Prompt Cast
The Science Behind Orgasms: What Happens in the Brain
TLDR Orgasms involve a complex interplay of nerves and brain activity, with messages being sent from the genitalia to the brain through large nerves like the vagus nerve. The brain releases dopamine during orgasm, teaching us that certain activities feel good and should be repeated, and specific brain regions are activated during orgasm, with some differences between men and women.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
This podcast episode discusses what happens in the brain during an orgasm.
04:31
Orgasms begin in the genitalia and end in the brain, involving a lot of nerves and sensitivity in both male and female genitalia.
08:47
During intercourse and at climax, messages are sent through large nerves to the brain, including the vagus nerve which bypasses the spinal cord, telling the brain that the experience feels great and should be repeated.
12:49
Paraplegic individuals can still experience orgasm because the vagus nerve bypasses the spinal cord and sends messages to the brain.
17:29
The reward center in the brain releases dopamine, which teaches us that certain activities feel good and we should do them again, and specific areas of the brain, such as the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, play a role in sexual arousal and pleasure.
21:22
The study found that there are few differences in the brains of men and women during orgasm, but there are differences in brain regions activated, such as the pericaductal gray in women and decreased activity in the amygdala and hippocampus, which makes sense given the need for trust and relaxation in women to enjoy sex, and the insular cortex, which is associated with pain.
25:33
SSRIs can cause anorgasmia by decreasing dopamine production in the brain, but once people wean off of SSRIs or take other drugs that increase dopamine production, anorgasmia usually goes away; however, there is still a small percentage of people who are unable to achieve orgasm even after dopamine production is restored.
30:25
Scientists have observed that some women can have orgasms just from imagery alone, with their brain lighting up in MRIs, and there are also reports of people feeling orgasms in phantom limbs after amputations.
34:51
The female orgasm is still a mystery, with one theory suggesting it may be an evolutionary remnant that served a purpose in the past but is now endangered and growing extinct.
39:14
Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman from the 40s or 50s, unknowingly donated her cells to science, which became the basis for numerous scientific breakthroughs and pharmaceutical research, yet her family received no compensation.
Categories:
Society & Culture
