Sex and sexual satisfaction – when it comes to these topics, it feels like there’s always something interesting to discover. The field of sex has puzzled humans for several decades, possibly due to the increasing evidence of a greater connection between ourselves and our partner called an altered state of consciousness.
The need for a deeper bond gives us further evidence of our fascination to learn more about how the functions of sex influence the connectedness with ourselves and others.
Adam Safron is a neuroscientist at Northwestern University. He states the following; “Sex is a source of pleasurable sensations and emotional connection, but beyond that, it’s actually an altered state of consciousness.“
Victoria Klimaj and Adam Safron published an article in Socioaffective Neuroscience & Psychology, where they explore the mystery behind the orgasm. They explain; “The conditions shaping sexual climax may be particularly complex in humans, whose sexual behavior is characterized by cultural shaping, abstract goals, and frequent non-reproductive motivations.”
They completed their studies with the help of a group of scientists who are specializing in the study of orgasms. These experts include evolutionary psychologists, animal behavior experts, fMRI researchers, and scientists interested in the study of large-scale studies.
Dr. Safron also discovered that rhythmic stimulation changes the function of the brain. When we’re sexually aroused, our neurons concentrate in a way that’s hypnotizing. We ignore everything that we’re normally aware of, including sounds, thoughts, and smells, and focus deeply on sensation alone.
We are not able to attain this level of focus by any other natural stimulus. At that moment, our self-awareness is practically gone.
As Dr. Safron explains; “Sex is a source of pleasurable sensations and emotional connection, but beyond that, it’s actually an altered state of consciousness.”
Dr. Safron analyzed this trance by developing a neurophenomenological model demonstrating which rhythmic sexual behavior is likely to affect brain rhythms. The model has indicated that our neurons can be focused at a given speed by activating specific nerves in a particular way.
When they start to coordinate their function, neural entrainment is reached. And if stimulation continues over a prolonged period of time, coordination spreads across the brain. This allows us to become more concentrated than ever before.
“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 explains.
Why Rhythm Plays A Key Role
The study uncovered a common idea: sexual climax, seizures, music, and dance, fill the brain’s sensory pathways with rhythmic inputs. Dr. Safron suggests that since sexual behavior is so close to music and dance, the ability to maintain rhythms might function as a fitness test for potential partners.
“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,” states Dr. Safron.
This led Dr. Safron to a new hypothesis 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,” explains Dr. Safron.
This continuous rhythmic stimulus is quite similar to that of the 46-year-old Nicole Daedone of OM or Orgasmic Meditation. The method is a sequenced technique in which one partner slowly strokes the clitoris of the other partner for 15 minutes. It is said that the outcome is therapeutic rather than erotic. The “stroking” is believed to stimulate the limbic system and release a stream of oxytocin.
This entire practice reaffirms the concept that in order to truly achieve orgasm (or something else of substance in life) you must consciously indulge in being aware and release the pressure that we enable society to instill within us. Just like surrendering to the universe, if you surrender to your feelings, you can enter a realm of abundant possibilities.