Questions about the Human Orgasm

August 9, 2005 10:40 AM

The human orgasm. Myths and questions?

I heard once in one of those conversations we all know so well, where everyone was just exchanging oddities they knew about the world, and we came on the subject of sex (heh). We began talking about orgasms, and one guy brought up the fact that some sects of paganism used to hold the orgasm sacred, for during the process, there was a split second (or something, point is: really short time) where one falls unconscious, and they believed this almost 'otherworldly' aspect of the orgasm brought them closer to god.

Now, first, I'm wondering if this is confirmable: I've looked at some things online but I keep finding ambiguous info. Wikipedia's article seems to have no mention of this, or maybe I'm not reading correctly. Hmm.

Secondly, I'm wondering besides this belief, does this actual moment of unconscious occur? Ever since, being a curious little fellow, I've always tried to "pinpoint" that period of time during my own orgasms, and I don't find it that unplausible. Logically, I'd be technically "unconscious" at the moment of pinpointing, so I try to come the "closest" to it as possible, thinking, "was that it? hm."

And we're all familiar with the fleeting feeling one has afterwards...god dammit, I must freeze time somehow! It would solve everything....

Anyway, thanks fellow Mefites!

posted by Lockeownzj00 to science & nature (16 comments total)

I can't speak to the belief or the fact... but I once did date a woman who would literally pass out at the point of orgasm. Now, I don't know whether she just had really intense orgasms that made her pass out (proving the unconscious thing) or whether she just was hardwired differently than most folks. She had nothing to compare it to, either, as it was faint or no orgasm.

I would literally have to shake her slap her to wake her up.

Funny story: she didn't tell me about this "feature" prior to our first night together. I thought I'd killed her. ;)
posted by dobbs at 11:31 AM on August 9, 2005

There's a reason Anaïs Nin refers to the orgasm as le petit mort (the little death) in her fiction.
posted by Rothko at 11:37 AM on August 9, 2005

Have you looked up "la petite mort"?
posted by NewBornHippy at 11:38 AM on August 9, 2005

It might be diffrent for men and women.

The bigger question is, what do you mean when you say "conscious"?

I mean, clearly sometimes we are conscious and sometimes we are uncoscious, but what about the middle ground? It's hardly well defined.

I don't think orgasms make you go to 'sleep', and clearly they don't kill you or put you into a mini-coma.
posted by delmoi at 11:42 AM on August 9, 2005

For starters, there's no "sects of paganism". Pagan is a word Christians used to describe followers of natural religions. Druids, Cherokee and Santerians are all "pagans". That alone makes his story awfully suspect.

As for the orgasm part, remember that male and female orgasms are physiologically distinct. If the story suggests that the same thing happens to both, it's a bit more doubtful.

Do people go unconscious after orgasm? Some do, according to dobbs above, and I've known someone who would pass out for a few minutes on orgasm.

Does passing out bring you closer to God? That's entirely up to faith, and nothing anyone here is going to be able to answer. Bringing it back to our unspecified Pagans, though, it certainly wouldn't bring it back to capital-G God, because believing in that one pretty much makes you not-Pagan.

But did some religion in the history of man consider orgasms sacred? Even without the unconsciousness part, almost certainly. Tantra, for instance, mixed sexuality and religion heavily. But I doubt that's the story your friend was trying to tell.
posted by mendel at 11:47 AM on August 9, 2005

Sorry about the mix up about Paganism--I was originally going to word it as Pagan religions but went with sects of paganism, for some illogical reason.

Furthermore, while dobbs's answer is an interesting foray into the discussion, I think people are misinterpreting what I said as a consequence.

I didn't mean "you pass out after orgasm." I mean, within the 4-5 seconds of a male orgasm, if there is a point where, for a split second, you are for all intents and purposes, "technically," unconscious.

I realise female orgasms are different--the question goes for both, and I tend to think it might have more validity with females since they have the capacity to have much more intense orgasms.

I am still also trying to find a name for the phenomenon dobbs described; it's something I've seen firsthand and in porn and it's interesting to me on a sexual and "scientific" level, ie, "how does this happen?" The porn "squirters" phenomenon seems to be linked with this somehow.
posted by Lockeownzj00 at 11:52 AM on August 9, 2005

I am still also trying to find a name for the phenomenon dobbs described

Fainting? Horses before zebras -- is there some reason to think that passing out after orgasm isn't a blood/oxygen/brain thing?

Alice, can a woman faint while having an orgasm?

I don't dare to ask how "squirting" would be related.
posted by mendel at 12:00 PM on August 9, 2005

Oh, wait, if you meant that you also wondered about the physiology behind "squirting", here's an article which touches on the physiology of female ejaculation.
posted by mendel at 12:08 PM on August 9, 2005

As an aside, I've read that 'le petit mort (the little death)' is more of a reference to the loss of energy that men have and experience after their ejaculation. Sperm production takes quite a bit of our energy and resources, and ejaculation means that more energy has to be expended.

Note how I didn't say orgasm- in men and women, orgasm can be divided from ejaculation (and YES, women can ejaculate..).

