A
sexual fantasy, also called an
erotic fantasy, is a
mental image or pattern of
thought that stirs a person's
sexuality and can create or enhance
sexual arousal. A sexual
fantasy resides entirely in a person's mind and can be created by the person's imagination, mental recollection or thought. A fantasy may be triggered autonomously or by any object or medium. For example, it can be created by a long, drawn-out story, such as in
erotic literature or
pornographic film; by a quick mental flash of sexual imagery, such as a photograph or physical object; or be due to a
sexual attraction to another person or an aspect of that person. Anything that may give rise to a sexual arousal may also produce a sexual fantasy, and sexual arousal may in turn give rise to fantasies.