In most cases, especially among males, hearing someone (of either sex) masturbating tends to arouse the listener, often leading to their own masturbation session. In the case of family members, this is more true if the relative is of similar age or younger; if the relative is much older, the listener is more likely to be "grossed out."]
In college, I was a counselor at summer camp and I heard many boys masturbating at night. I thought it was funny, but I also knew there wasn't much they could do about it. It would usually happen near the end of the two-week session. I actually enjoyed listening to it. It was hard to get away with it, because the kids slept in old metal army bunks and the squeaks could be heard all over. Sometimes one would start a chain reaction! As counselor, I could use the counselor bathroom for a little more privacy.
- age 28, Texas
I was sitting in a bathroom stall at the library. Another student came in and went into the stall next to mine. Soon I heard a very familiar sound: his testicles jumping around, and the sound of a foreskin moving over a wet penis head. In a few minutes I heard a deep sigh and the sounds stopped. I guess he wiped, or just pulled his pants up and left the bathroom. At first I felt guilty listening. Then, I got horny myself, but I didn't masturbate there (although I have done this before in restrooms).
- age 19, California
Last summer I slept over at my best friend's house. During the night I woke up and heard his bed creaking. At first I thought he was moving around in his sleep, but then I heard him moaning and that squishy sound lubrication makes. It might sound odd, but hearing him pleasure himself got me really horny. Since the room was dark and he was preoccupied, I figured what the hell and started masturbating myself. I ended up quietly ejaculating onto his rug. I don't think he ever knew what I was doing.
- age 17, Connecticut
I've heard people masturbating on several occasions. On camping trips in high school I heard my best friend, and in the past year, I have heard my roommate at night on many occasions. Regarding my roommate, it was after we had gone to bed and he probably thought I was asleep. I would hear his fist hitting against his stomach as he stroked, and would hear the bed springs squeaking. Many times it made me feel horny, and I would get an erection thinking about getting off. So I would almost always masturbate, also.
- age 19, Pennsylvania
I heard a lot of guys masturbating when I was in the Navy during boot camp. We all slept in open barracksin bunk beds. One night during the midwatch I heard several bunks squeaking at the same time in different rhythms. Being a good watch, I had to investigate. When I would near one of the noises, it would stop. So I would return to my post. When my watch was over, I would go to the head (bathroom) to do what the others had been doing.
- age 39, Massachusetts
I was staying the night at a friend's house; he had bunk beds and was sleeping on the bottom. After about 10 minutes I was still not asleep. I heard a slapping noise and heavy breathing; I knew exactly what he was doing, so I just ignored it. It was hard to ignore, though, since the bunks were shaking. The next day I asked him about it and we talked and laughed. He said the slapping noise was his "big-o-balls." I just thought the whole thing was funny.
- age 15, Michigan
I could always tell when my brother was masturbating under the covers in the bed next to me. We never talked about it, but I did the same thing. I never really thought about it too much. I was too busy thinking of my own orgasm to think about him.
- age 43, Ohio
I once heard my brother doing it beside me on a vacation to Six Flags. I first noticed the bed vibrating a little. We were sharing a room that had only one bed. I heard him start to breathe very deeply. This started to get me hard. Pretty soon, I was masturbating as well. When he ejaculated, he let out a short yelp. I laughed my head off at him. He was very embarrassed.
- age 15, Texas
When my best friend and I were staying at the shore over the summer last year, we slept in the same room. Late at night when he thought I was asleep, I could hear a rubbing sound coming from his bed. I opened my eyes and saw movement in his groin area, so I knew he was masturbating. I actually enjoyed listening to him because I have always wanted to masturbate with him. However, he is too closed-minded to understand this or do it, although I have mentioned it. I wish it would happen again this summer, though!
- age 18, New Jersey
Once I announced at breakfast that my brother must have had trouble breathing every night because he kept gasping and moaning. After a very long silence, my dad changed the subject. Later that day my brother explained what was happening and introduced me to the wonderful world of masturbation. Later that year, the three of us were working away from mom, and my dad, with a twinkle in his eye, asked me if I was having a hard time breathing at night. I didn't answer, but I knew he knew what was going on and thought it was all right.
- age 63, Texas
I've listened to my boyfriend masturbate on the phone, and I've also masturbated myself while I was on the phone with him. He absolutely loved it. I thought it was kind of awkward, but fun.
- age 15, New Hampshire (female)
I once heard another guy masturbating in one of the bathroom stalls in our college dorm. At first I thought he was just using the bathroom for its intended purpose. Even though he was trying to be very quiet and discreet, his breathing and an occasional grunt gave away his true activity. Listening to him, as well as knowing who it was by his shoes, got me pretty excited. I went back to my room and masturbated. It felt great. The next time I saw him I thought to myself, "I have a little secret!"
