Erotic tension is an embodied arousal of the senses, typically between two people, that demonstrates a desire for physical intimacy or contact. It is an interplay of physical, emotional and mental attraction, with an underlying attraction or curiosity that can be consciously or unconsciously sensed. Erotic tension reflects relationship dynamics as both people engage in a mutual current of longing, anticipation and desire that can be both exciting and overwhelming. It is distinct from sexual attraction, with an emphasis on the sustained ‘tension’ or charge between two people, irrespective of whether physical consummation of their desires takes place.

See also: sexual energy, eros, life force, mind state, attention