Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDuring ForeplayDuring ArousalBefore OrgasmDuring OrgasmAfter OrgasmTakeaways
Table of ContentsView All
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Table of Contents
During Foreplay
During Arousal
Before Orgasm
During Orgasm
After Orgasm
Takeaways
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Most of us have a lotgoing on in our headsduring sex. But it’s not just all those thoughts and feelings bopping around in our heads—what’s actually going on at the neurological level can have a big impact on your sexual experiences.
The term ‘mind-blowing orgasm’ exists for a reason—it isn’t just a physical experience. While our body is being stimulated, our brain is being stimulated as well. This leads to the increased release of certain neurotransmitters, includingdopamine, oxytocin, and norepinephrine.
At a Glance
What Is a Brain Orgasm?
The Brain During Foreplay
Before things even start heating up, the brain and body are already coming alive. The genital sensory cortex, thepart of the brainresponsible for communicating back and forth with the genitals, begins firing.
Penfield’s homunculus (aka cortical homunculus) theory suggests that each of us has a “little man” in our brains, that is, a person within ourselves.According to this theory, the neurons in each body part of the “little man” map with the neurons in our bodies.
In women, the clitoris, vagina, and cervix each activate slightly different parts of the brain. The perineal (groin) region is also stimulated in the process of stimulating the clitoris, vagina, or cervix, something that was only discovered recently.
Since each of these parts can lead to orgasm on its own, combining stimulation in more than one of these areas can lead to a more intense orgasm. Men can only achieve orgasm from the penis, meaning there are also fewer areas of the brain affected/lit up than in women.
What Are the Mental Health Benefits of Orgasms?
The Brain During Arousal
As things start to get more heated, touch leads to arousal and the front medial lobe of the brain turns on. This is the part of the brain that is responsible forinitiating sexual behavior.
Depression is associated with a blunted reward signal in this same part of the brain,which may explain whysexual dysfunctionoccurs in people with depression.
Meanwhile, the continued stimulation activates the hippocampus, which manages our memories. So, we may associate certain sights and smells with past sexual encounters or fantasize about past encounters to turn up our arousal levels. This part of the brain also assigns emotional significance to the incoming erotic stimuli.
Theamygdala, which governs both thefight-or-flight responseand human sexual drive,starts getting involved as one becomes more aroused. It acts as a sexual control center. Once stimuli are assigned an emotional relevance, they are then communicated to the prefrontal cortex, which modulates sex drive.
The amygdala is so important to sex drive that lesions on it can lead to abnormalhypersexual states. This is what occurs with Kluver-Bucy syndrome.
The Brain Right Before Orgasm
As we approach orgasm, it’s not just our genitals that are active. Ourcerebellum—the part of the brain that controls our body’s movements—sends signals to our thighs, glutes, and abs to begin tensing.
The frontal cortex also joins in on the fun pre-orgasm. This part of the brain is associated with planning and more abstract thought. Therefore, it may be responsible for our mind wandering tosexual fantasiesjust before we reach orgasm.
During this stage, the anterior cingulate cortex, which is thought to be involved in modulating pain, also turns on.Its orgasmic role is to inhibit pain so that all we feel is pleasure.
The Brain During Orgasm
Several things happen to the brain during orgasm. For instance, climaxing turns off the part of the orbitofrontal cortex that is responsible fordecision-making, which can lead to feeling out of control.This may result in seemingly involuntary sensations like screaming louder than intended at the time of climax or just feeling more daring in bed.
Once it’s game time, severalneurotransmittersjoin the party. They include oxytocin, dopamine, and vasopressin.
Oxytocin
The hypothalamus releasesoxytocin, a feel-good bonding hormonecreated in the pituitary gland during sex and then released in the hypothalamus. This causes uterine contractions in females.
Fun FactIn men, the part of the hypothalamus related tosex driveis 2.5 times larger than it is in women,providing a biological explanation for why it seems like men have sex on the brain more than women—because they literally do.
Fun Fact
In men, the part of the hypothalamus related tosex driveis 2.5 times larger than it is in women,providing a biological explanation for why it seems like men have sex on the brain more than women—because they literally do.
This gland plays a role in releasing other hormones as well. It also regulates body temperature (important as things get hot and heavy)and manages sexual behaviors.
Dopamine
During orgasm, dopamine is released from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the brain,which communicates with other areas to assess how well our human needs are being satisfied. Associated with pleasure and desire, thisfeel-good hormoneacts on the reward system in the nucleus accumbens—the same area associated with drug addiction andPavlovian responses.
If the VTA has assessed that these needs have been met, it will send dopamine to the nucleus accumbens to reinforce the motivation to keep seeking these feelings of desire. The path between the nucleus accumbens and VTA is known as the “reward circuit.”
This is why just seeing our partner or one specific movement might lead to orgasm—because our body is conditioned to know what’s next and want it.
Vasopressin
Vasopressin may also be responsible for feelings of possessiveness experienced after sex as its biological function is to developattachment. However, it may also be responsible for feelings ofaggression.
The Brain After Orgasm
Orgasm signals the parasympathetic nervous system to shut down,calming the body. The brain also pumps out serotonin, which is responsible for good mood, relaxation, and post-sex drowsiness which can make us want to nap.
Both men and women may release oxytocin, though women typically release more of the feel-good, connecting hormone.Oxytocin may help relieve pain, potentially helping to reduce headaches after sex or reducing pain fromrougher (consensual) sex.
Sex isn’t just a physical experience (although, let’s be honest, that’s pretty important, too)—it’s a mind-body experience that involves a complex array of neurological processes. From the release of dopamine that gives you a rush and makes sex feel so rewarding to the flood of oxytocin that helps you feel a deepersense of connection and love, what’s going on in your brain is the key to how your body feels.
Understanding what’s happening in your head can give you greater insights into the science of sex, but it’s also important to remember that every person’s experience is different. That’s why it’s important to communicate with your partner to enjoy ahealthy, happy sex life.
How Important Is Sex in a Relationship?
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Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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