Why kissing is more intimate than sex

The visceral tingle of sitting next to him, the feel of his strong hand in mine, the smell of him next to me were the first times I felt the anticipation for hours, felt myself falling in love with him as we watched "Chariots of Fire" in the theater with the swells of the soundtrack almost too much to bear.

After that, I panicked as I drove my mother's beat-up Dodge Dart to his house and peered ahead, wondering what he'd do. I sat and waited.

"Can I steal a kiss?" he asked quietly but firmly. "You don't have to steal it," I told him, and he took my face in his hands and kissed me. It was the most intimate, passionate, beautiful kiss I'd ever experienced.

I was sixteen years old at the time. And I can still picture it in my head and feel it in my heart.

Kissing is, in my opinion, one of the most significant expressions of affection in a romantic relationship; it is the pinnacle of intimacy.

You could be thinking, "Um, there's something else a little closer: sex," and you'd be right.

When two people are sexually intimate, their bodies, minds, and souls are inextricably linked. Intercourse is fantastic in my opinion. When you're in a love relationship, the intimacy is unrivaled. It connects two people in a way that nothing else can.

But it all starts with a kiss, and it wouldn't be the same if it didn't.

It's sex without the intimacy; I want to gaze into your eyes; I want more than your body; I want your soft face clasped in my hand; I want the scratchy feel of your unshaven chin against mine.

Kissing is a profoundly personal experience that is both private and intimate.

In the film "Pretty Woman," both parties agree to have sex for a week, with escorts here, there, and everywhere, but no kissing on the lips. It's far too intimate and romantic. They kiss when the plot twists and they fall in love. And everything changes when they kiss.

Yes, I'm referring to a Hollywood film about a prostitute who goes clean, but the point is that they got the kissing just right. It's a private matter.

Kissing is a more intimate experience than intercourse. And Hollywood has a point in this case. I'm a little pickier about who I sleep with than your average Richard Gere in an Armani suit, and I don't have sex with someone I wouldn't want to kiss, but you get the idea.

Kissing: The Love Drug

According to researchers quoted in an ABC article, the first kiss is more powerful than the first sexual encounter. In fact, up to 90% of people recall specifics of their first love kiss, making it a more intense memory than their first sexual encounter.

Lips are highly sensitive tissue, according to psychologist and licensed clinical social worker LeslieBeth Wish, with nerve endings that communicate emotions such as hot and cold, sharp and gentle.

Lip nerve endings also elicit sensations of closeness and attachment by releasing love chemicals like oxytocin in the brain. Oxytocin is the hormone that makes us feel weak in the knees. And, like a love drug, the chemicals that cause that feeling make you want to kiss and generate more. So go ahead and kiss.

Because casual sex is so popular these days, it's easy to overlook the power of a kiss. Kisses are potent first-touch connectors that can make you feel ecstatic.

Is it Possible to Make Eye Contact? Or are you talking?

Any sexual act benefits from eye contact, so if you're kissing with your eyes closed, you're missing out.

Establish that this is a special moment by looking your companion in the eyes. It doesn't imply you should have a gazing contest; it could make your spouse uncomfortable. But sneak a peek now and then, and if your partner's eyes are closed, apply the next suggestion about communicating and say, "I want to look at you, open your eyes, this feels so special," in hushed tones.

Kissing is a strong language.

Is it true that talking ruins the moment? Not all of the time.

Speaking can enhance the chemistry, according to Michael Christian, author of "The Art of Kissing." According to his research, the most popular phrase is "You're such a good kisser." "You're so lovely," "You're so hot," and "I never want to stop kissing you," he says.

This accomplishes two goals. For starters, it demonstrates that you're sincere with the person you're kissing. Second, it conveys that you're in the early stages of wishing for a closer relationship. It's more than simply a kiss; it's the beginning of something bigger. Who doesn't want that from the person they're kissing, right?

Sealed With a Kiss, Or Not?

A kiss may actually solidify a relationship, as evidenced by Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous portrait of a sailor kissing a nurse after World War II and homosexual cowboys Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal's lip-lock in the 2005 film "Brokeback Mountain."

It has the potential to make or break a trade.

According to Sheril Kirshenbaum, author of "The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us," a lousy first kiss causes 59 percent of men and 66 percent of women to quit a relationship.

A kiss is the ultimate litmus test.

A kiss communicates a lot, including the kisser's capacity to be sensitive to and adjust to his or her partner's kissing technique.

A kiss may serve an evolutionary purpose in addition to opening the door to romance, demonstrating technique, and sensitivity. Men's saliva includes testosterone, which can raise a woman's desire and finally persuade her to mate with repeated exposure.

In addition, men described kissing as a "means to an end" in Kirshenbaum's State University of New York at Albany study, whereas women regarded it as a path to a deeper relationship.

Women are more sensitive to smell and taste, and they use their senses to determine whether or not a male is the "appropriate match."

Kissing is a combination of nature and nurture.

My first true kiss was when I first fell in love, and it was ideal in every way. There are a slew of more that come to mind: A kiss from a special love on New Year's Eve; a kiss from a man I loved as a friend when we finally took our relationship to the next level; a kiss at the top of a ski slope when I was terrified and needed reassurance; a kiss after years of flirtation, knowing it would be perfect; and a morning kiss after, well, the morning after.

Kissing is a natural, sensual, sexual, emotional, caring, soothing, gentle, aggressive, protective, vulnerable, confident, fearful, and loving relationship.

A kiss can convey a lot of information. As a result, a kiss is more than just that.