Episode 309: What Happens In The Brain During An Orgasm? (Essential Listen)

14 snips

Jul 12, 2024

Dr. Barry Komisaruk, expert in brain during orgasms, discusses the science of orgasms. Topics: brain activity during orgasms, nipple-induced orgasms, multiple orgasms, and diverse ways people experience orgasms. Exploring pleasure-pain pathways, imagery-induced orgasms, thought-induced orgasms, and nerve sensations in non-genital areas.

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ANECDOTE

Crowdsourced Non-Sexual Orgasms From Vibration

Thousands replied to a PostSecret post describing orgasms during exercise and vehicle rides, often from friction or vibration.
Examples included horseback riding, biking, and enjoying truck suspension vibration in tight jeans.

ANECDOTE

Tattoo Pain Followed By Pleasure Triggered Orgasm

A participant reported orgasming during a painful tattoo when the artist rubbed gel on the foot afterward.
The juxtaposition of intense pain followed by pleasure produced an unexpected orgasmic response.

INSIGHT

Pain And Orgasm Share Neural Pathways

Orgasm and pain activate many of the same brain regions and autonomic responses, revealing an intimate neural connection.
Severing the pain (spinal-thalamic) pathway can abolish orgasm even when touch remains intact, showing shared mechanisms.

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Did you know that July 31 is National Orgasm Day? That’s right—there’s actually a holiday dedicated to the big O! Unfortunately, we don’t get the day off of work, but we’re going to celebrate anyway. In commemoration of National Orgasm Day’s impending arrival, we’re going to be talking all about orgasms today.

In this show, we’re going to revisit one of my favorite conversations on the topic: my interview with Dr. Barry Komisaruk which originally aired back in 2022. Barry is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University-Newark. He has published more than 180 research articles and has co-authored and edited five books, including “The Science of Orgasm,” which has been published in 7 languages.

Some of the topics we explore include:

How is an orgasm defined scientifically?
What’s really happening in the brain during an orgasm?
Do orgasms feel the same or different across genders?
Why do some people experience orgasms from nipple or other non-genital stimulation?
Can you teach yourself to have multiple orgasms?

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University has been a trusted source for scientific knowledge and research on critical issues in sexuality, gender, and reproduction for over 75 years. Learn about more research and upcoming events at kinseyinstitute.org or look for them on social media @kinseyinstitute.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest