Research

Internet Pornography Addiction and Priestly Formation: Medium and Content Collide with the Human Brain Sr. Marysia Weber, R.S.IVI., D.O.

last two decades, mental health profes- ls have reported a growing number of people whoep

er. therapy seeking to address their increasedÍ e s e n t / ^ . therapy seeking to address their increased urge to view Internet pornography. Accurate statistics re- garding the use of Internet pornography are difficult to locate; however, available research demonstrates prolific numbers of pornographic Internet sites. According to available data, "sex" is the number one search topic on the Internet, with at least 4.2 million reported porno- graphic websites currently available, signaling a fourfold increase since 2003. Daily, there are 68 million porno- graphic search engine requests.' An estimated 40 million adults in the U.S. regularly view Internet pornography, 10 percent of whom admit to having an addiction to Internet pornography. While males constitute the ma- jority of users, one in three women view pornography.^ Researchers now predict that millions of Americans are addicted to Internet pornography. In fact, sources assert that the number of users of Internet pornography has skyrocketed, making Internet pornography the foremost addiction in the world.^

Studies also indicate that boys aged 12 to 17 are the largest consumers of Internet pornography. This is because of hormonal changes during puberty that enhance sexual arousal and curiosity and contribute to interest in sexual exploration. Recent surveys report that 90 percent of teenage boys view online pornography while doing homework.'* Additionally, young, sexually

An estimated 40 million adults in the U.S. regularly view Internet pornography, 10 percent of whom admit to having an addiction to

Internet pornography.

inexperienced persons, especially males, find it easier to engage in sexual behavior through Internet pornography than to risk rejection in the context of a face-to-face en- counter with a real person.

The expansive reach of Internet pornography has also touched a very young demographic. Notably, the average age of children who are first exposed to Internet pornography is 11 years old.^ Exposure to Internet por- nography in children four to five years old is also being reported. In his pastoral letter. Bought at a Creat Price, Bishop Paul Loverde writes:

The [pornography] industry preys on the most vulnerable: the poor, the abused and marginal- ized, and even children. This exploitation of the weak is gravely sinful. Whether need, confusion, or alienation leads men and women to become pornographic objects, their choice to do so cer-

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tainly cannot be seen as free. Those who pro- duce and distribute pornography leave a wide path of broken and devalued men and women in their wake.

More and more of these victims are younger, even children. When these, the most vulnerable and innocent of our society, become victims of the dehumanizing demands of an industry will- ing to destroy innocence for profit, it is an un- speakable act of violence.*^

Narrowing the focus, Internet pornography also has a substantial impact on men who enter seminaries. Affecting their understanding of interpersonal relation- ships, the dignity of the human person and the purpose of human sexuality, Internet pornography is a menacing presence for men who seek priestly formation, especially in light of a lifestyle of chastity and the discipline of celibacy. To address this newest challenge to priestly for- mation, it is essential for seminary personnel to increase their awareness of the effects of Internet pornography.

In the context of this article, I will lead formators in an initial exploration of this unsettling developmen- tal, moral and social shift. At the onset, I will establish a connection between addictive behavior and pornogra- phy. Further, I will consider contributing factors to the skyrocketing prevalence of Internet pornography use. Next, I will address the neurological effects of Internet pornography, which prompt many users to seek more intense erotic images in order to achieve heightened experiences of sexual arousal. Finally, I will suggest treat- ment protocols that can promote affective maturity and reverse the changes in the brain created by viewing In- ternet pornography.

Criteria for Internet Pornography Addiction Originally, mental health care providers connected

the term "addiction" to the use of chemicals such as alcohol, drugs and nicotine. Psychiatrically, addiction refers to levels of tolerance and withdrawal that hinder affective or psychosocial functioning. These are physi- ologically mediated symptoms.^ Tolerance is present when the same amount of substance elicits less response. For example, a person who drinks two glasses of wine will be affected by the alcohol. With continued use, the same person will need more than two glasses of wine to produce physiologic reactions. In this way, a person has developed a tolerance for the effects of alcohol. On the other hand, withdrawal refers to the physiologic reaction

elicited when the amount of a substance is less present or absent in the body. Withdrawal symptoms include tremors, anxiety, elevated blood pressure and increased rate of pulse and respirations. Affective or emotional disturbances may include depression, irritability, impul- sivity, impaired concentration, disrupted sleep or aggres- sive behavior. These symptoms are observable when an individual is experiencing withdrawal from alcohol and street drugs, often diminishing relationships either in quantity or in quality.

