Self-forgetfulness, a facet of self-transcendence linked to altered states of consciousness, is associated with sexual desire and frequency. In 261 Portuguese adults, women's self-forgetfulness correlated with their desired frequency of intercourse and noncoital sex, while men's self-forgetfulness correlated with their actual frequency of those activities. These associations remained after controlling for openness to experience and relationship status.
Altered states of consciousness involving changes in the sense of self, time, and space are linked to sexual responsiveness. In a study of 116 subjects, greater body awareness and lesser awareness of time and space were associated with higher satisfaction, desire, arousal, and orgasm occurrence. For women, satisfaction, desire, and arousal were especially tied to reduced time awareness. Female orgasms during vaginal intercourse were related to greater body awareness and less time awareness, but orgasms from noncoital activities showed no such link. The findings suggest that attentional absorption during sex enhances sexual responsiveness, particularly in women, and to a lesser degree in men.