Physical intimacy is informal proximity and/or touching, usually between two persons, where their positioning and/or touching is an expression or result of intimate feelings (such as close friendship, love, and/or sexual attraction) which they have for each other. Examples of physical intimacy include being inside someone's personal space, holding hands, hugging, kissing, caressing, and sexual activity.
The forms of physical intimacy, in order of increasing degree of intimacy (but not necessarily in order of increasing enjoyment), with each form generally including those preceding it, are: physical closeness, touching (especially tenderly), touching intimate parts (including outercourse), and sexual penetration.
Intimate proximity
It is possible to be physically intimate with someone without actually touching him or her; however, a certain proximity is necessary. For instance, close proximity and sustained eye contact is a form of physical intimacy. When there is nudity, but still no contact, the degree of physical intimacy is heightened. For instance, there is a game in which a couple may try to see how close they can get to each other without actually touching. Another game involves running hands along the countours of a person's body without touching him or her. These techniques often heighten sexual arousal. When a person enters someone else's personal space for the purpose of being intimate, it is physical intimacy, regardless of the lack of actual physical contact.
The objective of physical closeness can be a mix in various proportions of desired intimacy and practical aspects, such as lack of space, softness, stability (e.g. in a moving vehicle), and keeping warm; e.g. somebody sits on somebody else's lap, or sleeps leaning on somebody else. Physical closeness may also be involuntary, as in a crowded train or elevator. In such cases eye contact tends to be avoided. See also frotteurism, groping. Another form of this kind of closeness is when one goes to a crowded place for entertainment: a bar, disco, pop concert, street festival, etc.
Sexual physical intimacy
Sexual touching,, also called "heavy petting", involves touching or caressing of a person's intimate parts. Examples of sexual touching include sensual massage, feeling and kissing a woman's breasts and mutual masturbation.
Sexual intercourse is generally considered the ultimate form of physical intimacy.
The baseball metaphor
One subject often used as a metaphor and euphemism for physical intimacy in American English (especially to describe the level of intimacy achieved in intimate encounters) is the game of baseball. In the baseball metaphor, the intimate encounter itself is compared to the act of running the bases:
- Holding hands or kissing is considered getting to first base.
- Kissing and/or light petting means reaching second base.
- Heavy petting means getting to third base.
- A "home run" means you went "all the way" and had sexual intercourse.
This metaphor is not commonly known to be used outside of North America, even though baseball is widely played in nations such as Japan, Cuba and Venezuela.
Other forms of intimacy
Other kinds of intimacy include:
- emotional intimacy: talking about emotions, empathy and sympathy between two or more people.
- financial unity, sharing property, community-property
Links
- "American guys embrace the hug" - article at The Arizona Republic
This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.
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