Following a similar pattern of tolerance and with- drawal, experts in addiction disorders describe five suc- cessive and interdependent stages through which people pass on the way to an addiction to Internet pornogra- phy: discovery, experimentation, habituation, compulsiv- ity and hopelessness. Progression through these stages may be gradual or rapid aftier discovering pornographic websites.^ In the discovery stage, a person stumbles onto a pornographic website, opening the door for further exploration. Encouraged by the anonymity of electronic transactions, users secretly experiment with sexual mate- rial online without getting caught. With repeated expo- sure—similar to building a tolerance to alcohol—users develop a habit of sexual fantasies and access porno- graphic material to increase arousal levels. As users be- come desensitized to online sex, heightened sexual inten- sity is necessary to achieve desired levels of arousal. Over time, to avoid life's complications and responsibilities, the habit of accessing Internet pornography becomes a compulsion. Sexual excitement becomes associated with tension reduction and relieving feelings of guilt, anxiety or depression. Compulsive Internet pornographic behav- ior is driven largely by tension and agitation, much like an alcoholic is driven to drink at moments of excessive stress. At this stage, men and women jeopardize careers and relationships in order to satisfy their compulsive urges. Despite potential risks, men and women deceive family members and friends to conceal the extent of their involvement with Internet pornography, which is no longer a voluntary activity. Restlessness and irritabil- ity emerge when attempting to abstain from this behav- ior. At the height of their compulsion, users of pornog- raphy are unable to find the willpower necessary to stop, and they feel hopeless and impotent against persistent and dominant urges to view sexual images online.

Reasons for the Addictive Nature of Internet Pornography

Over the last 40 years, several factors have created a solid platform for the introduction and acceptance of

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Internet Pornography Addiction and Priestly Formation: Medium and Content Collide with the Human Brain

Internet pornography into American society. Principally, the introduction of the birth-control pill in the 1960s intensified the heat of the smoldering sexual revolution, as American society separated sexual intimacy from its core purposes of unity and procreation. Artificial con- traception reduced sexual intimacy to pleasure-seeking recreation while limiting the possibility of conception. The advent of the World Wide Web made immediate the availability of adult entertainment and amplified the perceived recreational purpose of sexuality. Following this trend, today, more teenagers are becoming sexually active at an age when they are emotionally vulnerable, uncertain about their moral beliefs and confused about the purpose of sexuality.

Pornography remains the second most frequent

diversion and misuse of the Internet in the workplace, after accessing personal

email.^

Three primary features have added to the appeal of Internet pornography. First, the omnipresence of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices al- lows men and women immediate access to the Internet, which makes Internet pornography very accessible. Most households today have at least one computer and most workers have access to a computer at their jobsites, with 20 percent of men and 17 percent of women admitting to accessing Internet pornography at work. Pornography remains the second most frequent diversion and misuse of the Internet in the workplace, after accessing personal e m a i l '

Second, because many pornographic websites ofiFer free access, they are affordable to viewers of every age and social status. Studies indicate that 80 to 90 percent of people who use online pornography pay nothing, and 10 to 20 percent of users pay an average of $60.00 per month.'" Pornographic preferences generally vary by gender. For example, male viewers seek photographs, videos and live-camera feeds for sexual gratification, while women are twice as likely as men to enter chat rooms" seeking friendly conversations that eventually lead to sexually explicit exchanges.

Third, the anonymous quality of the Internet en- ables users to pretend to be anyone or no one when accessing pornographic websites, contributing to the false belief that no untoward repercussions will occur from accessing them. The cybersex "relationship" feels more intimate than actual relationships while allowing the user to remain "safely" anonymous. Fostering dis- honesty, fear, self-focus, desensitization and self-deceit, men and women addicted to Internet pornography value their anonymity and enhanced sexual stimulation, result- ing in increased incidences of compulsive masturbation and more deviant sexual activities, sometimes leading to overt illegal behavior.'^ Accessibility, affordability and anonymity, blending with the change of sexual mores in the use of the Internet, contribute to the highly addic- tive quality of Internet pornography.''

