The dynamical evolution of bright spatial solitons in biased photorefr
active crystals is investigated under steady-state conditions. Our num
erical study indicates that these optical solitons are stable against
small perturbations whereas optical beams that significantly differ fr
om soliton solutions tend to experience larger cycles of compression a
nd expansion. The influence of loss in a typical photorefractive mater
ial like SBN:60 is studied in detail. The effect of the external bias
field on the self-focusing behavior of optical beams is discussed and
the interaction forces among optical solitons are also investigated.