Kissing :)

[Chris92]

Everyone knows the scene, and since Neytiri went for it as much as he did, I guess it's safe to assume that kissing is very much a part of their culture as well...lucky for Jake, because that really would've killed the mood otherwise. I'm probably really late to the party with the assumption, any news on it?

[Kìte'eyä Aungia]

Well, there's some extra dialog in that scene in the 2007 script in which Neytiri says:

Kissing is very good. But we have
something better.

So I guess it's pretty much confirmed that the Na'vi do kiss, though they could have learned it from humans, I suppose.

[Tsu'roen]

Well, there's some extra dialog in that scene in the 2007 script in which Neytiri says:

Kissing is very good. But we have
something better.

So I guess it's pretty much confirmed that the Na'vi do kiss, though they could have learned it from humans, I suppose.

I wouldn't read it that way. Kissing was quiet unusual even for humans not very long ago and is still not common in all cultures.
So I think it is rather unlikely that the Na'vi had any idea about it before their contact with the humans.

We had this topic discussed somewhere else before - I just can't remember in which thread ...
... if someone remembers please post the link.

[Kìte'eyä Aungia]

I wouldn't read it that way. Kissing was quiet unusual even for humans not very long ago and is still not common in all cultures.
So I think it is rather unlikely that the Na'vi had any idea about it before their contact with the humans.

That's true, but at some point the "fiction" in "science fiction" has to take over and make sure the Na'vi look and act enough like us so that we can relate to them.

We had this topic discussed somewhere else before - I just can't remember in which thread ...
... if someone remembers please post the link.

Do you remember what the conclusion was? If kissing is unusual for the Na'vi, why is there so much of it in Avatar? Neytiri kissing Jake's eyes at the end of the movie, for example.

[Tsu'roen]

Well she learned it from Jake.

[Tsamsiyu Atsteu]

Kissing and cuddling release certain chemicals that facilitate bonding/ a feeling of closeness. We don't know if the Na'vi picked it up from the sawtute or if they had it as part of their culture before their arrival. One thing is certain though, it helps to create and strengthen a pair bond so they would likely adopt it because it is beneficial. Just my two cents

[Txur’Itan]

Time for some research!

[Tìrey Tsmukan]

Kissing and cuddling release certain chemicals that facilitate bonding/ a feeling of closeness. We don't know if the Na'vi picked it up from the sawtute or if they had it as part of their culture before their arrival. One thing is certain though, it helps to create and strengthen a pair bond so they would likely adopt it because it is beneficial. Just my two cents

I wish I had more of those two cents.  

anyway, I would say that the Na'vi probably learned it from humans.

That's true, but at some point the "fiction" in "science fiction" has to take over and make sure the Na'vi look and act enough like us so that we can relate to them.

yes, other wise we wouldn't even have Na'vi lì'fya. also keep in mind, that big gas giant is quite blue, if it was going by true evolution. the Na'vi eyes might not have even evolved to be like ours.

also, yes not all cultures have kissing, but all have some way of showing love. (the native American Crow, I belive, grasped each other by the shoulders with both arms, and then touched their heads together. take that with a grain of salt though, I may be thinking of some one else)

Eywa ayngahu.

[Tsamsiyu Atsteu]

  You and me both I just used to read a lot about the topic.. psychology and biology are fascinating. The brain is amazing. But yeah, kissing, cuddling even sex, make you release chemicals that make you all "warm and fuzzy" inside, making the likihood of you staying with your SO higher. The same chemicals (oxytocin forgive my spelling) makes males more paternal and women more maternal and starts their lactation after birth.

I wish I had more of those two cents. 

[Tìrey Tsmukan]

exactly, Oxytocin is the bonding hormone, it makes the brain more than double the likelyhood of a good bond with someone else, than if it wasn't released.
Hmm... that makes me wonder, is this released when the Tsaheylu is made? interesting...

Eywa ngahu. as always.

[Tsamsiyu Atsteu]

Oh, good thought! I'm thinking that or something similar, some chemical that both the native Pandoran animals and the Na'vi have to encourage Tsaheylu.

exactly, Oxytocin is the bonding hormone, it makes the brain more than double the likelyhood of a good bond with someone else, than if it wasn't released.
Hmm... that makes me wonder, is this released when the Tsaheylu is made? interesting...

Eywa ngahu. as always.

[Nyx]

They could have developed that custom entirely without input from the sawtute. It does happen that different groups (or just individuals) come up with the same things independent of each other. Maybe they've been kissing for even longer but we just don't know, and maybe Jake was just lucky there.

As for the happy and bonding substances, some of them are released during childbirth. So not only during pleasant experiences But I bet they play some role in tsaheylu, and maybe even more for the ikran, since they will only bond once.

[Tsamsiyu Atsteu]

It's released in childbirth because it helps block pain and it makes you feel more maternal, as well as starting lactation and helping mother and child bond. Just like orgasm releases pain blocking chemicals as well as pleasure/bond inducing ones.