Neurological Implications of Internet Pornography

Scientific research indicates that alterations in the human nervous system can also result from Internet pornography use. The human nervous system''* has the capacity to build new nerve'^ connections, strengthening and increasing some connections while weakening and decreasing others. This change ultimately alters the func- tioning of the nervous system, modifying the process the brain employs to arrange information. To illustrate, when a child first learns to ride a bike, he initially tee- ters back and forth on the wheels of his bike until he falls. By repeatedly riding the bike, the child's central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (nerves in the body that carry messages from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body) communicate more effectively so that the motor skills necessary to ride the bicycle become more precise and efficient. In this way, the youngster develops the skills necessary to balance himself on the bicycle and propel himself forward with a pedaling motion. The brain's ca- pacity to adapt the operation of the nervous system to various stimuli is a normal lifetime phenomenon.

In the same way, studies show that intense and repetitious sexual images initiate modifications at the synapse (the space between nerves through which nerve cells communicate with one another), which changes information processing in the human nervous system.'^ I propose that two primary factors are responsible for this modulation.

First, we learn from Marshall McLuhan, a pioneer in the study of the effects of television on the human brain, that more than content or message, the medium

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of the message plays a significant role in altering the process function of the human brain.'^ In other words, McLuhans research demonstrates that the volume and rate of delivery of media alter the user's response to stimuli more than the content of the media and radi- cally impacts the response processing function in the user. As such, the effects on the human nervous system from electronic media are increased exponentially with the emergence of high-speed Internet. Handheld devices such as iPads and cell phones can alter how the human nervous system processes information because of the speed and volume of electronic stimuli they produce.

Second, neurochemical responses to sexual stimuli factor into the Internet pornography addiction equa- tion. Consider the following scenario: upon viewing, pornography triggers two pleasure centers in the brain of the viewer. Initially, the appetitive or excitatory plea- sure system releases dopamine, which the body experi- ences with enjoyable activities, such as laughing, eating a good meal, running or being sexually aroused. Acetyl- choline'^ is also discharged into the brain, which plays an important role both in learning and memory and helps the brain focus and form sharp recall of pleasur- able experiences. Acetylcholine stores these pleasurable images in the brain and makes them readily available for recall. Second, the consummatory pleasure system, which produces sensations of calm and satisfaction afier recreational experiences, secretes oxytocin and serotonin, bringing feelings of serenity and bonding. Endorphins are also released, heightening euphoria.

Beyond viewing pornography in magazines or film strips, viewing pornography over high-speed Internet, with its capacity for delivering rapid bursts of endless images, hyperactivates the appetitive pleasure center, powering a surge of dopamine through the pleasure center and forcing the attentional and motivational mechanisms of acetylcholine to focus most intensely on what is triggering the dopamine surge. With repeated, excessive stimulation, the brain adapts to the stimuli, dampening the pleasure system's ability to respond not only to the same sexual stimuli, but to all ordinary plea- sures. Understimulated, the addict needs more and more novel Internet pornography to experience pleasure. For example, pornography addicts may turn to child por- nography, not because they are clinical pedophiles, but because they have become habituated and desensitized to other forms of pornography.'^ Introducing new por- nographic images, such as scenarios of sex with violence or humiliation, sparks the release of more dopamine and generates more arousal. They keep watching be-

cause they like the "pleasure rush" of dopamine release, dismissing the significance of how the changes in the pleasure centers of their brain have altered what sexually arouses them.

Acetylcholine, which both stores pleasurable images in the brain and makes them readily available for recall, along with oxytocin, a neurochemical that contributes to creating an enduring experience of pleasure, combine to create an associative quality to Internet pornography use. To illustrate, a pianist who becomes sexually aroused when viewing Internet pornography while playing classi- cal music can associate classical music with sexual stimu- lation. Additionally, typing on a computer keyboard can remind him of playing the piano, which also triggers sexual arousal. At this juncture, the addict can "play the keyboard" of his computer to become sexually aroused.

While Internet pornography addicts begin using Internet pornography for pleasure,

they end up viewing pornography to alleviate

feelings of depression and irritability.

