To most people sensuality means sexual, however that is not the case. According to The Oxford American Desk Dictionary, 2nd Edition, sensual means “of or depending on the senses only and not on intellect or spirit; carnal; fleshly.”

When it comes to the Goth culture this idea of sensuality plays a very big role. You can it symbolized in the clothing worn.  Lots of metal, zippers, cloths.  Straps wrap around legs, arms and torsos, zippers open and close to revel hidden pockets or nothing at all.  This is symbolic of a society that control over a person’s natural instincts.  We are to be living according to our intellects and/or according to the church.

The Goth desires to live according to the flesh. This does not mean that they desire to have animal like qualities, though it is appealing to some, but it is more about freeing oneself from the expectations placed on them by society.  That is why vampires have become common among the Goth culture.  Not all Goths like vampires, but it is a powerful symbol in the culture.  The vampire lives by its hunger, its thirst.  It is not subjected to the laws of a civilized society (at least not until the recent vampires of Anne Rice and Stephenie Meyer). They live by the desires of the flesh.

This is again not to say that the Goth culture is looking for a lawless society, one in which they can do everything they please. No, it is about finding acceptance in others based on who they are, not on how they fit in, if they do things the right way.

The Goth seeks to find truth.  They are open to dark and evil things because they know that they gain a greater appreciation for the happy and good things in life.  It is not about being depressed, it is about knowing emotions like fear and pain to appreciate emotions like joy and wonder.  To understand what it once was to be innocent they know you must someday lose that innocence.

The ability to use the senses instead of the mind or the spirit allows for a deeper meaning of oneself. The mind and the spirit do play an important role in life, but so often the senses are forgotten.  You have been told what is bad and what is good, you have not taken the time for yourself to feel it, and to understand why.  The Goth is in touch with their senses and is will to feel it all – good and bad.  It is in this they gain a deeper understanding of life.  This is why sensuality is so important in the Goth culture.