SAM divides romantic orientation and sexual orientation into different identities. It is built upon the idea that a person’s romantic and sexual attractions can exist separately from each other, and that a person can be attracted to different people in different ways.
In the ASPEC community, Ace and Aro people sometimes use SAM to highlight how they experience their asexual and aromantic identities and attractions separately, for example, while asexual people do not feel sexual attraction, some asexual people may be romantically attracted to someone.
SAM, in such cases, can be used to express one’s romantic attraction separately from their sexual identity/attraction (eg. asexual and bi-romantic, or pansexual and aromantic).
Aromantics sometimes also use SAM to highlight how although they might not feel/experience romantic attraction, they can/do feel and experience other types of attractions. These other types of attractions are listed below.
It is, however, not a model that describes everyone’s experiences, and there is some contention behind its use.
The following list was sourced from a number of different resources
An interest or strong appreciation for a person’s appearance or beauty.
Swish – the aesthetic equivalent of a crush. A swish is an intense feeling of aesthetic attraction to a person.
An interest or desire for emotional closeness without necessarily being platonic and/or romantic. Alterous is often used in the place of -romantic or -sexual suffixes (e.g., bialterous instead of biromantic).
Mesh - the alterous equivalent of a crush. A mesh is an intense feeling of alterous attraction to a person.
An interest or desire for friendship or other close relationship with a particular person. This relationship is usually non-romantic and non-sexual but can depend on a person's individual experience.
Squish - The platonic equivalent of a crush. A squish is an intense feeling of platonic attraction.
An interest or desire for romantic contact or interaction with a particular person.
Crush – an intense feeling of romantic attraction to a person.
An interest or desire to touch or be physically close to someone, in a non-sexual way such as hugging or cuddling.
Lush – the sensual equivalent of a crush. A lush is an intense feeling of sensual attraction to a person.
An interest or desire in sexual contact, interaction, or sexual relationship with a person.
Smush – the sexual equivalent of a crush. A smush is an intense feeling of sexual attraction to a person.