Addictions often begin with voluntary choices to repeatedly engage in a particular behavior, like the choice to consume alcoholic beverages, smoke cigarettes or use drugs. Over time, the body builds a tolerance to the stimuli and consumption thresholds increase. In the same way, Internet pornography use may begin with the occasional choice to view sexual images. However, high-speed Internet and the release of neurotransmit- ters like dopamine and acetylcholine blend to create a powerful force that temporarily pleases while creating a malfunction in the pleasure centers. The addict's neu- rons, assaulted by abnormally high levels of dopamine, respond defensively by reducing the number of receptors to which dopamine can bind. The addict thus experi- ences a dopamine deficit. While Internet pornography addicts begin using Internet pornography for pleasure, they end up viewing pornography to alleviate feelings of depression and irritability. Reclaiming power and control over the pleasure centers of the brain will require a for- midable effort.

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Intemet Pornography Addiction and Priestly Formation: Medium and Content Collide with the Human Brain

Treatment Protocols: A Case Study The highly addictive quality and deleterious ef-

fects of Internet pornography require parents, educators, pastors and religious formators to aggressively address the use of Internet pornography. Simply suppressing the sexual appetite will not reverse the addiction. After sev- eral weeks of holding oneself in, the sexual appetite will wait for a chance to explode, illustrated in the following example.'^"

Father Raymond is a 33-year-old priest who was ordained five years when he presented for psychiat- ric evaluation and treatment. He was referred hy his bishop, who was concerned that Father Ray- mond expressed struggles with chastity and exhib- ited symptoms of depression.

During his psychological evaluation. Father Ray- mond disclosed that he first looked at Internet pornography at age 17 "out of curiosity. " He was aroused hy the images and hegan to masturbate. Desiring a more intensely pleasurable experience, Father Raymond hegan to search for more stimula- tion by exploring various pornography sites.

As a seminarian, Father Raymond told his spiri- tual director that he was struggling with Internet pornography use. His spiritual director instructed Father Raymond to pray and to stop viewing por- nography; however, he was not given specific direc- tion on how to address the problem, nor did his spiritual director ask him more questions about his reported concerns.

After countless relapses as a seminarian. Father Raymond deserted efforts to resist pornography use. He avoided being honest with his spiritual direc- tor because he felt like a failure. Unable to resist the urge to view Internet pornography. Father Raymond feared his formators would dismiss him from the seminary, keeping him from bringing this problem into the external forum with his seminary formator. He soon withdrew from other seminar- ians and professors. Believing that he was helpless to address his problem. Father Raymond despaired of being free of his addiction.

As described earlier, the medium for transmission is more influential than the content that is transmit-

ted. The volume and rate of delivery of these images is much slower in magazines, but is endless and rapid via the Internet. To successfully and thoroughly treat Internet pornography addiction, I propose that a three- pronged approach is necessary.

Shifting Neural Pathways First, Father Raymond will need to block stimuli

that contribute to hyperstimulation of the pleasure cen- ter and renew or create healthy stimulation tracks for the pleasure centers. The following metaphor provides a helpfiil perspective. When navigating a mountain slope covered with a fresh layer of snow, a skier creates a track that is determined by the contour of the slope and the movement of the skier. O n the skier's second run down the mountain, the track will be very similar to the first set of tracks, based on minimal amount of change to the contour of the slope, the movement of the skis and the texture of the snow. After navigating this mountain slope for the remainder of the day, the skier will create a reliable track that will be preferable to unchartered areas of the slope.

A similar phenomenon occurs in the human ner- vous system. With repeated exposure to stimuli, the brain slowly changes itself neurologically^' to create mental tracks or neural pathways, which can lead to ei- ther good habits or bad habits. In other words, through repeated exposure to helpful stimuli, good habits be- come embedded in thought processes and provide reli- able and useftil skills. In the same way, through repeated exposure to harmflü stimuli, bad habits are embedded in thought processes, limiting the capacity for healthy and eflFective functioning.

By limiting exposure to sexually arousing material,

roadblocks can modify established neural pathways

and shift the focus from sexual stimulation to

pleasure that results from good habits and healthy

recreation.

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Seminary Journal Theme: Intercultural Competence

Through repeated and rapid consumption of sexuai images, people addicted to Internet pornography have developed neural pathways that quickly and ef- ficiently hyperstimulate the excitatory pleasure system. Roadblocks are necessary to create new tracks or neural pathways and alter stimulation sequences. For example, a person addicted to Internet pornography needs to de- stroy all pornographic material in their possession, such as books, magazines, videos, CDs, DVDs or games. They should also install protective software that limits access to pornographic websites.^^ A person seeking to create new neural pathways may also find committed ac- countability partners to be helpful. By limiting exposure to sexually arousing material, roadblocks can modify established neural pathways and shift the focus from sexual stimulation to pleasure that results from good habits and healthy recreation.

