Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

[BusterBill]

When I was an adolescent I discovered that a couple of close relatives were also looners. I also discovered that an adult neighbor was a looner, but that's a story for another time.

For me, the discovery at an early age that I was not alone was an incredible relief -- it somewhat diluted but did not entirely erase my guilty feelings.

Back to the genetic question -- has anyone else had the experience of discovering that some relatives were also looners?
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[Nopops4me]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

At the time no. But since finding this forum and realising that I wasn't a lone weirdo I have wondered at the occasions when one set of relatives always had balloons around when we visited. Can't approach the subject as they are not with us anymore.

[wildheart]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

No, it’s based on experiences you may of had when young. Family members may have experienced something similar. The only genetic things that would effect it are are things like sex drive. Most looners can recall an experience they had when young that started the fetish.

[BalloonBoyUK]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

To be honest, I wouldn't ask any of my relatives or family if they were looners. I'd be deeply uncomfortable about it, and it's not something I would want to know about them, nor for them to know about me.

[palloncino90]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

Very interesting question.
Although I think sexual preferences or fetishes can't be genetic, if relatives are looners wouldn't be easy to discover and we don't have proofs or mentions about a situation like this until now, therefore I can't be 100% sure.

[BusterBill]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

To be honest, I wouldn't ask any of my relatives or family if they were looners. I'd be deeply uncomfortable about it, and it's not something I would want to know about them, nor for them to know about me.

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I certainly didn't even faintly suggest that one should ask relatives or family anything about their sexual preferences. Where in God's holy name did you ever derive that from my post? That's just wrong.

[BalloonBoyUK]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

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I certainly didn't even faintly suggest that one should ask relatives or family anything about their sexual preferences. Where in God's holy name did you ever derive that from my post? That's just wrong.

And I didn't imply, intimate, nor suggest you said that! Well done on completely misconstruing my answer. You asked a question, and I replied with my opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.

[AJK64]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

Going with what Wildheart said. I remember reading a psychology article on fetishes in general that suggested that people with fetishistic sexualities tended to show signs of sexual behaviour at younger ages. Maybe we inherited a bigger sex drive that lead to us linking early sexual awakening with various objects?

[drumrd]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

Well, to answer the question: I have some suspicion about a relative. Made me also start to think once about the question you rise.. A tight blown up balloon at a birthday party there, which popped, was a starting point of the phobia. Which later turned in the fetish. Also one sitter mentioned balloons a lot and this had a part in developing the fetish.. so nature or nurture..

But the fetish starts mostly with the fear of the bang which develop further.. Something like being fearful can lay in someones personality. which can be genetic.. maybe a balloon can for someone be more like a trigger. But it could also turn out in something different.. IMHO

[craggy2012]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

I don’t think being a fetishist is generic, a trait passed on to sibblings per say, but I do think fetishist’s develop their awareness and gain their sex drive earlier in their years than others. I never really got into balloons until my early teens, for me though it was gloss inflatables right from as far back as I can remember. I knew one, or two others with similar traits as mine whilst growing up including a girl in class the same age as me who confided quite a few things to me with regard to playing with inflatables herself. As far as family goes though I can’t recall anyone else with a fetish of any sort, let alone specific balloon or inflatable ones.

[bubblesNdragons]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

Excellent question.

From personal experience, I'm under the influence that fetishes mostly come from nature. I received and played with as many toy balloons as any other kid would, and no one close to me did anything remotely lewd to a balloon while I was young, and I still came out with a balloon fetish. I was also the only looner I knew personally until I met my girlfriend just a few months ago. If I still want to go by fetishism being mostly nature, then I want to think it's more common as a mutation rather than a gene.

If it is a gene, it might not be a gene exclusively just for balloons. I do have an older brother who has a fetish for stomping on things, mostly food stuffs.

[AJK64]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

Mutations are gene's. It's the gene which mutates
I dont think its genetic but rather learned behaviour, but you never know. Our Gene's are responsible for lots of traits that wouldn't seem to be ingrained.

[TheMole]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

Guess I've really never had the guts to bring it up to anyone in my family to find out if it could be. Maybe it's a fault of mine but I've been a looner for 16 of my 25 years and haven't let a soul find out. Not family, friends, lovers, anyone. Would probably kill my career, too.

Besides that though, I can sort of remember the genesis point of the fetish for me so personally I don't feel it was genetic in my case. Really interesting topic though.

[Tookus]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

I don't know, but I have had an attraction to inflatable objects since I was around five. At nine I had my first orgasm on the pillow of a big soft pool style air mattress, blew my mind!

[drumrd]

Re: Is the Balloon Fetish Genetic?

Found an interesting article: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/40c3h6kk

Also the question is being asked. Interesting read. Here a quote from the article;

... "Still, why does this connection between an object and an erotic response become permanent in some people but not others? No one knows for sure. Some people may be born with or develop a predisposition toward fetishism, according to kink expert Gates...

..No evidence suggests genetics cause people to develop fetishes, however, according to San Francisco psychotherapist and sex therapist William Henkin. The reasons people obtain fetishes are social, not biological, and they often have to do with a person’s interactions with parents or other caregivers. Henkin, who has worked with people with alternate sex and gender concerns for more than two decades (although not with any looners), says fetishes tend to develop in people who felt traumatized as young children and may feel some extra need to be in control."...