This topic was suggested by the participants who came for previous discussions on Sex, Gender, Marriage and the Church series organized by the Ministry of Apologetics. They think that pornography is a serious problem even among committed Christians and should be addressed.
They were not wrong because last year, a survey was conducted under the MPC on family from Sacred Heart Cathedral parish, it was found that more than 20 percent said that pornography had influenced the family dynamics in some ways. Moreover, with the easy availability of handphones to almost everyone, we would only see a rise in the number of people viewing such content unless awareness is established and this issue is brought into the open.
With that, our ministry decided that we would do a session on this where we discussed the effects of porn on the psychological, emotional and spiritual make-up of a person; whether it could affect marriages; why it is addictive and whether there are any means for us to avoid this as well as what scripture has to say about this.
One thing we realize is that this porno industry is a big money making industry. They know that if they catch someone at a young age, that person will be their customer for a very long time.
Our research and discussion brought us to recognize that pornographic contents are highly stimulating. Some research using MRI scans has indicated potential structural changes in the grey matter of the brain of individuals who use pornography heavily. There is seemingly a reduction in certain areas of the grey matter that are associated with reward and motivation and thus altered connectivity between brain regions. Prolong usage can impaired decision-making and cognitive function because It may affect the prefrontal cortex, which is the area of the brain that is involved in executive functions like planning, impulse control, and judgment.
The point is God has wired the brain in such a way that it wants to remember those pleasurable or joyful moments where our natural drives are satisfied. For example, if the body is thirsty, the brain’s job is to remember in vivid detail where water can be found, and the chemical called dopamine is the neurotransmitter that helps us remember where to satisfy our thirst. Porn being highly stimulative, do trigger a significant release of this dopamine into a region of the brain responsible for emotion and learning. This surge is often much higher than what is experienced through natural rewards like social interaction or even sexual intimacy with a partner. Thus, giving the viewer a sense of sharp focus and an awareness of craving: “I have got to have this thing; this is what I need right now.” The next time the viewer gets the itch for more sexual gratification, small packets of dopamine are released in the brain, that says, “Remember where you got your fix last time. Go there to get it.” The brain’s reward system associates this intense dopamine release with the act of viewing pornography, making the individual want to repeat the experience. It functions very much like craving for a smoke, a drink and drugs like marijuana, morphine or other addictive medications. Thus, porn viewing becomes addictive because of the dopamine response of the body.
With repeated exposure to the high levels of dopamine stimulated by pornography, the brain can become desensitized. This desensitization leads to a tolerance, where the individual needs to watch more explicit or novel forms of pornography to achieve the same level of arousal and pleasure they initially experienced. Everyday pleasures, including sex with a spouse, may begin to feel less rewarding in comparison.
Follow the Part Two of the article in the coming issue
