Sex Science Skeptic

[JeffBooth]

Erototoxins is a term coined by Dr. Judith Reisman, who lacks any actual scientific credentials or training. She worked for for John Harmer, who worked for former Attorney General Ed Meese battling pornography. John Harmer runs the Lighted Candle Society, whose goal is to completely eradicate pornography. The new term refers to their belief that visual pornography triggers an adrenaline rush felt in the gut and genitals and a flood of testosterone, oxytocin (the hormone of love), dopamine and serotonin, all of which somehow has a toxic effect on the body.

Dr. Reisman refers to pornography as a dangerously powerful "fear-sex-shame-and anger stimulant". Well I do sometimes get angry at anti-pornographer's fear and shame of sex (although more often I just feel pity for them). She believes that "when a person looks at a pornographic image for example, they're highly aroused, but unable to bring their cognition to this so it is without informed consent that their brain is changed by the image. The brain is changed by the image." Unfortunately, all legitimate scientific research does not support their conclusion, so they are going to spend three million dollars to attempt to establish scientific proof using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

They hope to show that the brain is affected by pornography, and that it is addictive, physically damaging and linked to eventual anti-social behavior. They hope to use their findings to go after the pornography industry the same way that the tobacco industry has been targeted.