Volume 006

Pleasure and Danger

Desire on the edge of a cliff

June 2025
Looking at the human experience – especially as it intersects with desire, sexuality, sex, body, age, violence, hunger and thirst – through the lens of the psyche.

Latest Posts

In this episode of Back Story, clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Amrita Narayanan explores the raptures and distress that shape women’s sexuality in modern India. Drawing from her book ‘Women’s Sexuality and Modern India’ (Oxford University Press), Amrita takes us through years of psychoanalytic work and intimate conversations with women. What emerges is a granular map of sexuality– where guilt, pleasure, internalized shame, and familial influence coalesce.
The only relief I found while caught between Ma and Pa’s cold war was when Nirmala rode her motorbike down to Thirukulamandapam for a visit. I told Pa that I would be out all day spending time with an old primary school classmate.
As far back as I can remember, my two override switches have been between my (seemingly) conflicting desires: to be taken seriously and have a good time. One of my earliest memories is my father telling me bemusedly, “You can’t always be having fun!”
Arrupe Canteen is home to acidity-inducing Zinger burgers and a colourful range of other packaged foods that sustain a bustling college population. I try to be mildly health-conscious, especially when people are watching, so I usually keep my distance from its energy drink, chips and candy-covered counters.
I once taught a girl whose laughter made me think of falling water on stones. I recall the sound of it as clearly as I recall how often and how willingly she told me jokes. On the day her friends left on a trip, I asked her, ‘Priskilla, why didn’t you go to Bali?’ She said, ‘Ma’am, my purse was khaali.’
This is Part II of a series on the psyche and sexuality, based on the author’s research, reflections and analysis. The series explains key psychoanalytic concepts and offers pedagogical possibilities while working on sexuality.