A person can be aroused both from the touch of a partner and from what touches him himself. Moreover, we are talking not only about the genitals, but also about other sensitive areas, which can vary greatly from person to person.
Scientists from Bangor City University in the UK decided L. Maister, A. Fotopoulou. The Erogenous Mirror: Intersubjective and Multisensory Maps of Sexual Arousal in Men and Women / Archives of Sexual Behavior find out if there is a connection between the erogenous zones of the person himself and those places of the partner that he will touch to get aroused.
For the study, 613 volunteers of both sexes were recruited and asked to evaluate 41 body zones according to the degree of erogenicity. The participants were asked how much they are aroused when a partner touches certain places, as well as which parts of the lover's body they like to touch themselves.
After analyzing the results, the scientists came to the conclusion that people seem to project their erogenous zones onto the partner's body. In other words, they get excited by touching exactly those parts of the lover's body that they themselves are erogenous.
That is, if your partner likes to caress your feet or lick your earlobes, most likely, these areas are also erogenous.
Scientists have suggested that this effect occurs due to mirror neurons — brain cells, due to which we can imagine ourselves in another person's place, literally feel what he is experiencing.
When a person touches some area of his partner's body or even just looks at it, he feels like he is touching himself, and since this area is erogenous, sexual arousal occurs.
The effect of an erogenous mirror is present in people of both sexes, however, some differences were found in men and women.
Men found it more exciting to touch their partner than to feel her touch. But for women, it was exactly the opposite. They felt more arousal from touching a partner, rather than from touching him themselves.
Scientists have suggested that men are more likely to be aroused by visual erotic stimuli than women. Therefore, it is more pleasant for them to watch and touch their partner than to feel touches on themselves.
The researchers also checked how well people guess the erogenous zones of their partners, and again saw differences between the sexes. Despite some discrepancies, men were still more likely to touch their partners where they liked, but women guessed worse.
You can use this feature to better understand your partner.
If a person pays a lot of attention to some areas of your body, they are very likely quite sensitive to him. This can tell you what kind of stimulation is desirable to give your partner more pleasure.
At the same time, you should not rely solely on non-verbal signs. If a person does not react in any way to caresses, you can always ask what he feels and whether such touches are pleasant to him.
Remember that the ability to talk about sex and discuss what someone likes is a necessary condition for the satisfaction of both partners.
