What does sexual attraction feel like?
Sexual attraction is an urge to have sex with someone that may include any of the following.
- A literal feeling like you are being pulled towards the other person, almost like a magnetic effect.
- In the case of visual attraction, a feeling like your eyes are stuck on the other person or that it's hard to look away / think about something else.
- A feeling like you want to physically make yourself as close as possible to the other person.
- A desire to touch and be touched by the other person by skin-to-skin contact – wanting sensual contact to naturally escalate to sex.
- In combination with the above, feeling physical arousal.
It also common to hear about a 'positive feedback loop' where reciprocated attraction leads to the attraction feeling even stronger.
Ultimately sexual attraction is similar to many other urges that people can have. It's difficult to explain what it's like to be hungry other than to say, "it's an urge to eat that sort-of hurts in your stomach, and it can make you feel weak". In the same way, sexual attraction is just an urge to have sex, which comes with certain physical sensations. Not much more can be explained than that.
For first-hand accounts of what sexual attraction is like you can read Experiences: Sexual attraction.