What is this strange, almost other worldly force between humans we call animal magnetism, or animal attraction? Where does it come from, and why does it happen at all? It is undeniably real, but it seems to come out of nowhere…..It is such a strong, overwhelming, driving, primal force that it often rips off the thin veneer of social responsibility and accepted rules of etiquette as supposedly civilized people we all adhere to and at least give lip service to on a daily basis….

Marriages have been destroyed by it, relationships ruined by it, friendships broken because of this strange, unbidden force of nature that seemingly appears out of nowhere and supersedes the everyday manners and social interaction we use to guide and manage our everyday lives…

It becomes a driving, all consuming force of it’s own, with it’s own rules and regulations ….We have all probably felt it at one time or another in our lives, and it is undeniably real….It is a physical attraction that defies all logic, because it is based on emotional and psychological factors that have nothing to do with logic…It is based on a far deeper human level of knowledge….

It can happen to anybody, men, women, gays, lesbians, but it is undeniably a strong, almost overwhelming physical attraction that transcends all nationalities, all borders and boundaries, all different societies, even the most repressed ones. And like it or not, deny it if you can, but when it hits you, there is no doubt, you KNOW it, you feel it, you are hopelessly and obsessively attracted to that mysterious other person, usually a perfect stranger, to the point of virtual obsession….

According to a scholarly, dispassionate Google article trying to break down this universal phenomenon on a scientific basis, to try to shed some light on this universally recognized feeling, to help explain it:

“We all have our individual idea of what the perfect mate is and beauty standards vary the world over. But when we are instantly attracted to someone, our rational brain stops working and we are overtaken by the preliminary symptoms of passion-giddiness, weak knees, fluttery stomach, nervousness, sweaty palms etc. Attraction and flirtation are the initial stages of the mating game, where our intellect and rationale is temporarily suspended. We are, to a degree, acting according to the deeply recessed instincts of our species at this point.” Sound familiar, people?

The article goes on to say that “In our species, pheromones may be responsible for that ‘physical chemistry’ we experience with certain people. Pheromones are biochemicals that are secreted in our sweat and unconsciously perceived by tiny receptors in our nasal passages. These pheromones often ‘carry’ certain messages that elicit an unconscious response from others. Pheromones are responsible for the phenomenon of menstrual synchronicity of girls that live together (in dormitories, for example). Pheromones also deliver messages about a person’s sexual state and general health. Studies have shown that pheromones play a role in helping us choose a mate whose genetic resistance to disease complements our own.”

So maybe that explains scientifically the basis for the attraction, the little known fact about pheromones: biochemicals that are tiny components of our biological system, that elicit an unconscious and mutually desirable attraction from others. And as I have noted, this overwhelming feeling of attraction usually occurs between perfect strangers…

But to me, the scientific explanation doesn’t quite explain the incredible rush of attraction, doesn’t really do it justice. It doesn’t quite explain the undeniable force, power and virtual obsession that human animal magnetism engenders…We all have heard of, or perhaps experienced, the visceral impact of suddenly “seeing someone across a crowded dance floor” that makes us feel all weak kneed and stricken with an overwhelming desire to get to know that person better…much, much better…

Of course this is not always a mutually exclusive feeling, sometimes in fact it is just a one way street, where only one person feels that incredible, indelible rush of attraction for another person, who does not reciprocate the feeling, for whatever reason. They may or may not be even aware of the first person’s attraction to them…

But I think that is usually the exception and not the rule, that far more often, we humans, being the imperfect creatures that we are, that this phenomenon that we call human animal attraction is usually a mutual two way street that sweeps all else before it…. It is a mad combination of passion and desire that is overwhelming, undeniably true, and almost impossible to resist….Some people may call it true love, some may call it just the heat of the moment, but is irrefutably a real emotion, and must be acknowledged and dealt with in some way, either by action or inaction….

I am reasonably sure that there must be people who live such cloistered, closed off, isolated lives that they probably never feel it at all, but for the rest of us, don’t blame yourself…It is apparently a deeply rooted part of the human psyche and biological response system that can hit almost anyone, anytime, anywhere….I am not and would certainly never want to be a judge, I’m just a student and observer of human behavior, but I can personally attest to the power and force of this magnificent obsession….

Whether or not we actually act on these mad, impulsive surges of attraction, whether or not we pursue these sudden objects of our desire, are best left to each person’s individual conscience and will power, but the fact remains that, like it or not, human animal magnetism is an indisputable, undeniable part of being human….

And in the end, aren’t we are all…. only human?