Reclaiming: Arousal

This article is part of my Reclaiming Sensual Vernacular series, where I explore and expand the meanings of words too often confined to narrow definitions. In my first article, I looked at how reclaiming words like “sensual” and “pleasure” opens us to a fuller, richer experience of life. Now, I turn my attention to “arousal,” inviting you to see it not only as a physical or emotional response but as a vibrant, spiritual state that can transform your daily life.

When was the last time you felt truly aroused—not just in the familiar, physical sense, but in every fiber of your being? Arousal, in its essence, isn’t limited to intimacy or sexuality; it’s the spark of life itself. To be aroused is to feel a heightened sense of awareness, curiosity, and vitality that transcends specific moments, transforming how you experience the world around you.

Today, I’m inviting you to reclaim the word “arousal” as a key to living more fully, openly, and vibrantly every day.

A New Definition of Arousal – Embracing the Energy of Aliveness

Let’s redefine “arousal” not simply as a reaction to attraction but as an expanded state of being—a state where your senses, mind, and spirit are fully awake to life’s potential. Arousal is the inner energy that sparks curiosity, fuels your creative drive, and invites a richer experience of presence. It’s the subtle thrill that arises when you’re fully engaged, attuned, and open to what each moment offers, transcending the need for any specific trigger and instead inviting an awakened relationship with life itself.

In the Life Turned On philosophy, arousal is more than a physical or emotional state—it’s a spiritual state, an alignment with the divine energy of aliveness. When you allow yourself to be deeply aroused and fully tuned into your senses, you step into a frequency that opens you to connection, flow, and purpose. This state of arousal becomes a pathway to resonance with everything you desire, elevating you to the life you’re meant to live.

The Biology of Arousal – A Foundation of Human Aliveness

In its simplest biological form, arousal is the body’s response to stimuli—hormones shift, senses heighten, and blood flow increases as your system prepares to engage fully with the world. This is your primal, evolutionary wiring, helping you respond to moments that excite, delight, or even challenge you. Arousal is often thought of only in terms of physical attraction or romantic passion, but it is truly a state of heightened alertness and readiness that exists to help you fully experience life.

In this way, arousal is a testament to your capacity to engage with your surroundings. It is your body’s way of signaling, I am here, I am alive, and I am ready to experience. But you can take this biological understanding even further by embracing arousal as an everyday experience that infuses every part of your life with energy, excitement, and meaning.

Beyond Biology – Arousal as an Energetic and Spiritual State

Let’s step beyond the physical response and into the idea of arousal as an energetic and spiritual state. Imagine that “arousal” means being fully awake to life, tuned into a frequency of deeper curiosity and heightened awareness. In this expanded sense, arousal becomes the energy that drives you to explore, create, and live in awe. You can experience it while standing in the presence of art that moves you, hearing music that stirs something ancient within, or finding yourself captivated by a conversation that feels electric with connection.

When you see arousal as a spiritual state, it becomes a channel for connection with something greater than yourself. In this heightened state, you align with a divine frequency, one that brings a sense of sacred aliveness and alignment with your purpose.

This form of arousal transcends any single moment and instead becomes a state of harmony with the life force itself.

The Power of Arousal as a Channel for Aliveness

When you begin to reclaim the word “arousal” in your vocabulary, you give yourself permission to experience it everywhere—in small, mundane tasks as well as in significant moments. Imagine if, rather than “waiting for inspiration,” you could ignite a sense of arousal that brings vibrancy to everything you do. You’d find yourself more aware, alive, and present, noticing the beauty and depth, and making connections in places you once overlooked.

In the years I was a writer for comic books and video games and would hit a writing block, I would create a heightened state of arousal in order to re-open or re-ignite my creative channel.

Living in a state of arousal connects you with the essence of potential. It’s an invitation to engage with life more intimately, making each experience richer and more layered. In this way, arousal becomes a daily choice to live in flow, ready to receive all that life has to offer.

Reclaiming Arousal in a Censored World

Today, society and social media platforms are becoming more stringent around sensually-related words and topics, as if the innate right to feel alive and inspired is somehow inappropriate or dangerous. We’re being told which parts of our natural, beautiful experience are “acceptable,” leaving words like “arousal” in the shadows. But this climate of censorship only highlights the importance of reclaiming arousal as a way of connecting with life.

This is the perfect time to go in the opposite direction.

Your experience of arousal, pleasure, and creativity is yours to own, an act of gentle rebellion against a world that would have you shrink and repress. By reclaiming arousal as a daily practice, you’re choosing aliveness. You’re honoring your right to be deeply engaged, inspired, and stimulated by life in all its forms.

Embracing Arousal as a Daily Practice

Reclaiming arousal is a powerful invitation to live more fully, awake to every sensation, every spark of creativity, and every flash of inspiration that crosses your path. Arousal is a gift that no one can take from you, and by choosing to embrace it daily, you step into a life filled with wonder and richness.

In the Life Turned On way, when you are fully present and engaged with your senses, you raise your frequency, aligning yourself with your desires and calling in a “turned on” life.

Let’s start redefining arousal not as a fleeting feeling but as a constant, available state of being—an intimate connection with life that invites you to be here, fully alive and ready for every delicious moment.

In delicious arousal,
Sharon Marie Scott

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