Values-Based Motivations^ ^X^en Father Raymond came to me for evaluation

and treatment, he told me it was his "last resort." He had already participated in therapy between the ages of 18 and 26 and he was unconvinced that additional ther- apy would be beneficial. He privately agreed to therapy so that he could say one more time that therapy did not help. He said, "I have tried everything and I am sick of trying."

While strategies for healing from Internet

pornography addiction are not compiicated, the key to success resides in the

person's willingness to face the hurt, shame, guilt and anger of his past and to begin living a values-

based life.

At the beginning of treatment. Father Raymond also admitted he had mixed feelings about becoming free of his Internet pornography addiction. He reported, "All of my adult life I have used pornography to sur- vive and deal with my frustrations and loneliness. The thought of never looking at pornography again scares

me." While strategies for healing from Internet pornog- raphy addiction are not complicated, the key to suc- cess resides in the person's willingness to face the hurt, shame, guilt and anger of his past and to begin living a values-based life. This process included identifying his personal, interpersonal and work values, and acting on his goals in order to avoid derailment by urges to access Internet pornography.

Values guide and motivate our lives, adding rich- ness and fulfillment. They are compasses that direct the way we interact with God, the world, the community and other individuals. Above all, values form founda- tions for our convictions, behaviors, personal vision and the strengths and qualities we want to develop. There are three primary areas of values-based living: personal, interpersonal and work. For example, people who choose to live by the value of personal health might focus on the spiritual, physical and emotional areas of their lives. Interpersonal values include relationships within the community, as well as family and friends. Work values might include specific aspects of vocational ministry.

By virtue of the primacy of values in daily life, val- ues-based living informs and directs a person's decisions and behaviors as well as his or her long-range plans. Values alone are insufficient, however, to treat Internet pornography addiction. While value-congruent goals di- rect choices and behaviors, committed action is required for success. In other words, a person addicted to Internet pornography can safely stare at the compass of his or her values. Embracing committed action, the person addicted to Internet pornography will apply the means to live by core values to overcome the infiuence of por- nography and pleasure, even in the face of pain and discomfort. In the end, values and committed action are necessary for affective maturity, which contributes to a meaningful, healthy life.

In the context of therapy. Father Raymond identi- fied growth in holiness, emotional balance and physical well-being as specific and desired values for his personal health. To live these values and to engage committed action, it was necessary for Father Raymond to create SMART goals (a descriptive acronym for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Track- able). Goals are committed actions guided by our values.

For example. Father Raymond developed a SMART goal for growth in holiness. He committed to scheduling one hour each day for recitation of the Di- vine Office and rosary, 15 minutes of daily reading from Sacred Scripture, and a daily five-minute examination of conscience. Realizing that he was most vulnerable

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Internet Pornography Addiction and Priestiy Formation: Medium and Content Coiiide with the Human Brain

to relapse when he concealed his urge to view Internet pornography, felt isolated or ignored emotional issues. Father Raymond created SMART goals for emotional balance that reflected his value of personal well-being. These goals included calling his accountability partner daily, turning off his computer every evening by 5:00 pm, discontinuing Internet service for his cell phone, identifying and participating in a weekly priests' support group with clergy from his diocese and attending a Dale Carnegie course to learn new communication skills. He also developed SMART goals for his interpersonal val- ues, which he identified as connecting, caring and con- tributing to family, friends and parishioners in keeping with his vocation. Additionally, he named evangelization through preaching, teaching and witnessing to Christ as his work or ministerial value. His SMART goals for this value are offering Mass and mentoring the Bible study teachers, RCIA instructors, religious education teachers and all persons God brings to him. These val- ues and goals were not new for Father Raymond; what was new was his commitment to engage these values and SMART goals as roadblocks to accessing Internet pornography through competitive alternative action. In so doing. Father Raymond was creating neural pathways that led him to a life of virtue and away from the vice of lust. However, he was still struggling with urges to view Internet pornography.

Defusion^" Father Raymond acknowledged the conflict be-

tween his use of pornography and his promise to live chastely. Ashamed of his behavior. Father Raymond isolated himself from close friends and even kept his family at a distance. He was late for Masses, did not re- turn phone calls and missed appointments. He told his superiors that he had a sleep problem and suffered with depression, which his doctor was trying to treat.

