three hundred forty five

 PHEROMOMES

I grew up around farms with pigs, cattle, chickens, goats and dairy cows. As a young boy the animal interactions I witnessed were very educational. There is a financial benefit to livestock reproduction so most farmers show a level of interest most city dwellers find strange. 

Most breeding is done by inseminators to have breeding success, to control genes and to avoid injury. This does not limit sexual activity by any means, farm children see real life played out everyday. Domesticated animals show all of the behaviors we find in the wild. 

Deer, elk, rabbits, game birds and wild pigs play out a more rough and tumble version with male fighting for dominance. 

I know very little about horses but I do know a mare in heat can effect male horses a mile or more away. Dogs lose their minds as they pursue  a female in heat. Well behaved male dogs may run away, run into traffic or become aggressive.

The animal kingdom uses pheromones for several reasons. They find mates, mark territory, friend or enemy identification and bonding. I believe humans do this too. Humans have a limited ability to consciously identify specific scents because this part of our brain is not as developed as it is in other animals.

My question is if humans breathe the same air, aren't we sending and receiving similar signals? In a room full of fully clothed humans perhaps pheromones are effecting our moods and behaviors much more then we understand. We rely on our other senses so much it is easy to see how these powerful forces are dismissed.

I believe we are attached to mates, sense when we are in danger and recognize bonds with other humans. That may explain that once in a lifetime attraction that marks us for life. Not a crush, hook up or casual relationship, but a primal connection that can't be explained or forgotten no matter the distance or how much time has passed.

Mothers bond with their babies in a special way. Mothers are so connected that decades later they can detect if their child is in danger, if they are ill, their moods and yes if they are lying. It is a combination of factors but the secret language of pheromones has much more to do with this then we realize. 

Animals are not inhibited when exploring pheromones, humans are more discrete. Some so discreet they are unaware pheromones exist. Regardless their bodies, thoughts, moods and sexual focus react in the presence of the opposite sex. 

I watch a room full of men as a woman enters the room. The most loyal married man who would never ever stray may not openly react but trust me they know she is there. I personally know this to be true. I won't speak for women but I assume they react too. They may not even realize they react but they do. 

I have watched the behavior of humans for many years. I notice body language and group dynamics. Humans for the most part limit or resist these animal instincts but today many are controlled by them.

This hidden language enhances the passions of life. Not limited to sexual passions but the self sacrificing long suffering passions that last beyond the grave.

A great movie was "Scent of a woman". Al Pacino was a blind Lt Col who mentored a young man about romancing women. This movie made me aware of my own attraction to women.

My initial attraction to women was based on the sight and feel of their hair, skin, eyes, lips, breasts and the shape of their bottoms, but I was unaware how much their scents and smells effected me. As a young man my body reacted to these in a strong physical way but I didn't know why. 

When I was in high school I had a teacher who just drove me crazy. She was an older woman in her 40's, had a full figure and dressed very conservative. One day I got close enough to smell her hair. My body reacted in a way I could not explain. I had no interest or crush, my body just reacted. I never said anything to anyone but from that moment on I was aware there was something going on I did not understand.

I don't know if I'm wired differently but through my life I have connected to people and places through my sense of smell. All of our senses connect us to everything good or bad. Not only the senses I am consciously aware of but the underlying secret language of pheromones.

There is a sharp difference between humans and animals. Humans live by social and moral rules, animals are ruled by their instincts. Today the if it feels good do it crowd are guided by their instincts while ignoring any moral code.

Ignoring the fact that we have this secret language and built in instincts is sad we miss out on the passions of life. However ignoring the fact that we are human and function on a higher social level can lead us to chaos. A proper balance of these factors is the spice of this dance called life.