They could have developed that custom entirely without input from the sawtute. It does happen that different groups (or just individuals) come up with the same things independent of each other. Maybe they've been kissing for even longer but we just don't know, and maybe Jake was just lucky there.

As for the happy and bonding substances, some of them are released during childbirth. So not only during pleasant experiences But I bet they play some role in tsaheylu, and maybe even more for the ikran, since they will only bond once.

[Nyx]

It's released in childbirth because it helps block pain and it makes you feel more maternal, as well as starting lactation and helping mother and child bond. Just like orgasm releases pain blocking chemicals as well as pleasure/bond inducing ones.

Indeed, those substances have some nice effects on us ^^ (not that that makes childbirth especially pleasant, haha). But we're assuming here that the Na'vi have this much in common with us physiologically even though we don't have any common ancestors (as far as I know). It seems to me they could just as well have developed some of the same customs by accident too. (I'm not saying that customs and physiology are the same thing, I'm just talking about the coincidence thing)

[Na'ríng Tsmuke]

exactly, Oxytocin is the bonding hormone, it makes the brain more than double the likelyhood of a good bond with someone else, than if it wasn't released.
Hmm... that makes me wonder, is this released when the Tsaheylu is made? interesting...

Eywa ngahu. as always.

mmm, your not thinking of endorphin's are you?? they're the 'feel' good hormones. Oxycontin is a female hormone released during labour to trigger uterine contractions and the production of milk. Its not a hormone males need, ie: no uterus or milk glands
most women have up to 7 times the (normal) endorphin levels in their body while in labour helping to block some of the pain (been there,done that), when athletes go through the pain barrier, endorphin's are released.That's why some many athletes get hooked on pushing themselves, the endorphin's give them a high.
When the tsaheylu is made, it's a neural bond, more like joining minds, and feeling what the other is feeling. When Jake first tries to ride the Pali, Neytiri tells him to 'feel' her(the Pali), feel her breathe, feel her strength, be one with her.
Eywa ngahu

[Nyx]

exactly, Oxytocin is the bonding hormone, it makes the brain more than double the likelyhood of a good bond with someone else, than if it wasn't released.
Hmm... that makes me wonder, is this released when the Tsaheylu is made? interesting...

Eywa ngahu. as always.

mmm, your not thinking of endorphin's are you?? they're the 'feel' good hormones. Oxycontin is a female hormone released during labour to trigger uterine contractions and the production of milk. Its not a hormone males need, ie: no uterus or milk glands
most women have up to 7 times the (normal) endorphin levels in their body while in labour helping to block some of the pain (been there,done that), when athletes go through the pain barrier, endorphin's are released.That's why some many athletes get hooked on pushing themselves, the endorphin's give them a high.
When the tsaheylu is made, it's a neural bond, more like joining minds, and feeling what the other is feeling. When Jake first tries to ride the Pali, Neytiri tells him to 'feel' her(the Pali), feel her breathe, feel her strength, be one with her.
Eywa ngahu

There are many substances that can be called feel good hormones. And oxytocin does more than what you mentioned and it is present in males too. But of course, expression of hormones depends on species as well, so maybe the Na'vi have some entirely new thing which is involved in tsaheylu.

[MaTe]

Na'Vi don't even have DNA in the same chemical sense as humans - I doubt the chemical formulae for hormones will be the same. Hormones are just "triggers", "message packets" that are evolved very early, they don't need any kind of nervous system to deliver the message to other cells (well, they do have other purposes, but still...). So, unless we'll see a huge bit of lore about common na'vi-human ancestor, some "atlantis time" colonization of Earth or Pandora or whatever, there is little chance for same chemicals being used for the same "signals".

[Txontaw]

I would think that their "kissing" would be more like what they did before the battle; pressing their noses together. A lot of eskimos touch noses as a form of kissing, so I wouldn't be surprised if this is the same way.

[Tìrey Tsmukan]

wow, I didn't think what I said would make that much of a splash. I agree with all answers, the Na'vi are very different from us. They probably don't use the same hormones. but it was just a thought.
also, endorphins and Oxytocin are both being investigated thoroughly. we still don't know everything that they do. I was not thinking of endorphins, which are the 'happy hormone' I was thinking of the 'bonding hormone' or (as far as we know) is Oxytocin and similar hormones.

I agree with Txontaw. that's what I was trying to say about the Crow Indians.
Really, we can't truly tell what they do.

anyway, as I have said before: all ideas are credible.

Eywa ayngahu.

[Ash]

Na'Vi don't even have DNA in the same chemical sense as humans [...]

MaTe - I now read that twice - can you point me to the source of this detail? I have been searching through the Na'vi section of the ASG when I first stumbled over that detail but did not find anything regarding this.

Regarding pressing forehand and nose together and then breathing in and out - this sharing of breath is indeed common in some cultures, but I am not sure if it does replace the kiss? I am becoming really curious if the Na'vi had the habit of kissing before the sawtute came or just copied it as something pleasing.