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The Benefits of Kissing
by Kristi Sandlin
If eyes are the portals to the soul, then lips are the corridor to
the mind. We react to thoughts with a smile, express love with
words and intentions with a kiss. A kiss can say many things that
are difficult to put into words.
"Kissing is an art and a highly individual and personal expression
of affection and love," said John L. Ferri, author of "Sex in the
Romance: A Review of Romantic Encounters of the Close Kind."
A kiss is usually the first time that two people come in close
contact with one another, so it makes perfect sense that people
become anxious and nervous.
An anonymous source in "The Book of Kisses" by William Cane describes
a kiss as something that you cannot give without taking, and cannot
take without giving.
Another anonymous source says that you shouldn't wait to know someone
better before kissing him or her, you should kiss them first and then
you will know them better. The beauty of the kiss is that it
translates into every language and religion.
Vaughn Bryant Jr., professor and head of the anthropology department
at Texas A&M, said in a "Chicago Tribune" article that the first
erotic kiss was exchanged about 1500 B.C. in India. Prior to that
time there is no evidence; (clay tablets, cave paintings or written
records) that indicate the history of the kiss.
Bryant also said that rubbing and pressing noses together, a no-tongues
exchange between lovers, became popular about 1500 B.C.
It was the Romans who unleashed the kiss, as we know it today.
Romans kissed each other hello, kissed the robes and rings of their
leaders and kissed statues of Roman gods to signify their submission
and respect.
The Romans soon discovered that a kiss has many meanings and assigned
words for these different types of kisses, such as osculum meaning
friendship kiss, basium meaning passionate kiss, and savium meaning
deep kiss, otherwise known as the French kiss.
From that point on, kissing encountered opposition from religion as
a venial sin. However, the kiss triumphantly endured and thankfully
so.
It is a scientific fact that kissing signals our brains to produce
oxytocin, a hormone that gives us that good-all-over feeling we
experience when kissing. It is also known that biology causes one
kiss to prompt another. When we kiss, the insides of our mouths and
edges of our lips produce a chemical that shouts for more.
A study in 1997 out of Princeton University concluded that our brains
are equipped with neurons that help us find our lovers lips in the
dark. It is no wonder that many couples enjoy kissing in a dark
theater.
German physicians and psychologists have concluded that those who
kiss their spouse each morning miss less work because of illness than
those who do not. Those who kiss also have fewer auto accidents on
the way to work, earn 20 to 30 percent more monthly and live
approximately five years longer. Dr. Arthur Sazbo, one of the German
psychologists, says the reason behind the good fortune is those who
have a morning kiss begin the day with a positive attitude.
Therefore, if you want to be happy, healthy, successful, and live
longer, you should kiss your loved one before you go to work each day.
Back to Kissing Chronicles
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