Ah, good links mendel.

So, now in my 'personal' experience, I can pretty much vouch that I've never had even a moment during orgasm or ejaculation that I was unconscious- either validated by partner or simply put- no loss of time continuity.

So, IMO, my answer is 'it's different for everyone'. Some may lose consciousness, other's may not.
posted by id at 1:29 PM on August 9, 2005

Sperm production takes quite a bit of our energy and resources, and ejaculation means that more energy has to be expended.

I believe you may have made that up. I don't have a cite, but I pretty sure that sperm production uses no more energy than producing any other kind of cell (which is happening all the time all over your body, just look at someone's 5 O'Clock shadow). And ejaculating isn't any more, and potentially less, energetic than throwing up. The point is, sex can be energetic and orgasm does usually signify the end of that energy exercise (much to the dismay of many a woman). Most men do feel strangly sleepy and lethargic after orgasming, but I think this is more hormonal than physical. I've thrown out a lot of conjecture here, and that's what it is - conjecture. I just don't want anyone thinking id was stating fact, unless he/she would like to back it up. Logic says they are mistaken.
posted by qwip at 6:52 PM on August 9, 2005

There is a belief, (I’m not sure of the origin) that postulates that orgasm is a manifestation of the “pure energy” that is the universal energy that some refer to as God. I believe that the original poster is referring to this concept. I also believe the original poster is referring to a moment when during a persons orgasm, their subconscious is communing or connecting with this energy.. I think that is where the unconscious part is coming from.
posted by neodem at 7:12 PM on August 9, 2005

Hmm...when I read this, it reminded me of the supposed reason people say "god bless you" when you sneeze. (That your heart stops or you "die" for a moment) Maybe there's *some* sort of connection?
posted by edjusted at 12:05 AM on August 10, 2005

Some magik ceremonies involve orgasm as a key component. Whether because it gets the wizard laid or because it enhances the magik, I couldn't say. Perhaps a bit of both?
posted by Goofyy at 2:04 AM on August 10, 2005

Qwip-

The various cells that compose your body regenerate and grow at different rates. Sperm, for example, take 74 days to fully gestate and become mature spermatazoa. Your brain cells? They rarely split and grow.

Different cells with different functions take different materials to generate and become what they become. Logic may lead you to believe that every cell in your body is one and the same, but that's far from the truth.

Now, after the process of ejaculation, a chemical called oxytocin is released, which causes the refractory period most, if not all, men are familiar with. [source]

This occurs no matter how you do it- masturbation or by sexual intercourse. However, because orgasm can be seperated from ejaculation, it's quite possible to continue having sex without the refractory period. Wanna find out yourself?

Try the following: As you get close to climax, locate the 'million dollar point.' This is a spot approximately 1-2 inches up from your anus towards your penis, in the area commonly refered to as 'the taint'. If you press in a bit, you will note that there is a spot where you can discern a hollow, or depression, which is framed by the back of a muscle (I believe it's the keigel.). If you push on this spot, with only a subtle amount of force, you will prevent ejaculate from coming out during orgasm. You will still feel the typical pleasure and muscle contractions, but you will not come. Afterwards, you'll notice a major difference- your refractory period will be either gone, or noticeably shorter.

This is a Tantric training trick, to help divide orgasm from ejactulation. Also, note that this causes no harm to your body, nor pain. It simply prevents the ejaculate from leaving- everything will be reabsorbed into the body.

So, I say that ejaculation takes up more energy because it has a noticeable effect on our lifespan- sperm is expended, instead of reabsorbed. A study at the University of Arizona determined that worms had shorter lifespans when they had to manufacture more of their sperm. Corroborate this with thousands of years of Eastern Tantric texts that say the same occurs in humans (although we know that an anecodote is not fact, if you have hundreds of anecdotes, enough is enough). There is a definite effect.
posted by id at 3:43 AM on August 10, 2005

Again, fascinating answers, that mostly answered my question. But id said...

"So, now in my 'personal' experience, I can pretty much vouch that I've never had even a moment during orgasm or ejaculation that I was unconscious- either validated by partner or simply put- no loss of time continuity."

What I'm talking about isn't a loss of time. I'm talking about this: "while you are coming, at the apex of the orgasm, for a slpit second you are unconscious--does this happen?' That was the question, and it has nothing to do with actually losing any amount of time due to being unconscious.

But thank you all, for some insight.
posted by Lockeownzj00 at 9:55 AM on August 10, 2005

A loss of concscious, no, but a loss of ego, yes. There is a moment during intense orgasm that brings your perception to a very non-dual place; the illusion of seperate existance falls away and you are left with an experience of the reality of oneness.

This is a state described by many as 'nirvanna' or 'enlightenment' even 'samadhi bliss.'

The technique that id pointed out can be practiced so that this moment becomes expanded into an experience that is distinct from what most call orgasm.

Some people say this is why sex is so addictive. People are always looking for this single moment.
posted by dhammala at 3:23 PM on August 10, 2005