What is Objectophilia? It's no fetish as man says in 'committed' sexual relationship with balloons

A man with objectophilia, who is sexually attracted to balloons, opened up about how he fell in love with them.

Aakash Majumdar, a 28-year-old man from Mumbai, India, has revealed that he is currently in a relationship with multiple balloons and dished out details about their intimacy and how his daily life revolves around them.

He identifies as an objectophile and stated that he is in a committed relationship with the inflatable objects, and sleeps beside his balloons.

What is Objectophilia?

Objectophilia, also known as object-sexuality, is a sexual orientation that involves an emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction toward particular objects, such as words, trains, bridges, walls, cars, and more.

It is a phenomenon characterised by sexual or romantic attraction directed at specific inanimate objects.

Individuals who experience this attraction may express strong feelings of love and commitment to certain items or structures that they have become fixated on.

Objectophilia gained its first media attention and popularity in 1979, when Eija-Riitta Eklöf, a model-builder who loves structures, got married to the Berlin Wall. In 2016, a documentary titled "Off the Rails" told the story of Darius McCollum, a man who is fixated on trains and public transport.

According to Psychology Today, many people mistakenly identifying this as a fetish, but this is not the case as fetishists only utilise objects to satisfy their sexual desires.

People with objectophilia, on the other hand, focus on the object and its characteristics; they are not purely sexual, depersonalised, objectified, or motivated by a sense of power over the object. It can also be passionate and filled with intense, romantic feelings.

A study done by Springer Nature in 2019 indicated that individuals who express a sexual desire for objects tend to be on the autism spectrum and may have an underlying condition called synesthesia. It is a neurological condition in which a person receives information meant to stimulate one of their senses through another.

Aasash Majumdar's take on his one-of-a-kind relationship

The-28-year-old said that his relationship with his beloved balloons started as a friendship and has now developed into a more meaningful one. He stated that he is currently in a 'high-flying' committed relationship with a lot of balloons.

"I like their presence and warmth, and share intimate feelings with my balloons and vice versa. When you're in love, you spend a lot of time together and accept all kinds of flaws." Majumdar remarked.

The 28-year-old stated that he communicates with his beloved, floating balloons through telepathy and dreams. He also added that they are able to share "each and every thought, feeling, and emotion" with each other.

"Every morning, I wake up by saying 'good morning' and giving a kiss to my balloons that sleep beside me, and vice versa," he added. He also revealed that he shares his bed with his balloons and that they have a physically intimate relationship.

In 2021, Majumdar realised he was in love with them and confessed to his balloons, taking his relationship to new heights.

"Since I've confessed my love for my balloons, my life has changed for the better. Our love is so strong that I can't live without him," he said.

Even though Majumdar's love for his balloons is undoubtedly strong, they are still very fragile and can get damaged quite easily.

According to Majumdar, the balloons are just as fragile as a human baby and therefore, he has to supervise his balloons at all times. He expressed his strong will to protect them from all kinds of dangers including sharp objects, suffocation, and changes in temperature.

However, despite his attempts to protect them from everything, the balloons end up popping at times. He mentioned that at one time when he was inflating a few balloons with a pump, one of the balloons popped, causing him a great deal of distress.

"I cried for the loss and after that, I became more careful. When there is a sudden death of balloons, I try to resurrect them by re-inflating them. If I can't, I give them a funeral by digging and covering them with the soil," he said.

He also revealed that he doesn't go anywhere without his inflatable partners, adding that he takes them outdoors for activities like shopping, trips to the garden, and more. He believes that the balloons should "have the freedom and change to see the world".