Your Brain on Porn (by Gary Wilson, yourbrainonporn.com)
Your Brain On Porn: Porn Addiction (Part 1) Running time: 10:56
View Your Brain On Porn: Porn Addiction (Part 2)
View Your Brain On Porn: Porn Addiction (Part 3)
View Your Brain On Porn: Porn Addiction (Part 4)
View Your Brain On Porn: Porn Addiction (Part 5)
View Your Brain On Porn: Porn Addiction (Part 6)
We appreciate the educational value of watching these sequential clips that scientifically illustrate the way the brain changes when rewarded with dopamine and other feel-good chemicals, which is what happens when porn is viewed. This series explains why this experience, which usually begins with innocent-enough curiosity, so easily slides into compulsion/ addiction.
We appreciate the non-shaming approach used here, which can be most helpful since most SACs are already shame-based and that itself can cripple their embracing of recovery for themselves. This presentation can help alleviate guilt/ shame for the SAC who can’t understand why he is the way he is or behaves the way he does. Here, he is offered scientific reasoning which can help him release the self-imposed stigma that he is sick, perverted or morally bankrupt.
The science teacher presenting this series even goes so far as to make the claim that we are neurologically wired to become addicted to Internet Porn. How so? Because porn viewing dupes the brain through the continued use (abuse?) of the reward pathways into believing it’s propagating its’ genetics far and wide, supposedly an evolutionary tactic our ancestors had to use for our species to survive the many hardships of life back then.
We at PoSARC are not going to argue evolution vs. creation, but we are interested in seeing via easy-to-comprehend brain models and explanations, just WHY porn addiction is so dang stubborn and sabotages the user’s often desperate attempts to quit viewing it. Similarly, when someone fully understands why they’re behaving the way they are, they can be empowered to make real choices for permanent change that is truly in accord with their value systems.
Please take into consideration that this is a SCIENTIFIC presentation and as such, it may conflict with your religious convictions. Proceed (or not) accordingly. Total Running time is a little over 1 hour.
––Lili