Sensual and aesthetic attraction

I guess it could be described as a sort of longing to touch someone and be close to them. Wondering how warm and soft their cuddles would be. The pleasant sound of their voice is when you speak with them. How soft their lips or cheek may be if you were to surprise them with a peck. Imagining playing with their hair as they lay down on your lap. The safe feeling of having your hand held by theirs or them sharing their body warmth during winter. Giving them a massage when they're all tense and being happy to keep it at that.

That's what I could think of off the top of my head xD. I think it's easier to describe it using examples of physical closeness.

– NoctilucentNimbus

I'd never really thought about it much before, but I'm not sure I actually feel sensual attraction per se. I crave physical closeness and intimacy, I find myself fantasizing about how nice it would be to curl up on a couch with someone I trust completely snuggled close as we watch a movie together, but I don't think I ever really see someone and think "I want to touch/cuddle with/hug that person."

I want to do those things with someone, but it's more of an abstract feeling than an attraction targeted at specific people. I think the closest I've come is sort of a general curiosity about what it would feel like to hug/cuddle with/touch different people of different shapes and sizes.

– Ruruskadoo

For me, it's directly related to wanting to touch their skin, and feel the warmth and smoothness of it, not just wanting to feel their warmth through their clothes. While it was used to talk about sexual attraction, the line, "There is literally no feeling in the world for me like feminine skin" resonates with me for sensual attraction. It's also that I just want to give them a big hug and never let go. And instead of describing it as the safety of holding their hand, it's more of a calm serenity for me, but that's just splitting hairs.

– Anonymous

I personally definitely have sensual attraction towards my BFF. For example hearing: every time I hear his voice I can't help but smile and life just feels a bit better and safer. Smell: The smell of him, and/or I guess of his house, also gives my feelings of cozy and safe because it is associated with him.

– gamerpisces

For me is a sensual act e.g. if you are sitting with a friend on a nice evening, with a pot of tea, and you play collaborative games. Perhaps this sounds stupid, but for me, this can be a very sensual act because you try to combine your minds, your thoughts, your intuition, to reach a common goal. So this is not based on some sensory organ, but on thoughts and feelings.

– felsenbirne

When I’m attracted to somebody i feel a really strong, specific desire to have my face pressed up against theirs, to smell their warm skin, hear their breath, feel their scruff against me, and the way their clothes feel on my skin. it’s like their fully-clothed person is an experience. that’s the height of physical intimacy in my mind i guess.

– dusty-clementine

For context, hetero(maybe bi, idk)romantic grey cis male.

In my experience, sensual attraction is the maximum amount of attraction I could have towards someone 99 times out of 100. I basically want to be physically closer to them than is technically possible, while still feeling no desire for actual sex unless it's an extremely special case (hence the greyness). But trying to speak more generally... it's looking at someone and wanting to get lost in their presence. To feel their body close to your own, to squeeze them tight. To kiss their cheek, their neck, their lips... to shiver at their touch and fluster at their sigh. To feel them laying on your lap, your foreheads pressed to one another, grinning softly with the occasional kiss as you hold each others hands tight. To have that be as far as it goes, and to want that moment to last forever.

– wirspringen

I crave physical contact with another person. I guess it's different for everyone, but for me it's about that contact happening with everyone's clothes on, and with it not being a prelude to sex or anything closely related to sex. So, cuddling, hugging, sitting closely.

An intense feeling of wanting to hug someone, is how I generally know. It's not always linked to romance, either.

I guess by asking yourself if you feel like you want to hug or cuddle with another person? There's probably other sensual acts that people enjoy, i would look at what those are and work out whether you feel attracted to do those with someone.

But, it's different for everyone. Hope that all helped.

– Anonymous

I have a ton of Sensual attraction (29M Demi) I love cuddling, holding hands, hugging, any way to get skin on skin contact. It's also entirely non sexual for me, although I know I have to be careful because I know it is for some people. I also don't need to have Romantic attraction in order to have Sensual attraction, but if I am Romantically attracted to someone I will have even more Sensual attraction.

– Anonymous