Psychoactive Drugs and Sex (eBook)

The search for artificial means of enhancing sexual experience is timeless and can even be found in the opening passages of Genesis (3:7) where Adam and Eve discovered sex as they took a bi te of the forbidden fruit: "e;And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. "e; While others may interpret the "e;opening of their eyes"e; as simply an awareness of male and femaleness, John Milton and others regarded the forbidden fruit as an aphrodisiac and in Paradise Lost, described in greater detail what happened: "e;But the false fruit For other operation first displayed Carnal desire infiarning. He on Eve Began to cast lascivious eyes; she hirn As wantonly repaid; in lust they burn. "e; Not only did Milton regard the "e;forbidden fruit"e; as an aphro- disiac, he also identified it as an apple, and an apple it has re- mained until this day. Sexual behavior has always been one of the most fascinating and attention-arresting activities in human history and there has been no decrease in the fascination and curiosity it still arouses in the human psyche. 1 2 Introduction As timeless as the topic of sexual behavior is that of aphro- disiacs. For example, after the "e;forbidden fmit,"e; the Bible specifi- cally identified mandrake as an aphrodisiac (Genesis 30:14-17): "e;And Reuben went, in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah.