Objectum Sexuals - AS?

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Hi,

Apologies if this has been bought up here before, but I saw the most unusual doco about people called Objectum Sexuals, people that are in love and sexually attracted to objects. One of the women was an Aspie, and I was thinking it might not be as far fetched for an Aspie to have object connections than others. Anyone relate??

The doco was called something like "I married the Eiffel Tower" it was hectic! Part 1 of it is here - http://www.youtube.com/user/vids4os#p/u/8/n5Yuc7XSCJ4

And there's alot of vids on the subject by the same person.

Just thought it was interesting and vaguely aspie related, which makes me almost certain you guys have discussed it before!

Didn't the Aspie guy on Boston Legal have this going on, or a lady he dated? Or am I confusing two different characters? I cant imagine what this is like, though. I have items that I "love" but not to that point. I do have a couple of male Asian ball-jointed dolls who are super sexy , but I don't have romantic feelings for them. I just think they are really hot. Well, they are perfect, who wouldn't?

They're rather well-made. Certainly not Wal-mart baby dolls.

I've heard of OS. It's considered to be extremely rare. But before you start seeing it in higher numbers and associating it with Asperger's, you have to remember that autism in general has a higher rate of non-heterosexual orientations, and an increase could just be a reflection of the overall tendency towards atypical orientations.

I agree! Especially this one!

"Links to Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and object personification synesthesia

Understanding of OS is complicated by its apparent link with autism spectrum conditions and possibly other pervasive developmental disorders (PPD). Of the twenty-one survey respondents, five had a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome, one had a diagnosis of autism, four identified as having Asperger’s Syndrome but did not have a diagnosis, nine said they did not have Asperger’s Syndrome. However, three of those nine said they felt they had or were told they had “some traits.” (It is thought that Asperger’s Syndrome is under-diagnosed in adults as it did not enter the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) until 1994.)

Interestingly, De Silva and Pernet’s (1992) study of George, the mechasexual, predated the entry of Asperger’s Syndrome in the DSM IV. De Silva and Pernet described George as being shy, lacking in social skills, having few friends and no social life. George still lived at home with his parents. Prior to his interest in cars, his “major preoccupation had been with children and adult women urinating.” In hindsight, we might view George as a person who shares some of the features of Asperger’s Syndrome.

People with Asperger’s Syndrome are often characterized by their preoccupations and consuming special interests (Dewey, et al, 2005; Attwood, 2004). Beloved objects may also serve as special interests for those objectum sexuals who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

The most mysterious aspect of objectum sexuality (and the biggest reason it is ridiculed) is that many OS people sense personality, reciprocal feelings and/or “energy” from the object or objects they love. One respondent said, “We are not freaks, nor are we fetishists. Our lovers are living beings that communicate, and love us back. Contrary to popular belief, machines and other objects do have souls. This is what our relationships are based off of, and they're not entirely sexual.”

While some in the OS community will talk of animism and similar traditions, this explanation does not seem adequate for the experts or the general public. It seems impossible for a sane person to have a dialogue, let alone a relationship, with an “inanimate” object - therefore most people assume there is something drastically wrong with objectum sexuals.

However, object personification synesthesia is a form of synesthesia that detects personalities in objects (Smilek, D., Malcolmson, K., Carriere, J., Eller, M., Kwan, D., & Reynolds, M. 2007). This may be the most scientifically accessible explanation for experiences of object personality and reciprical affection reported by some objectum sexuals. Objectum sexuality could then be understood as an affectionate and/or eroticized response to the object personalities detected through synesthesia.

This survey did not ask questions about synesthesia, though one OS person later reported the ability to sense temperature at a distance and wondered if this might be considered a form of synesthesia (private email). The potential link between objectum sexuality and object personification synesthesia is an exciting area in need of research"

I find my laptop, very sexy. His name is Small and Black.

Well there are all sorts of 'dolls' specifically made to be used as sexual release devices (I think several of the BoyToy line are awfully cute), but that's still a far cry from being 'in love' with an object or a building, to the point of considering it a romantic partner. When your 'love doll' starts whispering sweet nothings, it's time for medication...which reminds me, did you know the voice of the Talky Tina doll in the Twilight Zone episode Living Doll was done by June Foray, who was also the voice of the original Chatty Cathy dolls in the 60s (as well as Rocky the Flying Squirrel from Bulllwinkle)? You learn all sorts of trivia listening to the audio commentary tracks.

Parts of that documentary have been posted before, and some of those folks go way beyond 'disorder', deep into 'mental illness' territory (wonder if that's where BowWoWow got the inspiration for the song Sexy Eiffel Tower). As long as they're not dangerous, more power to 'em...


C'mon, Barbie - Let's go party...

Last edited by Willard on 13 Mar 2010, 9:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

When I was a kid...all my toys seemed to have a personality. Although I did not feel any sexuality towards them...I did feel that they were living beings...expecially stuffed toys. I hated when they had a flower or bow on them...it made them less real. A weird thing happened, when I was a teenager...I became afraid of all my stuffed animals because I felt that they were possessed by an evil spirit. I got rid of them all by the time I was 20. The house I lived in during that time was haunted..so anything is possible.
After I got rid of all my stuffed animals...the notion that manifactured objects were living beings faded. But I still have some beliefs in native american animism...as I am part native....but it mostly is limited to nature. So how much of this has to do with my neurobiology and how much has to do with my native american beliefs, I dont know. I know that I was not raised with these beliefs...rather riducled for them instead...but I always felt a strong, deep connection with native americans. My family thought I was nuts until, we found out that one of our ancesters was on the cherokee book of roles and my great grandfathers pictures when he got older...looked like sitting bull.

michael jackson?

someone in japan married a pillow recently according to some newspapers in england. maybe this is a rather extreme case but it's not as uncommon as one might think for people to get sexually attached to objects such as cars.

Yes the lady that Jerry (the guy with AS) dated had this...