What does nebulasexual mean? Explaining the widely misunderstood label
It is often grouped under terms like quoisexuality, which describes people who struggle to recognise or define sexual attraction
By Aaron Sugg
Nebulasexuality came to light in 2014, describing neurodivergent people who find it difficult or impossible to tell if they experience sexual attraction.
Not to be confused with asexuality, nebulasexuality refers to experiences of attraction that seem unclear due to intrusive thoughts, urges, or mental images.
The term “nebula” is defined as a clouded spot on the cornea of the eye causing impaired vision, used metaphorically to describe how attraction feels to those who identify this way.
This uncertain clarity comes from someone who might want intimacy or sexual intercourse but is still unsure whether what they feel counts as sexual attraction or something else.
“Processing emotions and sensations can feel different” – Annabelle Knight, sex and relationship expert on Nebulasexuality
Sex and relationship expert Annabelle Knight spoke to Metro about nebulasexuality, saying: “For many neurodivergent people, processing emotions and sensations can feel different.”
“Social cues, bodily signals, or even the concept of attraction might not register in the same way as they do for neurotypical people, which can make it confusing to know whether you want someone sexually or are simply drawn to them in another way,” they added.
It is often grouped under terms like quoisexuality, which describes people who struggle to recognise or define sexual attraction compared with other forms of attraction.
Nebulasexuality is linked to Quasexual, lithsexual and other quoisexuality identities
Quasexual is another sexuality under this umbrella, where individuals rarely or inconsistently experience sexual attraction, making it hard to classify their orientation.
Similarly, lithsexual describes people who do experience sexual attraction but do not desire it to be reciprocated, sometimes feeling it internally but not necessarily in interaction with others.
The term emerged as a self‑descriptive identity but has now gained wider attention as public understanding of neurodivergence, including ADHD and autism, continues to grow.
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