[Little]

I don't know if an incestuous relationship can ever be truly consensual. There's always going to be an idea of betrayed trust, of abused power.

[rcoreyus]

It it is between adult siblings it could be consensual.

I think everyone would agree that coerced incest or rape (as described by a previous poster) is absolutely wrong. Since it includes a violation of trust, in some ways worse than a stranger rape.

[Faerunner]

The only time I've ever come across consensual incest was in fantasy erotica and in Francesca Lia Block's novel Wasteland, which in itself is a rather interesting exploration of sexuality, love and relationships. If you can stand her fragmented writing style I suggest you pick it up (and I'm always open to book discussions!).

I think that for the most part incest ought to stay taboo. The others are right in that there is a familial kind of love that can be ruined by sex, and most people in incestuous relationships have more issues than their choice of partners, even if they claim it's consensual.

[Little]

Faerunner - that's my exact standpoint.
The only place I've seen "healthy" incest is in fiction writing.
But then again, what makes incest incest? I live in Tennessee, where it's legal to marry your first cousin. Though I would find that relationship incestuous (Hey, the Sims game I'm currently playing doesn't allow it, so it must be, right? )
And what about half-uncles and half-nieces? Step-siblings? Adopted siblings? Where does the taboo start and end? Second cousins, third cousins, twice removed, five times removed?
Personally, I think anybody related to me at all (even removed quite a few times or way-out cousins) by marriage or blood, would be very "taboo," not to mention off limits. But I haven't had to worry about falling in love with someone I'm related to by blood or marriage, as most of my family lives far away from me and my parents never divorced or re-married.
What about situations where a teenaged boy and girl are dating ... and then their parents begin dating? It happens from time to time, according to the Internet. I'd be uncomfortable with that, but it doesn't necessarily make it incest.
There's a lot of discussion that could be had here.

[Leisel]

I find this posting interesting, because I have never had a brother ( I am female) and only have sister. As such, I have always wondered what it was that kept siblings from being attracted to one another, or from wanting to explore each other sexually.
Perhaps it would probably be much like how I feel towards my father? In that I love him, but stop at that. He is hardly even a sexual being, my brain can't even fathom thinking about him like that, gross gross gross.
For some reason because I don't have a brother though, I can't seem to be able to comprehend what it would be like and constantly find myself questioning how guys, who apparently think about sex 1,000,000,000,000,000 times a day, don't ever think about having sex with their sisters...?

[rcoreyus]

I think that at some times, some people think about just about anything sexual. Incest fantasies certainly exist, don't know how common, but some men (and women) apparently find the idea (as fantasy) to be appealing.

snip
For some reason because I don't have a brother though, I can't seem to be able to comprehend what it would be like and constantly find myself questioning how guys, who apparently think about sex 1,000,000,000,000,000 times a day, don't ever think about having sex with their sisters...?

[Mes T]

I find this posting interesting, because I have never had a brother ( I am female) and only have sister. As such, I have always wondered what it was that kept siblings from being attracted to one another, or from wanting to explore each other sexually.
Perhaps it would probably be much like how I feel towards my father? In that I love him, but stop at that. He is hardly even a sexual being, my brain can't even fathom thinking about him like that, gross gross gross.
For some reason because I don't have a brother though, I can't seem to be able to comprehend what it would be like and constantly find myself questioning how guys, who apparently think about sex 1,000,000,000,000,000 times a day, don't ever think about having sex with their sisters...?

I too have no brothers (or sisters) and wonder about that. I only have my relationship to my father to compare it to. Maybe in this context a brother is like a father but much closer to your age??

Anyway I've heard many times of young siblings doing something sexual with each other... Older sister practicing kissing on their younger brother... that sort of thing.

[ocularone]

I had never ever thought of my sister in that manner. I would definitely relate it to the same way i think about my mother. never..ever....EVERRRR