Bizarre Fetishes: A Glimpse into the Unexpected World of Attraction

Human sexuality is a complex and fascinating spectrum. While some find attraction in the conventional, others experience arousal from more unusual stimuli. Let’s delve into the world of bizarre fetishes, exploring attractions that might surprise you.

What Is A Fetish?

According to studies, fetishism is sexual attraction towards objects or specific body parts to achieve sexual gratification. A fetish, also known as paraphilia, involves a strong sexual fascination or arousal stemming from a specific body part, object, or  scenario that is out of the ordinary. These objects are not typically sexual and can even cause distressing urges that affect daily lives. 

While sexual fetishes are generally harmless, these interests become central to the individual’s sexual identity and activities. Having a sexual fetish is not considered to be a mental illness. However, the person may have compulsive sexual desires that become integral in their own sexual life. Studies have found that these unusual fetishes are more common with men as compared to women. Around 28% men reported having rare kinks, whereas only 11% reported having fetishistic arousal from uncommon objects. 

Mainstream culture may find these taboo, but for those who experience these desires, they are a natural and significant part of their sexual expression. Let’s have a look at some paraphilia examples to better understand this strange phenomenon.

35 Of The Most Bizarre Fetishes

Everyone has their preferences when it comes to sexual practices. While some people may get turned on by things considered “normal”, there exist some people with unusual sexual kinks that most of us have never even imagined.

One common area of rare kinks is specific body parts. Unlike the more familiar attractions to overall body shapes or sexual organs, these fetishes focus intensely on particular aspects of the body, like armpits. Let’s dive deeper into the unusual world of bizarre fetishes and have a look at the list of paraphilias of the most unusual sexual interests people have.  

1. Armpit fetish

Also known as maschalagnia, this fetish involves arousal from the sight, smell, or taste of armpits. The natural scent of armpits can act as a pheromone-driven attraction.

2. Being attracted to navel 

This fetish includes a sexual fascination with the navel or belly button. Activities may involve touching, licking, or inserting various objects into the navel for sexual pleasure.

3. Hair fetish

Known as trichophilia, this involves arousal from hair, typically on the head but occasionally body hair. The texture, length, colour, and style can all be aspects that trigger sexual arousal. 

4. Being attracted to someone’s face 

This broader category may include specific parts of the face, such as the eyes or lips, but can also refer to a general sexual fixation on the face itself.

5. Foot fetish

One of the most well-known fetishes, podophilia involves a sexual attraction with feet. Activities might include massaging, touching, and smelling feet, or even deriving pleasure from seeing feet clad in specific types of footwear.

This fetish is so common that it has also created its niche in the world of odd jobs. A role, known as foot goddess, is someone who makes a living by allowing people to worship their feet. A woman, in most cases, presents her feet to people with a foot fetish who pay these “goddesses” to lick and worship their feet!

6. Adult breastfeeding 

Believe it or not, adult breastfeeding, also known as lactation in adults, is a real thing and it’s more common than you might think. Some couples incorporate adult breastfeeding into their intimate life, finding it arousing and emotionally connective. This is called erotic lactation, and it’s a niche fetish.

7. Nose fetishism

A nose fetish, or nasophilia, involves sexual arousal from the look or shape of the nose. Enthusiasts may enjoy touching, kissing, or rubbing noses, as well as viewing images focused on the nose. Some individuals are aroused by the idea of inserting a finger, tongue, or even a penis into the nostrils, an act akin to more conventional forms of stimulation like fingering.

Others find pleasure simply in observing a nose that they find particularly attractive. Furthermore, some with this fetish enjoy pinching a person’s nose, which compels the individual to open their mouth to breathe—a behaviour that also plays into the fetish.

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8. Primal fetish

This refers to a preference for sexual activities that emphasize primal behaviours such as wrestling, biting, and other forms of body-to-body contact. It taps into the animalistic and instinctual aspects of human sexuality. 

It might involve imitating large predators, making noises such as grunts or other animalistic sounds, and engaging in consensual ‘rough’ sex. Such activities could include biting, hair-pulling, and consensual forms of hitting or scratching.

9. Small spaces

While some people may enjoy the thrill of getting handsy in public spaces, people with Chasmophilia take that thrill to another level. They get aroused by narrow spaces like small nooks, crannies or caves.

10. Cake farter

Among the more weird and bizarre, this fetish involves deriving sexual pleasure from sitting or farting on cakes. The technical word for a fetish for human gas is eproctophilia, but “Cake Farts” is its own bizarre little world. A girl (in most cases) sits on a cake and farts on it. And that’s it.

11. Humiliation as a fetish 

For some people, the humiliation of their partner gets them going. This can come in many forms. For example: 

• Cuckoling: A female sleeping with another man to humiliate her male partner. The male partner in this situation is aware of the infidelity that often adds on to the humiliation aspect of the setting
• Human Carpet: This role involves a person rolling themself up in a rug or carpet, enduring being walked on or stepped over, and tapping into fetishes related to submission and humiliation

12. Heavy fetish

This term can encompass a wide range of more intense or hardcore fetish practices that may involve bondage, physical restraint, or scenarios involving significant power dynamics. This is commonly known as BDSM which involves having erotic power over your partner through dominance. 

