n November 18, 1986, the Washington Post ran a front page story titled "Pheromones Discovered in Humans" written by Boyce Rensberger. For the first time, the existence of human pheromones was given credence by the scientific community and the wider world.

Human pheromone discoveries actually began as early as 1960 when David Berliner, a young professor of anatomy at the University Hospital of Salt Lake City, observed that researchers who were in close proximity to skin extracts standing in open bottles experienced a remarkable change in mood (from discordant to peaceful).

Naturally, no conclusions were drawn because not only were pheromones unheard of at the time, but the very notion of skin extracts having anything to do with human behavior seemed preposterous.

Since those early days, random theories have surfaced about the possible existence of pheromones in humans and how they relate to sexual behavior. The academic community was quick to suppress such theories, however, because they lacked scientific merit.


Light Years Ahead of Oysters and Chocolates

The concept of the "perfect aphrodisiac" has always been fascinating to people the world over. The search for a love potion that would magically seduce one's object of desire and cause him/her to reciprocate one's love and passion has continued for centuries.

Some have said that our sense of taste influences sexual behavior. Certainly, there have been a variety of food items ranging from oysters to chocolate that have been found to increase the likelihood of sexual intimacy.

Others have said that our sense of hearing influences sexual behavior. Undoubtedly, there are auditory stimuli, such as music that put us in the mood for love but they seldom

Still, others insist that it is our sense of sight that influences sexual behavior that is, sexual attraction occurs through visual stimuli, such as the sight of a scantily-clad person, a nude body or certain parts of the anatomy. In truth, there is no biological basis for visually perceived physical attraction. While the sight of visually stimulating things do cause a psychological response, that response is often subjective. No two people respond exactly the same way to the same visual stimulus.

Our sense of smell, on the other hand, has been proven to affect sexual behavior in a consistent, biological manner. Here's how it works: The human body gives a conditioned response to olfactory input. As a result, our sense of smell determines who we find sexually attractive. Conversely, how we smell determines whether or not the opposite sex will be sexually attracted to us.

Scent does indeed play a far larger role in human sexuality than any of us can possibly imagine. And pheromones, in particular, are mysterious agents of enticement.

It's those invisible, odorless pheromones emanating from a man (or woman) more than his (or her) looks or voice which attracts the opposite sex. Therefore, those of us who use pheromones are more likely to have more sexual experiences than those who believe they can attract the opposite sex by wearing a nice outfit, shirt or blouse.