Have you ever seen a happy and energetic couple and felt you want to be a part of the relationship? Well, you might be symbiosexual in nature. This is the new form of sexuality that has been revealed in a recent study conducted by researchers at Seattle University in the US. The research published in the in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour states that this new form of sexual behaviour is an “attraction to the energy, multidimensionality and power shared between people in relationships.” In other words, a person who wants to be connected by the feelings of energy shared between a pre-existing couple is called a symbiosexual. You can find this form of sexuality in different ages, races, socio-economic classes and gender identities. So, is this a new form of threesome? Let's understand the new phenomenon that is heating up the relationship dynamics among couples. Sexual Health Awareness Month 2024 Significance and Activities: Understanding the Observance Dedicated to Promoting Education, Understanding, and Healthy Practices Related to Sexual Health.

Dr. Sally Johnston, an adjunct professor of anthropology and sociology, who conducted the study, stated to the New York Post that she believes there’s more to sexuality than we know. “We need to rethink the nature of human attraction and desire as only one-to-one experiences,” she stated. Is Threesome a Good Idea? How To Be Open Minded to Explore This Sexual Ecstasy. 

What Is Symbiosexuality?

According to the study, a person who recognises them as symbiosexuals finds the energy of the pre-existing relationship between the couple to be appealing and wants to be a part of this dynamic. They fall in “love” with the love shared between the two people in a relationship and want to get involved in that love. The author explained that it’s a genuine feeling towards the “whole” of the relationship. This unique attraction has been described as “greater than the sum of its parts.”

Symbiosexuals are often condemned in monogamous as well as non-monogamous communities. In literature, this form of relationship is labelled as “unicorn.” However, in non-monogamous communities, the same term has a negative meaning, which states that individuals who are willing to engage in sexual activity with the couple do not participate in other aspects of the relationship.

Is Symbiosexuals a New Form of Threesome?

While the relationship involves three people, unicorn polyamory or symbiosexuals may not be the same as a threesome. In a throuple, the three members are primary partners, while a symbiosexual individual or 'unicorn' joins an existing couple.

Dr. Johnston further pointed out in the study that the third person in symbiosexual, though in sexual benefits, receives poor treatment in the relationship and gets objectified and ostracised. However, there is a “diverse population of people,” who experience symbiosexual attraction, “an attraction to the energy, multidimensionality, and power shared between people in relationships.”

She observed from The Pleasure Study that surveyed 373 participants about their sexual and gender identity, 145 reports of participants expressed they have had a feeling of attraction to couples than the individuals in the relationship. Also, individuals who identify themselves as symbiosexual are extroverted, desire lots of intimacy, care and attention, and are less likely to experience jealousy. Moreover, people who consider themselves as queer and sexually open are reportedly attracted to queer and non-heterosexual couples.

With the further development of the research, Dr. Johnston plans to study the relationship dynamic more for the public to get a better understanding of the new sexual identity regarding mental health and satisfaction in relationships. He added, “I hope that this work will reduce stigma in both monogamous and non-monogamous communities and expand conceptualisations of desire in sexuality studies.”

Symbiosexuality is a fascinating and complex phenomenon that forces us to rethink the nature of human attraction. As experts continue to explore this concept, it will be interesting to see how it influences our understanding of relationships and what it means to be connected in an increasingly disconnected world.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 02, 2024 01:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).