A further step in therapy was to identify self- limiting thoughts, feelings and imaginings that impeded his efforts to live by his values; namely, to distinguish negative ruminations that kindle urges to access Inter- net pornography. This step involves a two-part process known as defusion and engaging the observing-self.

Over the course of time, people begin to link negative ruminations (thoughts, feelings and imagin- ings) to particular events, acting as if these ruminations are objective truths rather than subjective experiences. In other words, a person relates to his or her negative ruminations as if they are one hundred percent accu- rate. This psychological dynamic is referred to as fusion.

Father Raymond fiised with distorted thoughts, feelings and imaginings, especially when he was under stress. His repetitive story line went something like this: "I am stressed out, frustrated and have to handle all this alone; I feel inadequate to meet these expectations; no one knows how hard I am trying; I need a break; I feel sexually aroused; I deserve some pleasure that does not hurt anyone else."

In our conversations. Father Raymond began to explore the power he surrendered to his negative ru- minations. He had not realized how fusing with his ruminating self had negatively guided his daily life until he was willing to acknowledge and observe its efifect on him. We worked together to defuse from his negative ruminations.

The process of defusion is an effective strategy

that diminishes the influence of painful and

unpleasant thoughts through acknowledging

their presence while refocusing on values and SMART goals pertinent to

the present moment.

The process of defusion is an effective strategy that diminishes the influence of painful and unpleasant thoughts through acknowledging their presence while refocusing on values and SMART goals pertinent to the present moment. Defusing from negative ruminations and choosing values-based committed action gradually refashioned the neural pathways in Father Raymond's brain, making them more congruent with healthy activa- tion of the pleasure centers. For example, his "good-for- nothing" story was triggered by news that one of the eighth grade kids at his parish school was being bullied online by another eighth grader from his school. Rather than allow his overwhelmed thoughts and feelings about this problem to result in accessing Internet pornography. Father Raymond refocused on the present moment and contacted the school principal to plan an intervention, which had several positive results. One, the intervention addressed the present bullying problem and provided

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Seminary Journal Theme: Intercultural Competence

an occasion to educate parish staff, children and parents about bullying. Two, through parent-teacher meetings and a staff workshop on how to address bullying, they developed an educational anti-buUying program for each grade level in the parish school. This approach of con- necting, caring and contributing to his values-based life situation of parish school relationships was hopeful and inspiring for him. Most significantly, no longer thinking about Internet pornography. Father Raymond succeeded in blazing healthier neural pathways of committed ac- tion when feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

The chief element in the process of deflision is the observing'Self. Responsible for focus, attention and aware- ness, the observing-self is an internal viewpoint from which a person gains awareness of self and awareness of the external environment. With the observing-self, men and women connect more fully with experiences in the present moment, enabling them to fulfill commit- ted action that is consistent with their personal values and intended SMART goals. Alternatively, without the observing-self, a person does not gain self-awareness nor engage in values-based committed action. For example, when feeling lonely and unappreciated. Father Raymond acknowledged that his "good-for-nothing" story was playing. He refocused his attention, engaged his observ- ing-self to defuse from this story line and employed one of his values-based SMART goals. He could have also chosen to call his accountability partner, exercise, call a family member, call a friend to schedule a game of golf on his day off, wash his car, do a kind act for another or pray. He discovered that there were numerous values- based committed actions he could perform, regardless of what he was thinking, feeling or imagining. Over time, his committed actions, congruent with his values, diminished both the intensity and frequency of sexual arousal.

Father Raymond became freer to ask himself, "What are my deepest desires? What do I want to stand for? How do I want to relate to others and the world around me?" Committed to values-based action, Father Raymond began to experience a sense of vitality and joyfulness, even in the midst of stress and disappoint- ment. More significantly, Father Raymond began to ex- ercise much more control over lustful thoughts or urges. Striving for the virtue of chastity, he was winning his battle with lust.

Today, Father Raymond continues to take radical steps to resist renewing old tracks and deepen neural pathways that lead to healthier, more satisfying and more meaningful pleasures. For example, making a daily.

