Ask the Japanese. オルガスムス

Who say that orgasming is like dying and going to heaven.

Or the French, who call orgasm le petit mort, or the little death.

Apparently, death was often used as slang or a pun for orgasm in poetry and plays from the medieval period onwards.

For something as life-affirming as pleasure, it makes me wonder.

Why did Aristotle believe that orgasms made women incapable of carrying children? Why have many cultures believed that every orgasms is a drain of personal energy and longevity?

Heck, even my Partner and I joke that when I make him cum, I am stealing his life force.

And I think I have a clue. It’s the idea (or the fear) that anything that feels this good must come at a terrible price.

And when put that way, isn’t that mighty puritanical of us?

But regardless of that, there is something to it, in one sense.

For many humans born with female sexual organs and characteristics, deep orgasms (versus practical ones, like a DJ-to-sleep event) actually happen when the higher thinking parts of the brain shut down, and leave only the non-logical primal parts functioning.

Which can be pretty freaking scary to think about.

Heck, most humans in the middle of rut, interrupted would be pretty confoozled, but those who have shut down their brainy bits to really GO THERE, would be a much greater risk of harm.

So, there’s that as well.

I can attest that when I’ve had some pretty serious pleasure, that I cannot think straight for a good time after, while I come back to myself.

I’m in a vulnerable place.

Sometimes, I’m even hallucinating, at least as well as I understand that term.

So, I get it, to a certain extent. And so did Nick Van Eede with Cutting Crew.

The words “I just died in your arms tonight” allegedly came to Van Eede while he was having sex with his girlfriend.

I asked that question, “How is an orgasm like dying?” Of myself, and this is what I came up with.

Now, I ask you. Is there anything in your experience of orgasm that feels like death?