, but for some reason when it comes to masturbating I am rather turned on by pictures of men. I guess it's a subconscious male-bonding thing, since you know every man does it! I use whatever pictures are around when the urge strikes – usually magazines or newspaper ads. I guess I use them about half the time I do it. Sometimes I use videos and pictures from the Net. I also have a fetish regarding feet and tickling. If it's a picture involving a man getting tickled, so much the better!
- age 31, Kentucky
Until recently I used visual aids quite frequently – but since I now have a live-in girlfriend I no longer go that route. Earlier I would use magazines, films, the Net, you name it. I even had some pictures of my ex-girlfriend going down on me (they were taken in Europe, where developing such pictures isn't quite as taboo). A strange thing: When I used pictures I sometimes felt I *needed* them – that getting off on the power of my own imagination just wasn't enough.
- age 29, Michigan
I made a videotape of myself masturbating. I like to watch it while masturbating again.
- age 33, Arkansas
Every day when I get home from school, I can't wait to masturbate to pictures I've downloaded of cute naked guys. But I'm not gay! Just kidding – I am gay. I find no shame in it, and I get sick of hearing people say that tired old phase in their responses.
- age 15, California
For me the best form of visual stimulation is watching myself masturbating in a mirror. I love to take off all my clothes and watch in the mirror as my hands caress my body and rub my clitoris.
- age 36, California (female)
Funny you should ask – I have a Victoria's Secret catalog in my hands right now! I'll masturbate to basically anything if it gets me aroused. I mean, if I see the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, I may use that. or I'll use porno magazines or movies. Sometimes I even use the TV and find a girl I think is cute and visualize her naked. Usually, though, it's just my imagination – I picture myself with girls and guys I actually know!
- age 16, Ohio
Sometimes I sit naked in front of the mirror and watch myself do it by holding open the "lips." It feels more intense to actually watch my clitoris contract. I also picture things in my head, but that's more fantasy than visual.
- age 15, Massachusetts (female)
Definitely! Most of the time I use pictures of people with great bodies. I am totally attracted to the male body, although I consider myself straight, or slightly curious. Most of the time I masturbate to a guy's nice-looking body when I see him with his shirt off.
- age 16, Oklahoma
I have not used any visual aids since I was a very young teenager.
- age 51, Michigan
I personally don't use visual stimulation that much. I usually masturbate in the shower, and there isn't anywhere to hide magazines. (If I did use them there they'd get wet.) So I usually just close my eyes and think of a kinky fantasy or scenario, which helps just as well.
- age 15, Australia
As a matter of fact, I have often found myself masturbating while reading the Question of the Week here at good ol' JackinWorld.
- age 15, West Virginia (female)
Masturbating with visual stimulation is the only way to go. What could be finer than masturbating over someone you adore on television? One of the greatest orgasms I ever had was while masturbating over Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman."
- age 19, United Kingdom
I like porno pictures every once in a while, but the stuff my dad gets in the mail is pretty low-grade stuff. Bad taste. I wish I got Playboy!
- age 15, California
I almost always look at pictures when I masturbate, which I get mostly from the Web. The 'rents bought me a laptop, so I can download stuff and save it without anyone knowing. And I can hold the laptop between my legs while I masturbate. You gotta plan the clean-up, though, because you want to have plenty of tissue or something so you don't get semen all over the keyboard.
- age 15, New York
I don't use visual stimulation, but I do like to read erotica to get really turned on. I guess the written word is a kind of visual stimulation. I do also sometimes get turned on when watching sex scenes in movies, although I have never watched porn videos specifically for that purpose. That is next on my list!
- age 24, Massachusetts (female)
I use visual stimulation about 50% of the time. I usually use pornographic pictures of both girls and guys, and sometimes I masturbate while watching a porno. The rest of the time, it's just me and my imagination. (A very "dirty" imagination, of course!)
- age 18, Arizona
I normally just use fantasies, but sometimes I "borrow" porno from my dad's drawers. I think he found out, though, because I can't find them anymore!
- age 13, Texas
I really don't use pictures. I think the mind is far more powerful than any kind of visual stimulation. I think of what I would do if I had the opportunity and go at it. The mind really is better where this is concerned.
- age 17, Florida (female)
I sometimes use three nude pictures of my ex-girlfriend. Other times I call up a girl and talk about sexual things and masturbate while on the phone.
- age 19, Alabama
Most of the time I think erotic thoughts to help me orgasm, but sometimes I use visual aids like porno from the Net or magazines brought from the U.S. It depends on how horny you are – if you're really, really horny, you don't need visual stuff. But if you're not that horny and want to masturbate anyway, pictures work the best.
- age 18, Saudi Arabia
My boyfriend, who lives a couple hours away, made me a video of him masturbating. I watch it almost every night, and I masturbate with it. It's the best thing for our relationship, since he lives so far away.
- age 15, Massachusetts (female)
I almost always use pictures from the Net of girls in bikinis, because I am too young to look at naked girls. Even if I could, leaving some things to the imagination is better.
- age 15, Ohio
Nowadays about 95% of the time I use either erotic pictures or stories when I masturbate. I find that the orgasm is usually more intense if I have something visual to concentrate on. When I was younger I used erotic pictures and stories when I could get them, but my hormones were more active and it was much easier get "the feeling" just from my fantasies alone. The pictures do not have to be all that erotic, just "suggestive."
- age 35, Georgia
For me it is a necessity. Every time I masturbate I have to be looking at something. And even now, it's hard to achieve orgasm without sound. Normal mental "fantasies" just don't cut it. Usually I use a video I took from my brother or a magazine from my dad's closet.
- age 17, Texas
I use physical or audio, not visual stimulation. Sometimes the rhythm of a song is enough to get me stimulated (such as Enigma's music or anything on Pure Moods). I have never found visuals, such as magazines, catalogs, etc., exciting at all. I might change my mind, though, if I were given a nude picture of my boyfriend.
- age 19, Kentucky (female)
I almost always use some kind of visual stimulation when I masturbate (I'm gay). I tend to respond best to basic nude photos rather than "action" shots, although photos that include erections are most effective. Every once in a while I'll watch a gay porn video, either one I've rented or one of the few I own. For some reason I often find masturbation videos more erotic than regular videos. When watching a video, I try to postpone my orgasm until the last scene, or at least as far as I can before I hit the point of no return.
- age 41, Tennessee
I generally look at a picture of my girlfriend in a halter top and jeans. It's very small and shows quite a bit of flesh. It gets me randy right away.
- age 16, Wisconsin
Maybe I'm weird, but I've never used visual stimulation. The times I've tried, it just didn't work. Mine is and always has been eyes-closed fantasy. I do enjoy reading erotic stories, but then there isn't much difference between reading text and fantasizing. Both involve a picture in your head, which I find much more "real" than a picture in your hand.
- age 45, Arkansas
I don't use visual stimulation. My girlfriend masturbates, and usually just before I ejaculate, I think, "My girlfriend masturbates." I find women who masturbate more attractive than other women.
- age 14, Canada