In this light formators must instruct seminarians

to employ committed actions as they engage

with the Internet in order to fashion and refashion

their neural pathways toward values-based living.

heartfelt decision to break free of Internet pornography. Father Raymond purged his computer of all porno- graphic images, moved his computer to an open loca- tion, uses the Internet minimally, installed a filter and found an accountability partner whom he calls daily as well as when he is tempted to view pornography. Ad- ditionally, daily recitation of the Divine Office, daily Mass, reading Sacred Scripture, spiritual reading, fre- quent confession and regular spiritual direction anchor Father Raymond when sexual urges rage. Even though he has begun to reclaim his self-esteem as a priest, Fa- ther Raymond still faces a daily battle with pornography. Essential to his continued human growth and develop- ment, values-based living will result in healthier neural pathways, which build virtue.

Conclusion With its inexhaustible abilities, the Internet can

be a powerful tool for learning and communicating. In his address on the occasion of the 2002 World Day of Communications, Pope John Paul II wrote:

The Internet causes billions of images to ap- pear on millions of computer monitors around the planet. From this galaxy of sight and sound will the face of Christ emerge and the voice of Christ be heard? For it is only when his face is seen and his voice heard that the world will know the glad tidings of our redemption. This is the purpose of evangelization. And this is what will make the Internet a genuinely human space, for if there is no room for Christ, there is no room for man. Therefore...I dare to sum- mon the whole Church bravely to cross this new threshold, to put out into the deep of the

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Internet Pornography Addiction and Priestly Formation: Medium and Content Collide with the Human Brain

Net, so that now as in the past the great en- gagement of the Gospel and culture may show to the world "the glory of God on the face of Christ" (2 Cor 4:6). May the Lord bless all those who work for this

The new frontier of the second millennium, cy- berspace, is replete with the interplay of danger and promise. Providing a flood of information, the Internet offers facts, but it does not teach values. In this light, formators must instruct seminarians to employ commit- ted actions as they engage with the Internet, in order to fashion and refashion their neural pathways toward val- ues-based living. Armed with the vision of our transcen- dent dignity as persons, each one of us is summoned to the great adventure of using the Internet's potential to proclaim the Gospel of

Sister Marysia Weber, R.S.iVI., D.O., a Religious Sister of Mercy of Alma, Michigan, is a physician certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She completed her residency and a fellowship in consultation-liaison psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic and practices in her religious insti- tute's multidisciplinary medical clinic, Sacred Heart Mercy Health Care Center.

Endnotes 1. "Internet Pornography Statistics," at Top Ten Reviews,

http://internet-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-porngra- phy-statistics.html, accessed September 2012.

2. "Internet Pornography Statistics." 3. Kimberly S. Young, Xiao Dong Yue and Li Ying, "Preva-

lence Estimates and Etiologic Models of Internet Ad- diction" in Internet Addiction: A Handbook and Guide to Evaluation and Treatment (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2011), 3-6.

4. "Internet Pornography Statistics." 5. "Internet Pornography Statistics." 6. Bishop Paul S. Loverde, Pastoral Letter, Bought With A

Price: Pornography and the Attack on the Living Temple of God, 2007, 5-6.

7. American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statisti- cal Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (Wash- ington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1994), 176-179.

8. Kimberly S. Young, Tangled in the Web: Understanding Cybersex from Fantasy to Addiction, (Miami, FL: 1" Book Publishing, 2001), 40-44.

9. Ai Cooper, Irene McLaughlin, Pauline Reich and Jay Kent-Ferraro, "Virtual Sexuality in the Workplace: A Wake-up Call for Clinicians, Employers, and Employees," in Sex and the Internet: A Guidebook for Clinicians, ed. Al Cooper (New York: Btunner-Routledge, 2002), 111-112.

10. K. Doran, "Industry Size, Measurement, and Social Costs," in The Social Cost of Pornography: A Statement of Findings and Recommendations, ed. Mary Eberstadt and Mary Anne Layden (Princeton, NJ: Witherspoon Insti- tute, 2010), 185.

11. "Internet Pornography Statistics." 12. Stephen Arterburn, Addicted to "Love:" Understanding

Dependencies of the Heart: Romance, Relationships, and Sex (Ventura, CA: Regal Boob, 2003), 117-121.

13. Al Cooper and Eric GrifFen-Shelley, "The Internet: The Next Sexual Revolution," in Sex and the Internet: A Guidebook for Clinicians ed. Al Cooper (New York: Brun- ner-Routledge, 2002), 5-6.

14. The human nervous system is made up of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (nerves in the body that carry messages from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body, such as muscles, organs and glands).

