THE SENSUALITY SCALE

DIRECTIONS: On a piece of paper number 1- 37.

For the following items, if the statement Generally describes you, your experience and your beliefs, respond with a "T"

If it does Not Generally describe you, your experience and your beliefs , respond with an "F"

#1. When talking with friends, I like to stand close to them.

#2 overall, my body is fairly sensitive.

#3 I usually notice how the fabric of my clothing feels against my body.

#4 I would enjoy a sauna

#5 One can never have too much of a good thing

#6 I think people should display affection more openly.

#7 I enjoy the feeling when a cat rubs up against me

#8 I believe people should live for the pleasure of the moment

#9 When dancing, I prefer to hold my partner close.

#10 When looking at a work of art, I examine it carefully.

#11 I enjoy petting cats and dogs

#12 I like it when I taste exotic and unusual foods

#13 when looking at a painting, I try to absorb its essence and deeper meaning.

#14 I like it when friends touch me while talking to me.

#15 My sense of smell is somewhat better then average.

#16 I sometimes feel things more deeply the others.

#17 God did not put people on Earth so that they could have a fun.

#18 I prefer dancing to slow, romantic music

#19 Many foods taste the same to me.

#20 As far as flowers are concerned, if you've seen one, you've seen them all.

#21 I seldom wear perfume or cologne.

#22 When reading a good story, I sometimes have deep feelings about it.

#23 In planning a meal, I can almost taste the food by just thinking about it.

#24 I like feeling a soft breeze against my skin

#25 I enjoy sunbathing

#26 Too much pleasure is sinful.

#27 I enjoy taking a long, hot bath

#28 When I am alone, I wear as little as possible

#29 I sometimes like to sleep in the nude

#30 I like the smell of incense and scented candles

#31 I like curving, flowing lines better than strait lines with sharp angles.

#32 I am excited at the sound of a large orchestra.

#33 I enjoy the smell of fresh cut grass

#34 I like to wear soft fabrics, such as nylon and silk.

#35 I like foods that are succulent and juicy

#36 I think skinny-dipping would be enjoyable

#37 I seldom notice the smell of flowers

The scores on this scale are NOT related to frequency of sexual fantasy, masturbation, overall importance of sex or he overall importance of having an orgasm.

When it comes to sensuality and sex, there are two kinds of people in this world. At the low end of the scale ((below 30 %)) are those who may have strong sexual urges, but are not all that interested in savoring their sexual encounters. For such people sex is primarily a matter of releasing their pent-up sexual energy, so it is not surprising that their sexual encounters are relatively brief in duration.

People who are high in sensuality are more interested in the process of sex than in the end result. These people enjoy the simple pleasure of touching and caressing perhaps as much as the more intense pleasures of orgasm. They want their sexual encounters to go on as long as possible.

The items on the scale also suggest that this trait of sensuality is not specific to sex, but can cut across all five of the senses and influence our reactions in a variety of situations. Sensual people enjoy tactile stimulation of all kind, even those which do not have to do with sexual stimulation, they like their friends to touch them while conversing, they like the feel of soft fabric and they can enjoy the feel of petting an animal. They are sensual when eating and tend to savor the taste, texture and appearance of foods. They take pleasure in their sense of smell, as well as their sense of sight and often enjoy and savor things that others consider unimportant such as the way light plays on something, the feel of the breeze and sound and timber of a voice. These people can take a great of deal of joy and pleasure form the simple things in life.

While people who are low in sensuality may seem a less joyful, ascetic lot, sensuality can cause problems for some people. Sensual people are somewhat hedonistic and more concerned with pleasure then the daily needs of living. They enjoy the pleasures that life can afford them and will often search them out over other more practical things. This tendency may lead to irresponsible sexual behavior and less then good judgement about relationships and life in general. They may also have a tendency to over indulge in a wide variety of things from food to mood altering drugs.

People who score low on the sensuality scale CAN increase their awareness of their own sensuality, not just sexually but in their reaction to the world around them. They can make a concerted effort to open themselves up to the everyday joy of life and they may find it allows them more enjoyment of everything as well as of sex.

Similar scores in partners is most likely optimal, if one partner is highly focused on the sensual and the other is not they may find it very hard to get on. By the same token since men tend to score lower on the scale then women it may benefit a couple to compromise at times, the person with the lower score should make an effort to be more sensual especially during sex, while the partner with the higher score may need to occasionally gratify their partners need for simple and quick gratification.

This scale suggests a practical use. One may wish to evaluate potential lovers by seeing how they react to non sexual stimuli. Such as how they savor their food, how they feel about music, their reaction to textures such as fabrics, as well as art. Their reactions may very well say something about how they would be in a more intimate setting.