The researchers also cited some cases documented by scientists in the past, including orgasms induced by stimulating one’s knees, by using one’s imagination without any physical touch at all, or even by mundane activities like brushing your teeth. Yes, really. The cases were gathered from comments anonymously left under a post on a community art site called PostSecret. According to the paper, a user described having an orgasm during a workout, which prompted nearly a thousand others to chime in with similarly nongenital and/or nonsexual orgasm experiences of their own. Some of the most unexpected anecdotes: To answer that question, it’s important to consider what we know about what an orgasm actually is. Most sexually triggered orgasms are a head-to-toe experience. As the body is aroused, the brain sends more blood to the genitals (causing swelling, heat, and a flushed appearance), the heartbeat and breathing increase, your muscles tense, and your nerves kick into high-gear, sending information back up to the brain. MRI scans of the brain during orgasm have shown its pleasure and reward centers light up, as well as the areas related to sensory touch, muscle tension, memory and emotional regulation, unconscious body control, problem-solving, and even pain. Yes, it seems as though nearly the entire brain is involved—meaning so are the various parts of the body other than your genitals that these brain regions control. But the scientists behind this study—including Debra Herbenick, Ph.D., noted sex researcher and director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University Bloomington—emphasize that the cause of these physical reactions has not itself been researched in great detail. “Much of the research related to human sexual orgasm has focused on physical mechanisms of orgasm (e.g., stimulation of specific body parts and/or nerve pathways in the genital area),” they write. “Less is understood about how feelings such as joy, ecstasy, or love might act alone or in concert with physical stimulation to facilitate orgasm.” “Even in one specific sexual behavior such as penile-vaginal intercourse, it is unclear how much weight to give vaginal stimulation versus clitoral stimulation versus emotions or cognitions,” the researchers explain in the paper. “It is not obvious, during sex or apart from sex, the extent to which orgasms are caused by singular triggers versus a perfect storm of physical, mental, and/or emotional stimulation.” Analyzing the less common, nonsexual ways people described climaxing, the researchers found some orgasms that still came down to physical stimuli (for example, riding in a vehicle that’s particularly bumpy, causing a stimulation of the genitals, or a workout routine that particularly worked the abdomen area typically tensed during a genitally induced orgasm). Other orgasms, however, came from totally psychological experiences (like the feeling of intensity and passion I got when I looked directly into my partner’s eyes). “It may be that orgasm is not necessarily a sexual or genital event but may be better considered as a set of neuropsychological processes, with genital orgasms and/or sexual orgasms being some but not all of the kinds of orgasms available to humans,” the researchers write. “This analysis supports the idea that orgasm may be best considered a variably experienced neuropsychological process associated with diverse forms of stimulation including sights, sounds, tastes, textures, imagery, and/or pain and its relief.” An orgasm is your brain’s natural response to a certain set of physical, mental, emotional, and environmental stimuli. Keyword: natural. “Numerous people described feeling strange or unusual, or having never previously told anyone about their nonsexual/nongenital orgasms,” the researchers write. “Some commenters, such as the women worried about orgasms during breastfeeding, expressed comfort and relief after reading that others had similar experiences. Counselors, educators, midwives, and clinicians who are aware of the range of human orgasm can share this information with students and patients and help to normalize or contextualize their experiences.” Although these aren’t common ways to have an orgasm, there’s nothing inherently wrong or “dirty” about them. Here’s a comment from one of the users analyzed in this study that encapsulates just how important it is to shed some light on the seemingly endless variability of the human orgasm: “I am so fucking relieved to read that many women have orgasmed while breastfeeding. I have Very sensitive nipples [the only ‘odd’ orgasm I’ve ever had], and I have been Terrified and ashamed about what I will do in the future when/if I decide to have children. … I can feel an orgasm building just thinking about it. Talk about strange feeling. Sometimes it makes me feel like a pedophile. I saw someone write she will no longer breastfeed because of what I imagine is a similar feeling. But after reading all the comments, I think I’m okay with it happening because I know it is not in a sexual way. I guess I just needed to hear that it happened to others.” Moral of the story? Whatever flips your switch. With her warm, playful approach to coaching and facilitation, Kelly creates refreshingly candid spaces for processing and healing challenges around dating, sexuality, identity, body image, and relationships. She’s particularly enthusiastic about helping softhearted women get re-energized around the dating experience and find joy in the process of connecting with others. She believes relationships should be easy—and that, with room for self-reflection and the right toolkit, they can be. You can stay in the loop about her latest programs, gatherings, and other projects through her newsletter: kellygonsalves.com/newsletter
