5 Shocking Sexual Fetishes, According To A Behavioral Addiction Doctor

Some people’s sexual preferences can lean toward the extreme, with some fetishes pushing the boundaries of conventional desires. Dr. Mark Griffiths, a social psychologist who studies fetishes and behavioral addiction, delves into these unusual interests in a recent article for The Conversation (published Nov. 1).

In his research, Griffiths identified some of the most shocking fetishes he has come across, including one particularly disturbing phenomenon known as vorarephilia, or “vore.” This fetish involves sexual arousal from the fantasy of being eaten, eating someone else, or watching such an act unfold.

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1. The Dark Side of Vorarephilia

For individuals with vorarephilia, the primary fantasy often involves the desire to be consumed. This act can be seen as the ultimate submission, while consuming someone else may represent a twisted form of dominance. One of the most infamous real-life cases of vorarephilia involves Armin Meiwes and Bernd Jürgen Brandes, two men from Germany whose tragic encounter brought the fetish to international attention.

In March 2002, Meiwes placed advertisements online seeking a willing participant who would allow themselves to be eaten. Brandes responded and agreed to the gruesome arrangement. Meiwes allegedly bit off Brandes’s private parts, which the two of them cooked and ate, according to Griffiths. Meiwes ended up stabbing Brandes to death, before storing his body away to feast on at a later date. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

According to the fetish expert, vorarephilia is a clear example of illegal paraphilia—a term used to describe atypical sexual interests that are often referred to as sexual deviations, perversions, or disorders of sexual preference. Paraphilias typically involve intense sexual arousal from unconventional or non-sexual stimuli, though not all of them are dark or disturbing. Some can even be more quirky or amusing than truly alarming. Eproctophilia is one example.