13. Orgasm control

One of the odd kinks people have is controlling their partner’s orgasms. In this, they bring their submissive partner to the edge of climax and suddenly stop. Repeated often multiple times, this gives the person the power of domination as he/she gets to decide how and when the person orgasms.

14. Spectrophilia

If you thought things were weird till now, you won’t believe this one. Apparently, some people have a thing for ghosts. Spectrophilia involves the fantasy of doing it with a spirit, mostly while one is sleeping. People often role play, dressed up as ghosts. The fantasy works for both genders:

• Succubus: A female ghost who entices a man sexually while he is sleeping
• Incubus: A male ghost having sexual intercourse with a female while she is sleeping

15. Adults in diapers

Another one of the weirdest philias is Autonepiophilia—a fetish which involves adults behaving like babies. In this, one partner acts and dresses up like a baby having their other “nurturing” partner take care of them. 

Adults often wear adult diapers and drink from baby bottles to really get into the role. They also refer to their partner as “mommy” or “daddy.” What do you think of this Adult Baby Syndrome?

16. Watching your partner pee

Next on the list of bizarre fetishes is Urophilia—getting turned on while watching someone pee. Often referred to as “golden showers,” this philia is characterized by having sexual fantasies and urges around urinating or being urinated on. 

It is not only limited to this, people with urolagnia even get horny when they experience the smell, taste or sound of urine. While this may sound absolutely disgusting to some, remember not to yuck someone else’s yum.

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17. Using wax for pleasure

Inflicting pain is a common sexual fetish for many. This pain comes in different forms making for different philias, one of which is wax. Wax play involves dripping hot, melting wax on your partner. This is so common that many brands like Fanaloka sell candles that turn into massaging lubricants when melted. These candles burn at low temperatures that prevent your skin from burning. And hey, if nothing else, these candles could make for a romantic setting.

18. Vorarephilia

One of the more common, yet equally disturbing, kinks is the infamous cannibalism. While it doesn’t involve literally eating another human (because that would be illegal), people do fantasize about it. According to studies, the philia encompasses an erotic desire to consume or be consumed by your partner. Due to obvious legal constraints, people achieve their pleasure by text or illustrations often over the internet.

Vorarephilia has gained limelight in recent years with famous cases emerging in the news. Armie Hammer, an American actor, was accused of allegations by his former girlfriend for sharing his desire to “cook and eat one of her ribs.” Well next time, maybe be extra careful before you tell your partner how you could just eat them up. 

19. Being attracted to hands 

People with Quirophilia are sexually attracted to hands. People with hand fetish may find the entire hand or parts of it arousing. For example, some people may find specific parts of hands such as fingernails, palms, or even the back sexy. For others, a simply manicured hand or gloves may do the trick. 

This is a rather common fetish due to how hands are often naturally a part of sexual acts. People get creative in ways that involve sucking on their partner’s hands as well.

20. Arousal by vomit

This gross fetish involves including vomit in your sexual activity. Emetophilia is a sexual fetish in which the person gets aroused by vomit. Cue: gag! It is very real and more common than you can imagine. People with emetophilia get aroused by seeing or hearing others vomit. In some extreme cases, people with this odd fetish may vomit on their partner or be vomited on, which is called a Roman Shower.

21. A thing for balloons

Yes, there is such a thing as balloon fetish and the enthusiasts call themselves “looners”. This involves sexual or deep emotional attachment to balloons. Really! People with this fetish generally fall into two categories:

• Poppers: Those who enjoy bursting balloons while getting physical
• Non-poppers: Those who prefer inflating and deflating them strictly without popping. Some non-poppers are even distressed by the idea of popping

Beyond sexual arousal, some adults simply love playing with balloons, facing societal stigma for their childlike joy. For some, having balloons in their room during sex enhances pleasure.

22. Blood fetish

Blood fetish, also known as vampire fetish, or haematophilia is a sexual interest in blood. This involves cutting someone or biting hard enough to make their partners bleed. They usually draw out the blood or drink it that sexually arouses them. Although for some, even fantasizing about blood is enough.

It is crucial that safety is prioritized in such intimate activities as it could potentially cause harm to you or your partner. And remember, consent from both parties is crucial.

23. Objectophilia

Objectophilia is a fetish that causes arousal to specific objects. There are similar fetishes that involve objects being in contact with the desired person. However, in this it can be any object, regardless of whether it came in contact with the partner or not. 

In this, people feel a strong romantic or sexual connection with things, so much that they even marry inanimate objects. These can be everyday items like phones or cars to larger things like bridges or ferris wheels. I guess the saying is right, love really has no bounds. 

24. Attraction to amputation 

Apotemnophilia involves infatuation from real or imagined amputation. It is categorized as a body integrity identity disorder (BIID) in which even healthy people crave an irresistible desire to amputate their healthy limbs, according to studies. People even go as far as tricking surgeons into amputating them. 

