ABSTRACT
Much as a man has an innate “internal image of woman” as part of his perceptual/conceptual system surrounding mate-seeking (typically), women have an innate “internal image of man”. Like the anima, animus images are associated with much more than sexuality; the animus can create heartache and complications for women, as well as the promise of salvation or contentment. Women actually show a preference for masculine features peaking near ovulation but only for evaluation of short-term partners, not for a long-term investing partners. Just as men and women have “fertile and/or bonding female” recognition systems, they also have “dominant or investing male” recognition circuits, and, like the female symbols, male symbols will be used similarly for the same reasons. LUST activity may be somewhat more complex for women than men, largely because of the shifts in mating strategy.
