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Speaker Discusses Science Of Porn
By Heather Bowser, Daily News-Record
The same scenario happens time and time again.
It’s a dreary evening after a long day at work. A man — stressed from issues at the office and fussy toddlers in the kitchen — retreats to the backroom to surf the net.
"I just need to unwind," he thinks to himself.
William Struthers
But this is where his real problems begin, says Dr. William Struthers, a psychology professor at Wheaton College in Wheaton Ill.
A few mouse clicks later, guilt washes over him. He did it again — he looked at pornography. And sadly, Struthers says, this probably won’t be the last time.
"Pornography is crack for the eyes," said Dr. William Struthers, "Porn is just as addicting, or more so, than drugs."
The Industry
Struthers’ Friday afternoon comments were part of a science lecture series at EMU. For about an hour, Struthers addressed a packed lecture hall about the neurological and spiritual aspects of pornography addiction.
Pornography, he says, is a $57 billion-a-year industry, which grosses more money than the four major TV sports combined.
"In the United States alone, people spend $12 billion on adult videos, Internet sites, books and magazines," he said.
And, he says, thanks to the accessibility, affordability and anonymity of the Web, the industry is growing.
People don’t need to go to an adult video store anymore, he said. "They can stay in the privacy of their own home."
Neurological Factors
Pornography is popular — and addictive — because when people look at it, it stimulates pleasure sensors in the brain, Struthers explained. The same brain sensors are activated, in varying degrees, when people eat, play video games, go shopping or engage in any sexual activity. Drugs and gambling also stimulate these sensors, he said
Although experts are unclear about how this sensor stimulation becomes addictive, Struthers argues that because 90 to 95 percent of men couple the practice with self-stimulation, the sensory overload begs repetition.
"Sex is one of the three major things that drives humans," Struthers said. "While you can’t really die from virginity, you can feel like you will."
Men are more sensitive to pornography addiction because they are more visually stimulated than women, Struthers explained.
He showed the audience pictures of the brain of a man and a woman before, during and after viewing pornography. The man’s brain was colored bright orange — showing activity — while the woman’s remained virtually unchanged.
"Men just experience sexuality in their brain differently than women do. What they see effects them more. That’s how they’re built," he said. "This makes them more susceptible to porn addiction."
Spiritual Factors
And "spiritual" or "religious" people are no less susceptible, he said. One of the largest group of porn addicts are clergy.
"Clergy are some of the most stressed out people in the world," Struthers said.
In general, "spiritual people" have higher rates of pornography addiction because the guilt tends to spur repeat offenses, he said.
"A non-believer who doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong is more likely to just forget about it," he explained. "A Christian will beat himself up over and over. It’s on his mind and he’ll do it again."
Although recovery is difficult, it’s possible, he said.
The best answer is small, three-person discussion groups and a lot of prayer, according to Struthers.
"You have to give God time to heal you," he said. "If you had a problem for 15 years, don’t expect to be able to fix it in 20 minutes."
