SENSUAL DEFINITION:appreciating the senses; seeking to explore one’s appetites to gain sensory gratification CATEGORIES:identity, interactive SIMILAR ATTRIBUTES:carnal, epicurean POSSIBLE CAUSES: Having a deep love for all things and experiences Being highly exploratory Having a creative or artistic nature Having a heightened awareness of and sensitivity to one’s senses Having a strong libido ASSOCIATED BEHAVIORS: Being highly curious Having a deep appreciation for music, art, and beauty Being highly tactile Having a romantic nature Wanting to share emotional or sensory experiences with others Being sensitive to one’s emotions and the emotions of others Taking one’s time while eating or drinking to fully enjoy the experience Being hyper aware of warmth and light Planning ahead to create the right mood (lighting candles, choosing music, etc.) Enjoying color and its effect on one’s emotional state (seeing them as more vivid, etc.) Appreciating the play of light (how it creates shadows, softens colors, etc.) Breathing evenly and slowly Texture sensitivity (e.g. awareness of a fabric’s softness and how it feels against skin) Wanting to taste new foods Enjoying textures on the tongue Feeling physical changes associated with arousal (tingling nerves, rising body heat, etc.) Feeling intoxicated by a pleasing scent Boldness Being sensitive to smells Living for the moment Being uninhibited Seeking out physical gratification Sexual teasing and bantering Giving and receiving massages Being attracted to another in a way that feels intoxicating Engaging in sex Experiencing a release in bodily tension when one’s sensual desires are met Giving oneself over to sensations; becoming less aware of everything else Having a vivid imagination; fantasizing Desiring to discover and explore Intensely desiring pleasure or ecstasy Appreciating the aesthetics of nature Having a passion for life and what it brings Experiencing an emotional reaction to movies, books, art, or natural beauty Dancing or swaying as a way of expressing one’s emotions Wearing perfume or scented powders Enjoying nudity Publicly displaying affection Sending suggestive notes, texts, or pictures Being touchy-feely ASSOCIATED THOUGHTS: The smell of those orchids is intoxicating. Spending the day on the window chaise and warming myself in the sun is pure bliss. Alan’s skin is so soft. I could spend hours tracing the slope of his back. Every time I see the moonlight, I want to dance in it, be bathed in it. ASSOCIATED EMOTIONS:adoration, curiosity, desire, excitement, love, satisfaction POSITIVE ASPECTS:Fearless and passionate, sensual characters are explorers. They seek gratification by delving into their senses and trying everything they can imagine. Highly attuned to emotion and desire, these characters love deeply and seek bliss in every moment, wasting no opportunities. NEGATIVE ASPECTS:In their quest for sensory stimulation and emotional gratification, these characters can sometimes take things too far. Poor judgment and an inability to make sound decisions in the heat of the moment may lead to irresponsibility, infidelity, and a greater risk of dependence on addictive substances. EXAMPLE FROM FILM:In9 ½ Weeks, Elizabeth McGraw, a recent divorcée, has an affair with a man she barely knows. Throughout their experience, they explore the senses together, not only through adventurous sexual play but through food, clothing, colors, sounds, and textures.Other Examples from TV:Charlie Harper (Two and a Half Men), Samantha Jones (Sex and the City) TRAITS IN SUPPORTING CHARACTERS THAT MAY CAUSE CONFLICT:callous, inhibited, introverted, withdrawn CHALLENGING SCENARIOS FOR THE SENSUAL CHARACTER: PLOTLINE: Living where sensuality is forbidden or inaccessible (a convent, prison, etc.) PLOTLINE: A sensory processing disorder that causes hypersensitivity to a texture, smell, noise, etc. PLOTLINE: Family or friends who disapprove of one’s choices and label one as a sexual deviant PLOTLINE: Being caught in a vulnerable state (a nosy neighbor appearing during a skinny dip)