For some apotemnophiles, just the thought of fantasizing about being amputated is enough. Whereas for others, they need to physically be involved with someone who is amputated. They get aroused by people who have experienced any type of removal of their body parts, be it finger or hand or toe. Seems odd, right? But we are not here to judge! 

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25. Sadism

Sadism is getting turned on by causing pain to others. This pain can be in two forms, physical or psychological. In this, the person who inflicts the pain is the sadist and the one on the receiving side is the masochist. This is a broader fetish that can comprise other fetishes such as humiliation, wax play, BDSM and more. 

26. Aroused by insects

There are people who feel aroused when insects crawl on them. That’s right. Formicophilia is a fetish in which people like being crawled upon or even bitten by small insects. According to studies, this is a rare philia which can be treated by behavioral therapy. 

People with this philia enjoy the tickling and stinging sensation caused by these insects. While this applies mostly to the entire body, their focus area remains on the genitals. This bizarre fetish is a part of a bigger paraphilia involving animals.

27. Zoophilia

Speaking of animals, zoophilia or sexual attraction towards animals is kind of controversial for obvious reasons. If you think this is unacceptable and wrong, then you are absolutely correct. Having sex with animals is illegal and has long been prohibited according to research.

28. Lingerie

One of the most obvious and common kinks is lingerie. Now if you’re reading this and think that you find lingerie sexy so you may have this philia, then you’re wrong. While it is common for people to get aroused by sexy lingerie, it only counts for a fetish when they absolutely need it present in a sexual scenario.

29. Arousal to feces

Arousal to feces, or coprophilia, is a philia characterized by sexual excitement from feces. This involves different types of engagement with feces like  viewing, smelling, handling, or fantasizing about feces. In some extreme cases, some people might also enjoy eating them.

30. Breath Play

This sexual act involves limiting the supply of oxygen to the brain during sex. This is supposed to intensify orgasm and heighten arousal. This is commonly known as ‘erotic asphyxiation’ or ‘sexual choking’ when a person deliberately restricts oxygen to their partner’s brain by strangulation. 

People who enjoy this fetish may even person this on themselves which is known as autoerotic asphyxiation. Be cautious, strangulation can be very dangerous and cause brain damage, stroke or even death.

31. Cold weather turns them on

Psychrophilia or “cold fetishism” is exactly what the name suggests—aroused to being cold or watching others who are cold. They often enjoy people visibly freezing or shivering.

32. Pregnancy 

Maiesiophilia is a sexual attraction to pregnancy. One of the common kinks for guys, this involves not only finding pregnant women attractive but also having a desire to get someone pregnant. It also encompasses various other aspects around pregnancy like lactation along with other stages of pregnancy like childbirth.

Studies also link this fetish to other psychological aspects like fertility or being attracted to maternal attributes. Certain fantasies may involve birth scenarios, mobility challenges, or even morning sickness. This attraction is subjective and differs from person to person based on personal experiences and perceptions of pregnancy.

33. Electrostimulation

Erotic electrostimulation is using electricity or electric shocks for sexual purposes. It’s a practice that involves using electrical stimulation to body nerves, especially on the genitals. As dangerous as it may sound, erotic electrostimulation can be done safely. In fact, there are special toys and gadgets available specifically for people with this kink. 

34. Crushing things

A crush fetish is a paraphilia where sexual arousal stems from observing objects or living creatures being crushed. It ranges from inanimate objects to insects and in some cases even birds and mammals. In extreme cases, it involves torture and death of animals.

It’s often divided into three main categories: 

• Object crush: crushing non-living things like toys or vegetables 
• Soft crush: crushing invertebrates or fish
• Hard crush: crushing animals like amphibians, reptiles or mammals

While there is no law against it, many animal welfare organizations actively fight against this cruel animal abuse practice.

35. Katoptronophilia

Katoptroniophilia is a fetish for mirrors. Everyone enjoys admiring themselves in the mirror every once in a while, but people with this mirror fetish achieve sexual pleasure from having sex in front of mirrors. This can be in both forms – solo while masturbating or as a couple while having intercourse.

Understanding And Acceptance 

Despite their unusual nature, it’s crucial to approach these strange fetishes with an open mind and respect for personal autonomy. Psychological theories suggest that fetishes and strange addictions can develop from early sexual imprinting or as a way to reclaim control over one’s environment and body.

While many fetishes are harmless, some may be a result of deeper psychological concerns that require professional attention. If a fetish causes distress, interferes with daily life, or involves non-consensual or harmful behavior, seeking guidance from a mental health expert is crucial.

The fetish community often emphasizes consent, communication, and safety in all interactions. In conclusion, the world of bizarre fetishes is vast and varied, encompassing everything from an innocent attraction to a specific body part to roles that engage deeply with physical and psychological desires. However, no matter how unconventional, people with these fetishes should be treated with respect and shouldn’t be viewed as shameful.