Altered States of Consciousness Occurring During Expanded Sexual Response In The Human Female: Preliminary Definitions
Ü. Sayin
December 9, 2011 DOI: 10.14704/nq.2011.9.4.486 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preliminary survey |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 47 |
| Population | Women reporting Expanded Sexual Response (ESR) |
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness |
| Key findings | In 47 women with ESR, 72 distinct subjective feelings and altered states of consciousness were described during very intense and prolonged orgasms, including depersonalization, out-of-body experience, mystical experience, and unification with the partner or universe. The authors hypothesize that blended activation of four nerves and six neurochemical pathways may induce these states, but state the mechanism is not yet explained. |
Abstract
Expanded Sexual Response (ESR) is a recently defined phenomenon. It is defined as “being able to attain long lasting and/or prolonged and/or multiple and/or sustained orgasms and/or status orgasmus that lasted longer and more intense than the classical orgasm patterns defined in the literature”. During our detailed preliminary survey to investigate the claimed ESR phenomenon in some particular women, we also investigated the subjective feelings and altered states of consciousness (ASC) during very intense and prolonged orgasms in the women with ESR. During our preliminary survey 72 types of different subjective feelings and ASC patterns were described in the 47 women with ESR. Among these were: depersonalization; out of body experience; flying; dying feeling (petit morte); ecstasy; rapture; explosion feeling; quivering, earthquake feeling; flooding; absorbing; spurting; blessed; shuddering; intense love; unreal; surreal; voyage to nature; seeing light flashes, color flashes, geometric shapes, figures; peacefulness; physical and spiritual warmth; loss of control; spreading; flowing; mystical experience; unification with the partner and/or the universe; de ja vu; crying etc. It is concluded that in some particular women with ESR, some of the very intense and prolonged orgasms induce a form of ASC of which mechanism is not explained yet! Pudental, pelvic, hypogastric and vagus nerves and oxytocin pathway is involved in the development of female orgasm. We hypothesize that blended nerve activation among these four nerves during ESR may be inducing extraordinary subjective feelings and ASC during profound female orgasms. “Four nerve and six pathway theory of female orgasm” may explain the ASC during ESR to some extent. Also involvement of dopaminergic, serotoninergic, noradrenergic, opioid, prolactinergic and oxytocinergic pathways may modulate the altered mood states during ESR induced ASCs. More research to determine the scientific basis and parameters of ESR phenomenon in some females should be carried out, as well as the research on the neurological, psychological and neurochemical mechanisms of ESR induced ASC’s in some females’ psyche.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on altered states of consciousness, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science Meditators | 2018 | Cross-sectional online survey | n = 1,120 |
| Altered states of consciousness and hypnosis in the twenty-first century | 2005 | Survey and commentary | |
| Naturalistic use of psychedelics is related to emotional reactivity and self-consciousness: The mediating role of ego-dissolution and mystical experiences Adults with varying histories of psychoactive substance use, including 1661... | 2022 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 2,516 |
| Salvia divinorum use and phenomenology: results from an online survey. Recent users of Salvia divinorum | 2011 | Survey | n = 154 |
| Examination of the Phenomenology of the Ibogaine Treatment Experience: Role of Altered States of Consciousness and Psychedelic Experiences. Individuals who used ibogaine in the past | 2017 | Retrospective survey | n = 27 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- A Comparative Review of the Neuro-Psychopharmacology of Hallucinogen-Induced Altered States of Consciousness: The Uniqueness of Some Hallucinogens NeuroQuantology June 1, 2012
- Does the Nervous System Have an Intrinsic Archaic Language? Entoptic Images and Phosphenes NeuroQuantology June 2, 2014
- Orgasmic Learning as a Treatment Framework for Female Orgasmic Disorder/Difficulty: A Review Using Perelman’s Sexual Tipping Point® Model Current Sexual Health Reports October 7, 2026
- Medicinal Plants with Psychoactive Properties: A Comprehensive Review Sciences of Phytochemistry July 12, 2026
- Mystical Love: The Universal Solvent Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2020