Got Game? Or Just Nose Game?

BY KJ ADLER

Social interaction fascinates me. Here we all are as individuals in our own stories starring us, bouncing between other stars in their own shows, trying to understand what constitutes a friend, a significant other, an enemy.

In many instances there is little problem with the interaction between people; you say something and someone responds because of it.
But in other instances there are such deep miscommunications and misconceptions that it’s a wonder we don’t kill each other. I often can’t help but stand back and watch what happens between people with fascination.

With all of the discontinuity we share between one another I have to wonder what it is that creates attraction between two people.

Sure, there’s looks, personality, talent, financial gain, etc, etc. But even before that happens, before you say anything to someone, there always seems to be a voice in the back of your head telling you whether or not this person is a potential mate.

Sometimes the voice may surprise you. You come across this guy/gal who in your books is the anti-type of what you look for in a person. And yet there is something drawing you to him/her, something that can’t quite be explained.

The culprit? Pheromones.

Apparently we have a lot less control over who we are attracted to than we think. Some nasal receptors near the front of the nose pick up a strong dose of pheromones and enact a reaction in the hypothalamus (cortex area) of the brain, the very place where emotions are concocted to muddle with our good senses.

So more or less, pheromones are subconsciously detected and elicit an internal sexual response. Men and women each have their own type of pheromones used to attract the other sex. For homosexuals, however, it has been shown that  pheromones from the same sex produce greater arousal.

The power of pheromones is great as they are not only used for attracting a mate but have also been used to lure pests into traps and keep away others.

The evil perfume companies have dipped into the power of the pheromone as well, using it in different fragrances to get the opposite sex into subconscious submission.

However, these fragrances are hit or (often) miss when it comes to stirring up sexual stamina.

The whole pheromone phenomenon is nothing more than a basic animal survival tactic, one that we can’t really control and certainly can’t perfectly replicate.

While perfumes don’t actually act as scent magnets, they do tap into the subconscious nonetheless, providing the wearer with a stronger sense of self-confidence and a better attitude.

But don’t think that you are powerless to the might of the scent. The receptors in the nose can only pick up the pheromone scent from fewer than 18 inches away, so in many cases you have to get really close to the person before even getting hit with that initial olfactory attraction.

So what is the best way to use your smell?

Women are apparently more attracted to the scent of musk. The preconceived notion that women could smell pheromones better from a sweaty man is just bollocks.

As for men, there are a number of smells that can increase penile blood flow. From pumpkin to doughnuts to lavender, it all just depends on what smell best represents you and works well with not only your own scent but also with the interest of the guy.

Just like social interaction itself, pheromones are a tricky business. They can go either direction for someone depending on a variety of factors such as setting, time, receptor, and the scent you are giving off (yes, apparently we can also change scents depending on our mood and interest in someone).

All in all, it’s just another little puzzle piece to help understand the great complexities of attraction.