Part 2. His Majesty Orgasm

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

(Continued. See Part 1. How hormones and neurotransmitters quietly control our choices, sex, and relationships.)

"Orgasm is a paroxysm of pleasure, passion or other strong feeling"

Oxford Dictionary

In a previous article, we looked at how testosterone, dopamine, and oxytocin regulate the bonding process, prepare bodies for sex, and clear the way for His Majesty's Orgasm.

Word orgasm comes from the Greek. orgao - I burn with passion. It is fairly believed that orgasm is the highest natural pleasure available to man. However, we all know that orgasm to orgasm is different, that orgasm can be a peak life experience, or it can be just a household release of sexual tension. In addition, there are many different classifications and types of orgasms: multiple / single, clitoral / vaginal, male / female, with or without penetration, tantric, space, sub-space, etc. What do these different types of orgasm have in common? What is actually happening in the body at this moment? And why does one and the same word designate events so different in scale and intensity?

The answers to these questions have emerged only recently, thanks to the use of MRI technology to study the neuro-physiological processes of sexuality. In order to shed light on the nature of orgasm, a group of volunteers masturbated and had sex inside an MRI machine and a whole system of scanners and sensors recorded changes in different parts of the brain at different stages of arousal. The results of these studies force us to look at sexuality and orgasm much broader than previously accepted.

So, these studies have convincingly demonstrated that orgasm occurs in the brain and not in the genitals. As you approach orgasm, arousal engulfs about 30 major neural systems in the brain. There is no single or central focus of excitement, excitement covers many nerve centers and before orgasm, the brain lights up with the lights of excitement, like a Christmas tree. See the picture below.

It became clear that orgasm is born at the intersection of the excitation of the peripheral nervous system (stimulation of the genitals and signals from the senses) and the central (attitude towards a partner, fantasies, emotional mood). At the moment of orgasm, the autonomic nervous system and the area of the cerebral cortex associated with sensory sensations are extremely excited. In this case, the frontal cortex, which is responsible for thinking, assessment and control, on the contrary, is deactivated, creating a feeling of loss of control.

This loss of control is extremely important since orgasm is attention !, a mini epileptic seizure. Overexcitation of neurons in the cerebral cortex triggers uncontrolled muscle contractions and convulsions by a mechanism very similar to epileptic ones. The body, usually obedient, gets out of control and begins to wriggle, shake, bend at its own will. Convulsions can involve both the lower body and large muscles of the back, abdomen, neck, throat and facial muscles. This reaction is accompanied by strong emotional experiences, which can be expressed by screaming, crying, laughing, growling, biting, scratching, etc. Such reactions, no matter how frightening they may look from the outside, are completely normal.

Plus, it became clear that erotic stimulation of different areas of the body causes excitement in different areas of the cerebral cortex and, accordingly, leads to different orgasmic sensations. So when the volunteers were masturbating, petting and having sex in an MRI camera, maps of the neural localization of orgasm were obtained depending on the zone of erogenous stimulation, see the photo below. And as it turned out, regardless of the area being caressed, if the stimulation is sufficiently exciting and prolonged, then an orgasm can be obtained as a result!

At the same time, since the genital area is permeated with sensitive receptors, the easiest way to get an orgasm is to stimulate the clitoris or the head of the penis (masturbation, clitoral orgasm).

Having sex, copulation is a more complicated process. In this case, stimulation captures not only the clitoris / head of the penis, but also the adjacent areas (vulva, vaginal walls, cervix, shaft of the penis, scrotum), plus includes bodily contact, kissing, the visual image of the partner, his smell, attitude towards him, therefore, the excitement in this case will be more extensive. This means that such an orgasm may be more powerful, but it will be more difficult to get it due to the multiplicity of signals and the complexity of the interaction.

Interestingly, the genitals do not have to be the zone of orgasmic stimulation. In fact, an orgasm can be obtained through the stimulation of any bodily zone or sensory organs, just some areas such as the genitals, anus, nipples, lips, palms, tongue and feet have a larger number of receptors and a larger area of the brain associated with them, therefore through their erogenous stimulation will make it easier to reach orgasm. But it is also possible to achieve orgasm without involving these zones in stimulation, through immersion in tactile sensations, smells, tastes, sounds, etc. Alfred Kinsey, the founder of sexology, described a woman having an orgasm when she stroked … her eyebrows. Orgasm can be obtained from breastfeeding, playing sports, listening to your favorite music, touching a loved one, etc. With good sensitivity, orgasmicity goes beyond the sexual act and can accompany a variety of completely unrelated to sex actions.

Moreover, some research participants have demonstrated the ability to have an orgasm without any external stimulation, relying solely on their fantasy. They brought themselves to orgasm by closing their eyes and immersing themselves in images and memories. In this case, the MRI recorded arousal, covering the areas of the brain associated with the erogenous zones, exactly as if they were stimulated by touch.

It also turned out that from the point of view of neurophysiology, male and female orgasms are practically indistinguishable. Since orgasm occurs in the brain, the mechanism is the same, regardless of gender. At the same time, in a man, an orgasm may be accompanied by ejaculation of semen, or may not be accompanied. The active involvement of the genius zone in the process of erotic interaction increases the likelihood that orgasm will be accompanied by ejaculation, but men who have mastered Taoist and Tantric practices show the ability to have an orgasm without stimulating the penis and multiple orgasms without ejaculation. A similar orgasm in men, from the outside, is very similar to the traditional description of a female orgasm: an increasing sensation of warmth in the body, involuntary contractions of the muscles of the back and abdomen, a wave of convulsive contractions covering the entire body from crown to heels. In order to master this method of obtaining pleasure, a man needs to go about the same path that a woman goes through, developing her sensitivity from clitoral to vaginal orgasm, that is, learning to combine signals from many different sources of excitement in perception into a single symphony. The main obstacle for this is the habitual belief that orgasm and ejaculation are one and the same, and having received the easiest way to discharge, men stop developing their orgasm.

In general, it turns out that orgasm is partly a reflex, partly a skill. The development of orgasm opens up access to the inner source of pleasure and pleasure. Experiencing an orgasmic state is like taking a cocktail of cocaine (dopamine), ecstasy (oxytocin), and heroin (endorphins). But only in this case, the dose is consistent with your level of health and the side effects are much less tragic. That is why many spiritual and esoteric teachings focus on the development of sensuality, meditation and contact with the body, as a way to move towards happiness and inner harmony.

To be continued…