More people, though, discussed the interplay between fantasy and visual image that more accurately depicts what happens for them in a typical masturbation session. For some, the stimulation to fantasy starts with looking at visual images. For others, it starts with reading erotic stories. And for a few, the starting point is a fantasy that then moves into viewing visual images. Still, the common assumptions do seem accurate in characterizing more females as being highly aroused by tender sexual fantasy and more males as being highly aroused by specific sexual images.
Younger people seem to react more to physical sensation and visual images; older people, to fantasy that might start with more specific sexual imagery. Many younger people reported being blocked from access to visual sexual images, hence having to rely on their imaginations. Some young adult males reported starting to use visual sexual images more, once they had moved away from family and into more private living situations.]
I rely mostly on my imagination to masturbate. I relive things that I've done in the past, imagine having sex with someone I know, or imagine having sex with a completely fictional partner. Sometimes I fantasize about things I would never actually do, such as have unprotected sex with a stranger. Occasionally, I watch a video of people performing sexual acts. Still, pictures usually aren't enough for me. But sometimes, I will put a magazine down and imagine a situation involving the person in the picture.
- age 53, California
If I had erotic pictures, I would rely on them. But mostly, I use my imagination. I make up very erotic scenarios and that gets me going!
- age 14, Florida
Usually when I masturbate, I think of my next-door neighbor. He is 18 – a cutie with a nice penis. When we were around 14 we used to masturbate with other kids on the block. Anyway, that is what I think about when I masturbate. As for visual stuff, I use an Internet camera and go on ICU or Netmeeting to masturbate with other guys my age or younger. It's really fun! I wish we could masturbate as a group again! =)
- age 19, Florida
Imagination is the most important thing to me in masturbating. Even if I'm watching something I have to *imagine* that what I'm watching is happening to me. Sometimes I start stroking and nothing happens because my mind is wandering and if I want to climax, I have to focus and *imagine* something.
- age 21, Dominican Republic
I usually use external stimuli, because I sometimes feel dirty if I imagine someone in a sexual situation. It's almost as if I were deprecating their character (if it is someone I know).
- age 18, Texas
My imagination dominates completely. I never use erotic pictures from magazines or the Internet. What's more, my masturbation thoughts always center around previous relationships, sexual experiences, and missed opportunities that might have been, rather than my current sexual partner or potential future partners I may be interested in. A psychologist would probably read something into this, but at my age it's good to have a private, mobile "movie theater" available to help me get things going.
- age 44, United Kingdom
To me, my imagination is very important to my masturbation. It helps me have great orgasms. "Erotic pictures" don't turn me on, although I do masturbate to nude pictures of my ex-boyfriend. I like to use my imagination for the guy I'm in love with.
- age 16, Florida (female)
When I masturbate, I rely almost 100% on external stimuli such as XXX films. I have an extensive collection that I view over and over. I never get tired of watching these videos, or of masturbating. It's quite addictive!
- age 24, Ohio
I rely both on imagination and pictures when I masturbate. As I near orgasm, I will ignore what's around me and concentrate on the imagination and feelings.
- age 18, Oregon
When I masturbate, I can use both pictures and my imagination. Looking at pictures turns me on more, giving me a bigger orgasm. Then I have more to clean up. When I use my imagination, my climax isn't as intense. When I get horny and decide to masturbate, I use whatever I feel like. If my parents are home, it's usually pictures in the bathroom. If not, I go wherever and use my imagination!
- age 15, California
How can your imagination not come into play while masturbating? It is the most important part of my session. I like to think of a woman I desire and that I'm having sex with her. Even if you use pictures, what do you imagine when you look at them? If you think of nothing, then erotic pictures wouldn't mean anything. Thinking of nothing would be like staring into space. It gets boring *really* fast. Without my imagination I couldn't pump it.
- age 15, California
I tend to look at erotic pictures, movies, or read erotic stories, but when these aren't available, I imagine one of my fantasies happening and I start masturbating. These sessions can last anywhere up to an hour-and-a-half – sometimes even longer. When I do get to orgasm, I ejaculate so much semen and the orgasm is so intense that I go blind for a couple of seconds and shake a bit. It is the best feeling. I use only erotica for a quickie.
- age 15, Australia
I think my fantasies are what make my masturbation so fulfilling. I often picture a scene where I see my love and then I pretend that we are making love, using my finger as a substitute for his penis.
- age 15, United Kingdom (female)
I use both visual stimuli and fantasy when I masturbate. Fantasy helps me get an erection and then I continue with the fantasy as I look at the pictures. If I'm masturbating while watching a video, I'm less likely to use my imagination, since the storyline (or what passes for it) is there in the video. But if I'm looking at photos, an imagined fantasy has to be there. I'm most likely to reach orgasm when the fantasy is at its peak and the photo I'm looking at is particularly arousing to me. It's usually the combination of the two that brings me to the point of climax.
- age 43, Tennessee
My imagination is usually all I have to stimulate myself when I masturbate. I like to think about girls I know and also guys. My buddy and I have masturbated together for about three years, now. Every time I masturbate alone, I think about him naked.
- age 16, Florida
Mostly I use my imagination, but if I am sitting in front of the computer I might use both.
- age 16, Canada (female)
Looking at pictures of nude people on the Internet can get me aroused and I will start to masturbate. Or sometimes, I will become aroused when I read an erotic story. But to finish, I must go into my imagination. There I either embellish the original image in a scenario involving tenderness and affection, or remember past incidents and embellish them with arousing actions and emotions. - age 58, New Jersey Mainly, I rely on pictures (mostly of guys, although I'm not gay) to get my penis and body stimulated. Sometimes I imagine that I'm actually having sex with a girl.