15. The central and peripheral nervous systems are comprised of neurons or nerves. A neuron or nerve has three parts. The portion of the neuron that receives input from other neurons is called the dendrite and is shaped like tree branches. The dendrites lead into the cell body, which contains DNA, and the other elements necessary to keep the neuron alive. The axon is the cable of the nerve and varies in length depending on its location and function. The nerves in the leg, for example, can be several feet long depending on the height of the person. The neu- rons in the brain are microscopic in length. These axons are similar to electric cables and carry electric signals toward the dendrites of the neighboring neurons. Axons, or cables of the nerves, do not touch the neighboring dendrites. They are separated by a microscopic space called a synapse. Once an electric signal gets to the end of the axon, it triggers the release of a chemical mes- senger, called a neurotransmitter, into the synapse. The neurotransmitter floats over the dendrite of the adjacent neuron, exciting or inhibiting it. If a neuron receives enough excitatory signals from other neurons, it will fire off a signal. When it receives enough inhibitory signals, it will not fire.

16. M.J. Koepp, R.N. Gunn, A.D. Lawrence, V.J. Cunning- ham, A. Dagher, T. Jones, D.J. Brooks, C.J. Bench and P.M. Grasby, "Evidence for Striatal Dopamine Release During a Video Game," Nature 393, no. 6682 (1998), 266-268; Norman Doidge, The Brain That Changes Itself (New York: Penguin Books, 2007), 108.

17. Marshall McLuhan, ed. W. Terrence Gordon, ed.. Under- standing Media: The Extensions of Man (First MIT Press Edition, 1994), 19-20.

18. Acetylcholine plays a central role in the health of the brain. It is stored in the nerve and can be released into the synapse once the nerve is activated. Acetylcholine has several functions; for example, the parts of the brain

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Seminary Journal Tiieme: Intercultural Competence

involved in memory, learning and mood use acerylcholine extensively. It is also responsible for sending messages from the brain to certain muscles causing them to move; helps maintain optimum muscle tone; ensures that mu- cous membranes are always lubricated and moist; and helps to schedule REM or dream sleep, necessary for rest- ful sleep.

19. Pamela Paul, Pornified (New York: Owl Books, 2005), 196-198; Ethel Quale and Max Taylor, "Child Pornog- raphy and the Internet: Perpetuating a Cycle of Abuse," Deviant Behavior 23, no. 4 (2002), 331-361.

20. Karol Wojtyla, Love and Responsibility, (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giraux, 1982), 170, 198.

21. Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Sharon Begley, The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force, (New York: HarperCollins, New York, 2002).

22. Such as, www.CovenantEyes.com, www.SafeEyes.com, www.Iphantom.com and www.opendns.com.

23. S.C. Hayes and S. Smith , Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, (Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2005).

24. S.C. Hayes, K.D. Strosahl and K.G. Wilson, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Be- havior Change (New York: Cuilford Press, 1999).

25. John Paul II, Message for the 36'*̂ World Communica- tions Day, "Internet: A New Forum for Proclaiming the Cospel" (12 May 2002) §6.

26. I am grateful for suggested revisions to this article from the following people: Rev. Kevin Huber, DMin; Sister Mary Judith O'Brien, RSM, JCD; and Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, MD.

The Digital Dante Competition

Who can declare the mighty acts of the Lord, or shoiu forth all his praised (Ps. 106:2)

The Divine Comedy, the masterpiece of Dante Alighieri, contains images chat impressively describe the pilgrim's arduous ascent from the darkness of sin to the light of glory in the presence of God. These images are vivid expressions of the profound salvific truths which, as Gatholic teaching demonstrates, must be experienced and lived, and not simply learned.

Tbe year 2014 marks the 700'*' anniversary of tbe publication of Dante's Inferno, and to celebrate this septuacentennial, the Catholic Distance Learning Network is hosting a contest for rbe best digitally-produced rendition of any aspect of Dante's Divine Comedy.

This contest will be an annual event through the year 2021, which marks the 700''' anniversary of the completion of the Paradiso and also of the death of Dante Alighieri.

The winning submission each year will provide an accurate rendering of Dante's intent concerning the aspect of his poem that is being pursued, employing the latest digital phocographic, animation and sound technolog)'.

See bttp://ww\v.digitaldante.org for details.

Allegorical portrait of Dante by Agnolo Bronzino, c. 1530

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