When it comes to sex and sexual
pleasure, it seems like there is always something new to be learned. The realm
of sex has perplexed humans for many decades, probably due to the growing
evidence of a deeper connection being made with ourselves and our partner.
The desire for a deeper connection
provides further proof to our obsession to know more about how the functions of
sex affect our connectedness with self, and others.
The Study
Neuroscientist Adam Safron of
Northwestern University explains, “sex is a source of pleasurable sensations
and emotional connection, but beyond that, it’s actually an altered state of
consciousness.“
In an article published in Socioaffective
Neuroscience & Psychology, Victoria Klimaj and Adam Safron delve into
unlocking the mystery of the orgasm. “The conditions shaping sexual climax may
be particularly complex in humans, whose sexual behaviour is characterized by cultural shaping, abstract goals,
and frequent non-reproductive motivations.”
They concluded their research with
the help of a number of scientists who are experts in the study of the orgasm.
These contributors are evolutionary psychologists, animal behaviour experts, fMRI
researchers, and investigators specializing in the analysis of large-scale
surveys.
Dr. Safron has learned that a rhythmic stimulation alters brain
activity. When we are sexually stimulated, our neutrons focus in a
particular way that it’s hypnotizing, and we block out everything we are
usually conscious of like noises, feelings and smells, and concentrate
intensely on sensation alone.
This level of concentration cannot be
achieved through any other natural stimulation. Our self-awareness is essentially
gone in that moment.
“Sex is a source of pleasurable sensations and emotional
connection, but beyond that, it’s actually an altered state of consciousness,” Dr.
Safron explains.
Dr. Safron investigated this trance
by creating a europhenomenological model that displayed which rhythmic sexual
activity likely influences brain rhythms. The model showed that our neurons can
be focused by stimulating particular nerves in a particular way at a particular
speed.
When they begin to synchronize their
activity, neural entrainment is achieved and if stimulation proceeds for a
longer length of time, the synchronization spreads throughout the brain
enabling us to become more focused than ever.
“Before this paper, we knew what lit up in the brain when
people had orgasms, and we knew a lot about the hormonal and neurochemical
factors in non-human animals, but we didn’t really know why sex and orgasm feel
the way they do,” Dr. Safron said.
Why Rhythm Plays A Crucial Role
The study revealed a common theme:
sexual climax, seizures, music, and dance all flood the brain’s sensory
channels with rhythmic inputs. Dr. Safron believes that because sexual activity
is so similar to music and dance, the rhythm-keeping ability may serve as a
test of fitness for potential mates.
“Synchronization is important for
signal propagation in the brain, because neurons are more likely to fire if
they are stimulated multiple times within a narrow window of time,” says Dr.
Safron.
This led Dr. Safron to hypothesize
that “rhythmic entrainment is the primary mechanism by which orgasmic
thresholds are surpassed.”
“The idea that sexual experiences can be like trance
states is in some ways ancient. Turns out this idea is supported by modern
understandings of neuroscience,” says Dr. Safron.
This constant rhythmic stimulation is
very similar to the practices preached by 46-year-old Nicole
Daedone of OM or Orgasmic
Meditation. The technique is a sequenced practice in which one partner
gently strokes the other partner’s clitoris for 15 minutes. The result is said
to be therapeutic, rather than sexual. The “stroking” allegedly activates the
limbic system and releases a flood of oxytocin.
This whole practice reiterates the
idea that in order to fully achieve orgasm (or anything else of substance in
life) you must actively engage
in being present and release the pressure we allow society to instil within us.
When we surrender to the universe and in this instance, our feeling, we enter
into a world of bountiful possibility.
Please SHARE This
With Your Friends & Family..