- age 15, North Carolina
If I'm going for a quickie, I just use some porn off the Internet. But, if I'm going for a long session, like 25 minutes, I just lie down in a comfortable place, close my eyes, think about sex, and masturbate really slowly and gently. The orgasms are great.
- age 14, Ireland
When I masturbate, I think that my imagination is better than being stimulated by erotic pictures because in my imagination I can put myself in whatever fantasy I want. I can also think about sex or sexual activity with my girlfriend or something like that. The only thing erotic pictures do for me is give me a good erection and a good desire to masturbate
- age 13, Pennsylvania
Imagination does not work for me. I rely on visual stimulation more because it gives me something to picture. Therefore, I usually masturbate to movies or pictures.
- age 18, Arizona
Erotic pictures are very important to me in formulating my fantasy, but I cannot masturbate *without* a fantasy. I need to imagine making love to a woman with spirit, passion, and tenderness all present. I could *never* masturbate just to a woman's body. I think women deserve better than that, anyway.
- age 21, New York
I think imagination is the whole key to a good masturbation session. If I didn't have my mind filled with pictures of naked people then it just wouldn't feel half as good. If I sit down and plan out an entire scenario in my mind then start playing with myself, it adds so much more "vavoom" to my orgasm. I am married and have two kids, so whenever I get a chance to have a really good solo session, I make it as awesome as it can get by using my imagination. Also, I have done this since I started masturbating at age 12. It has never failed me.
- age 28, Texas
Sometimes I imagine a guy touching or fingering me. But most of the time, I just look at erotic pictures or come to this site to read things that make me horny. It really helps to read stuff and even try some other ways for me to masturbate. That makes me excited.
- age 14, Canada (female)
I find that while going manually, pictures bring me to climax more quickly, but when I use my imagination, the climax is much more intense.
- age 17, Australia (female)
Much of the time, I have to look at pictures or watch movies to masturbate; but sometimes, like when I just get out of bed or I haven't masturbated for a few days, I can use my imagination and fantasize, and that's enough for me to masturbate.
- age 18, Arizona
For some reason, I was thinking about this last night as I masturbated. I think both pictures and imagination are fairly important. I use porn mainly to get me started, but once I'm started, my imagination takes over.
- age 17, New Mexico
My imagination helps, but I usually masturbate in front of the computer for a half-hour. I love to look at pictures and videos of sex and masturbation on the web. After that, I am hot and ready for a great orgasm.
- age 27, Florida
Imagination is definitely important. I never rely on external stimuli in my masturbation sessions. Imagination is key because I need both physical and mental attraction to the stimuli.
- age 18, New York (female)
Imagination does little for me. As soon as I got access to erotic literature, reading became my primary way to build excitement to a really intense orgasm. Pictures and videos are nice, but a really explicit piece of fiction or autobiography provides the greatest excitement. One of my favorite sources is the Nifty Archive on the Internet.
- age 65, New Jersey
Although I often use porn if my parents are out, I find imagination important when I masturbate in my room at night when my parents are home.
- age 15, California
I rely mostly on erotic pictures, especially those of women. I'm not lesbian or bisexual, but I still love to see naked women and women pleasuring women. It's such an enjoyable scene to imagine that maybe one day I will be that woman in the picture!
- age 17, Pennsylvania (female)
External stimuli can get me started, whether it's a "dirty" magazine, a video, or a "regular" magazine (such as an ad featuring someone really hot). Once I get started, though, I need my imagination to go all the way. I can either create a fantasy involving the person in the ad or the video, or I can shift gears and think up some different fantasy. I also rely on memories of past events, usually modified in some way in my mind.
- age 32, New York
I use my imagination when I masturbate. But I find that when I have something to look at, my orgasms are better. When my friend and I masturbate in front of each other, or when my girlfriend masturbates while I masturbate, my orgasms are more intense.
- age 17, New Jersey
I try to rely only on sensation, and not on pornography or anything else erotic. I'm a Christian and I think that it's wrong to lust, so I try to satisfy myself only through simple stimulation.
- age 16, Texas
When I masturbate, I remember things such as making out with my boyfriend, or looking at porn on the Internet. It turns me on to the point of climax.
- age 16, Canada (female)
In 40-plus years of masturbation, I have never used anything other than my imagination for stimulation. All I have to do is think about my wife or other beautiful women. It may sound strange, but the thought of other men masturbating also turns me on – big time.
- age 56, Illinois
Imagination is absolutely, completely, totally essential for me. I have to have thoughts of sex to climax. If I can't get a good story in my head, then I can't get aroused enough for an orgasm. Sometimes it can take a while for me to think up something if I've been using the same story for so long that I get bored with it. If I only play with myself without thinking about something sexual, I can't get anywhere with it. Sometimes I do that anyway – it's just something to do with my hand while I'm doing something else that doesn't have my full attention. But I don't consider that masturbation. Looking at pictures can help, but it's really the story behind the picture that does the trick.
- age 29, California (female)
My imagination is very important to me when I masturbate. I commonly start by using external stimuli, either pictures or video. Then in the middle of a session I start to fantasize about masturbating another male or reminisce about one of the few times that I have masturbated in front of someone.
- age 19, Minnesota
I can go either way! If I just need a quick fix I get the pictures out and get turned on *really* fast, although the whole thing is over a lot quicker too. When I have the time (and patience) I'll rely completely on my imagination. I have a mental list of fantasy partners and end up picking one (or more) at random to fantasize about. It's quite incredible really, for every selection of partners I end up with a different fantasy, making up a completely different experience every time! The brain really is the greatest sex tool.
- age 18, United Kingdom