- age 23, Washington
This may sound pretty sick, but I got really turned on when I heard my older sister masturbating in the toilet. I heard her moaning through the door and got very excited by it, so I had to have a go myself. I felt terrible for days afterwards and couldn't look her in the face; I just kept thinking about how she sounded when she masturbated.
- age 16, Ireland
In college I shared a three-bedroom house with two other guys. One morning two of us were having a quiet breakfast. A fairly obvious rat-a-tat sound of a bed headboard hitting a wall came from the bedroom of the third guy, just across from the kitchen. It went on for several minutes. The two of us at the table exchanged knowing smiles, but when we joked with the guy about the noise, he denied he was "takin' care of business." We persisted, but he was adamant that he was not doing it! The same sounds happened a number of other times, but no one mentioned it again. The episode didn't affect me much. I guessed that we all masturbated and just picked times when others weren't around. I found it comical that he wouldn't "fess up" when the evidence was so obvious.
- age 50, New York
I heard my dad masturbating once. I could hear the porno video playing in the living room, and I could also hear the couch rythmically squeaking. I could hear the lube getting squeezed out of the bottle, too. I didn't really have any feelings about it — he was just doing what I do. It's not like I thought there was anything wrong with it.
- age 15, Wisconsin
A couple of years ago I was up studying one night in my dorm room and heard my rather loud neighbor. I thought he might have been with his girlfriend but I wasn't sure. The incident made me kind of horny — and jealous about the girlfriend. The same year I was taking a shower (the whole floor shares a huge bathroom with shower stalls) and heard the guy in the next stall. I could see a reflection in the pipes (okay, sort of cheating on the question there) that confirmed what he was doing. It didn't really turn me on or anything — it just made me think "Cool, I'm not the only one on the floor!"
- age 21, Indiana
About 5 years ago my best friend stayed over at my house. My older brother slept in a room right next to mine, and our bedrooms didn't have doors. Late at night, while still talking about things, we heard my brother doing it — a loud skin-slapping-skin sound. We both knew that my brother masturbated, so it was no big deal. We just giggled and continued talking. It felt weird because it brought up the topic of masturbation; my friend and I weren't too open about the subject.
- age 17, Washington
I am in college, and my roommate used to masturbate almost every night. Most of the time I didn't know, but every once in a while I couldn't go to sleep. He thought I was asleep, so he would start to stroke it slowly through the sheets. I could hear him a bit. He would finish and go to the bathroom to clean up. Sometimes it turned me on, and sometimes it would annoy me. Sometimes I would even masturbate while he was cleaning up, but he never knew.
- age 20, North Carolina
I heard my friend doing it in the bathroom. It didn't bother me, though. I figure as long as I'm not *seeing him* do it, it's no big deal. It's not like it's any big secret that people masturbate.
- age 14, South Carolina
I remember waking up and hearing a rustling beneath the sheets as I heard my college roommate in the other bed in our shared dorm room. You could hear him as his breath would change from deep to the quickening climax. I recognized it from my own experiences. Actually, I was quite happy to hear someone else in the world willing to pleasure themselves with another person in the room. There is something kind of amoral about it — great fun, though.
- age 28, Nova Scotia, Canada
I was coming home from a date. I had to walk by my older sister's room to get to mine, and I heard her making some sex sounds in her room. I felt aroused by her masturbating, so I quickly went into my room and began my own session.
- age 14, California (female)
I have a buddy who always disappears to the bathroom just after a real steamy part of a movie, or after we talk about sexy things. My other buddies and I usually joke about it while he is in there. If this happens when I am spending the night with him, I always listen to him through the door. It sounds like he uses a small vibrator or massager. He makes a hushed sigh when he is done. I feel ashamed after he ejaculates, because I don't have the guts to ask him to share the experience. He might think I am gay or something.
- age 19, Oklahoma
Boy, that brings up some horrid memories. My brother (a year older) and I shared a room until he moved out. Often I'd wake up in the morning and hear some strange noises coming from his side of the room. I would pretend to still be asleep. When I realized what he was doing, I was disgusted and wanted him to stop. While still pretending to be asleep I'd roll over in my bed, hoping he'd think I was waking and that he'd stop. It never worked. Of course, since then I've discovered the joys myself and enjoy it.
- age 24, Ontario, Canada
Once when I was sleeping over at my friend's house we heard her brother masturbating in his adjacent bedroom. He moaned and his bed bounced against the wall. We thought it was really funny. I would have liked to see him doing it, because I cannot imagine him doing that!
- age 16, Wisconsin (female)
I have never heard or even seen anyone masturbate. If I were to hear someone I know masturbate, it would probably turn me off. For example, if I should hear my brother masturbating in his room, it would undoubtedly gross me out. However, if I did not know the person, I think I would become really excited and I would begin to masturbate.
- age 17, California
When I was at my dad's house I went up to my room, which I share with my stepbrother. We said goodnight, and when I shut off the light it was pitch black. As I got into bed, I could hear him take off his underwear and throw it on the floor. Then I heard the sheets moving up and down and him breathing hard. This caused me to masturbate, too. I think he knows I knew, and he knows I masturbated as well.
