The emergence of pornography on the Internet, the accessibility, affordability, and anonymity of consumption has obviously attracted millions of users. Based on the assumption that pornography consumption bears resemblance with reward-seeking behavior, novelty-seeking behavior, and addictive behavior. It is also a known fact that pornography use could impact human brain in negative ways. However, the question is, how does the use of pornography impact the human brain?

Pornography could impact different areas of human brain: particularly the brain functions and structures.

According to a survey, published by JAMA Psychiatry Network in 2014, pornography use could have negative impact on human brain. Studies found a significant negative association between reported pornography hours per week and gray matter volume in certain part of the human brain. For example, functional aspects of brain which includes ability for effective reasoning, problem solving, comprehension, impulse-control, creativity, and perseverance. New research findings also shows that pornography use may affect short-term and long-term memories, whereby making it difficult to keep and retrieve important information. All these could be damaged due to negative impacts of pornography consumption.

Cambridge Neuropsychiatrist Valerie Voon was featured in the UK documentary Porn on the Brain. In her research, she demonstrates that the “brains of habitual porn users show great similarity to the brains of alcoholics”. According to her, certain part of brain structure plays a significant role in the reward system of the brain—the pleasure pathways. It is the same part of the brain that “lights up” when an alcoholic sees a picture of a drink, and when a sex addict consumes pornography. Therefore, brain pleasure pathway is restructured, creating unnatural ways of pleasure pathways.

Frequent brain activation caused by pornography exposure might lead to wearing down of the brain structure, creating a higher need for external stimulation of the reward system and a tendency to search for novel and more extreme sexual material, making it difficult for brain to function normally. Because the brain reward systems have been manipulated by the use of pornography, it becomes difficult for individuals to be stimulated naturally and may always need external stimuli to feel sexual fulfillment.

What does the Research say?

Research has shown that human brain has the capacity to reset (neuroplasticity) and heal from the negative impact of pornography use. When individuals break through denials and make decision to overcome the challenges of pornography, there is hope and support to walk through the journey of recovery. Many people do get better, overcome the addiction and become a catalyst for recovery to others who may need help from the same problem.

At New Life Psychology Service, we provide general assessment, treatment plans, aftercare plans and relapse prevention strategies for individuals that are struggling with pornography use and its negative impacts on human brain.

References

JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(7):827-834. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.93
April 13, 2021 publication: Cambridge Study confirms Danger of Pornography