- age 13, Vermont
I remember knocking on my sister's door and asking her if I could borrow something. I realized I had interfurrped her masturbating, due to the sounds she was making. I wish I hadn't interrupted her — I hate being interrupted myself.
- age 31, Canada
I love listening to my boyfriend masturbate. We have phone sex a lot, and I love hearing him breathe really hard. When I hear him it just makes me want to masturbate even more.
- age 15, California (female)
One morning last summer at my cottage I heard this 15-year-old guy masturbating. His family was staying there, and he was sharing my room. I sleep in a loft, and he was sleeping in a bed beneath the loft. I woke up and heard his blankets rustling, and what sounded like him slapping his penis against his stomach. Then I heard the pace of the slapping increase, followed by some heavy breathing. It made me hard hearing him, and I masturbated after he had finished. It was 10:30 in the morning, so I think he thought I was already awake and downstairs. When he went downstairs, I guess he found out I was still "sleeping." He didn't say much to me that day, so I figured he knew that I knew.
- age 18, Canada
I hear my younger brother doing it quite often. His room is right next to mine, and I can hear movement on the bed and the sound of the lotion between his fingers as he strokes it. He also locks his room often. It doesn't really bother me, since I know it's normal, but the idea of a family member doing it is not a pretty picture.
- age 16, Florida (female)
When I was in college the guy in the next room would wake me every morning with the sound of his bed knocking against the wall. It wasn't long before I was masturbating in sync with him — sometimes either racing him, or trying to keep going longer. I sort of lost interest, though, when I saw him. He wasn't the fantasy figure I'd been imagining. Ah well, I had some pretty good sessions out of it.
- age 33, England
When I was staying at a friend's house, all the horny guys slept on one side of the room, and "everyone else" was on the other side. Sooner or later, one of my friends went at it. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world, because all of us knew what he was doing. Only, after he finished, he told everyone he was only chewing gum, which sounds like masturbation with a lube.
- age 17, California
Here's the situation: My three brothers and I, all within six years of age, shared one converted attic for a bedroom. Heard things? You bet! It was mostly that sticky sound of hand lotion as a lube, although sometimes I would hear heavy breathing or near panting. Of course this would make me want to masturbate, so I did. Even though we never talked about it, some nights we would all start laughing when we realized we were all in the darkness going at it.
- age 25, Wisconsin
My older brother and I share a room (he is 14), and there's a curtain between our beds. I always hear him masturbating! I think he is addicted! No...just kidding.
- age 12, Florida
If only I were that lucky!
- age 16, Texas
No, and I *never* want to.
- age 13, Canada (female)
A little over a year ago, I heard my roommate masturbating. He was 25; I was 26. The couch in the living room is next to the wall of his bedroom, and I could hear the squishing sound of the lube while he masturbated. We are both gay and know the other masturbates. He even walked in on me once by accident (I think!), so it wasn't a big deal. I didn't really feel anything other than maybe, "I wish he was cuter — maybe I'd knock on the door."
- age 27, Oklahoma
A few weeks ago I was going to knock on my dad's door to ask him something. Just before I did I heard him breathing really deeply, and I could hear him pumping. It sickened me — I don't know why, but it did. I knew he masturbated, and I kept telling myself it shouldn't bother me, but it did. It's troubled me so deeply I'm considering asking him to take me to a psychiatrist. I know it's silly, but I can't help it.
- age 17, Australia
My brother and I share a room. We have bunk beds; I sleep on top, and he sleeps on the bottom. One night he thought I was asleep and took off his clothes and blankets and started to masturbate. I could here him making grunting noises, and he was getting pretty rough with himself. The bed creaked back and forth; I don't think anyone could have slept through that! He ejaculated all over the bed and himself and had to sleep in a pool of his own semen — ick.
- age 18, British Columbia, Canada
I was staying over at a buddy's house and we watched this porno video. We both got tired and decided to go to bed. His bedroom was right next to the couch where I was sleeping. I wanted to start masturbating, but I was a little too chicken. Pretty soon, I could hear him breathing heavily and the squirty squishing sounds of him stroking with lotion. At first I was a little embarrassed and uncomfortable, and then I felt like I could go ahead and get away with it. I was also a little curious about how he was doing it.
- age 24, South Dakota
I was in my room, and my brother was masturbating in the room next to mine. I could hear him moaning loudly. I felt really uncomfortable and didn't know if I should tell him or not.
- age 16, Hawaii (female)
I heard my older brother doing it *many* times when we were much younger (he was maybe 17, I would have been 8). We shared a room and had bunk beds. I would hear him moving around and making stroking noises. Sometimes I could even tell he was grinding his penis into the mattress or pillow. In some ways I liked it a lot. I mean, I doubt I masturbated much at age 8 — at least I know I never reached orgasm. But I knew then I wasn't weird for doing it.
- age 23, New Jersey