Expanded sexual response, tantra and the limits of female potential

Introduction:

Female orgasm and female “peak experiences” have been well documented in the ancient historical literature of the Far East and India (Vatsyayana, 1883; Chang 1977, 1983; Wu, 1996; Schwartz, 1999; Chia 2002, 2005; Mumford, 2005; Michaels 2008).

Eastern cultures had tried to discover the limits and extents of female orgasmic response for centuries (Wu, 1996; Chang, 1977, 1983) unlike the Western cultures, where, for centuries, pleasure and orgasm of females were accepted as a “sin” and were not regarded as acceptable as they were in the Tantric Indian or Taoist Chinese cultures.

Taoism in China, regarded the human body as an indispensable part of the existing nature or the “Tao”; this holistic view of human philosophy, led ancient Chinese medicine to discover many other details of the human body, as well as the sexual response, which was an important function of the human physiology and which was not regarded as something to be intimidated of.

Catholic, Jewish and Protestant cultures, as well as Islamic societies, for centuries, perceived female pleasure as something bad, evil and satanic, while coitus was only a means to produce babies. Cultures of the Far East, regarded corporal pleasure of male and female, as a healthy and vital function of the natural body.

Human sexual physiology was investigated by objective scientific methods after the sexual revolution during 1950’s in the West. Kama Sutra, when translated by Sir Richard Burton, was immediately banned in England in the 19th Century. Some pioneering scientists, such as Dr. Havelock Ellis, Dr. Sigmund Freud, Dr. Wilhelm Reich, Dr. Alfred Kinsey, Dr’s William Masters & Virginia Johnson, Dr. Beverly Whipple, Dr. Barry Komisaruk had to challenge the norms of the society to take large paces and even jumps, before human sexuality, in the West, was started to be regarded as a normal and crucial function of the human physiology.

Today human sexual physiology is investigated by using very sophisticated techniques, such as f(MRI) and modern physiology and recording techniques. Europeans and the West, has been re-discovering the Eastern views and aspects of human sexual physiology during the last 60-70 years.

Today, even the concept of Tantra, in the West, has a bad reputation due to many biases and social & cultural prejudices, while the name of “Tantra” has been utilized and abused by many charlatans and commercial sex dealers. The concept of “Tantra” has been investigated by scientists and academicians, in objective scientific terms, since 1990s; but, still it is not understood properly and it is usually misinterpreted.

The aim of this review article is to present some of the latest findings and concepts about human sexuality and female orgasm, such as expanded sexual response (ESR) which has strong historical correlations of the Tantric cultures or Far East.

Tantric and Taoist Ways of Love:

In Tantra and also in Taoist Way of Love making, for centuries, prolonging the sexual pleasure of the women was regarded as an essential approach; old Chinese Taoist prescription for male sexuality was also defending males to prolong intercourse for a couple of hours, while, according to Chinese medicine men, losing semen was a bad habit or losing the “yang energy”.

In Tantric rituals also, the men and women were encouraged to prolong love making session, as well as the intercourse, without having an orgasm (especially for men).

In both Eastern cultures men were advised not to ejaculate before the women experienced many multiple orgasms. (Vatsyayana, 1883; Chang 1977, 1983; Wu, 1996; Schwartz, 1999; Chia 2002, 2005; Mumford, 2005). A similar trend was existent in old Greek, Roman and Hellen cultures; particularly in the Dionysian Cults. During Dionysian rituals sexuality and female orgasm was encouraged to be prolonged (Sayin, 2014-b).

The Nature of Female Orgasm Expanded Sexual Response (ESR):

Female orgasm is a neuro-psychological response and peak experience that results from the accumulated sexual tension, sexual stimulation, arousal and internal sexual build up, which is accompanied by neural and psychological discharge.

As Masters & Johnson, Hartman & Fithian investigated in the laboratory conditions, female orgasmic response is complemented by the contraction of some voluntary and involuntary musculature, such as vulva, vagina, uterus, pelvic floor muscles (PFM), some of body muscles (leg, abdomen, pelvic muscles etc.) (Masters & Johnson, 1966; Sayin 2010, 2012-a).

Some researchers have described female orgasm as (Mah & Binik, 2001):

• Neurohormonal reaction of smooth muscle organs and contraction of homologues of ejaculatory muscles (Campell and Peterson, 1953).

• Spastic vaginal contractions occurring at highest tension levels (Glenn and Kaplan, 1968).

• Reflexive sensory-motor response involving genitopelvic contractions (Kaplan, 1974)

• Reflexive sensory-motor response to sexual stimulation (Kline-Graber and Graber, 1975).

• Release of vaso-concentration and myotonia from sexual stimulation (Masters & Johnson, 1966).

• Altered states of consciousness (Davidson and Davidson, 1980).

• Involuntary reflex action accompanied by uterine / vaginal contractions (Reubens, 1982).

• Psychic phenomenon, a sensation (cerebral neuronal discharge) elicited by the accumulative effect on certain brain structures of appropriate stimuli originated in the peripheral erogenous zones (Alzate, 1985).

• Complex experiences of genital changes, changes in skeletal muscle tone/semi-voluntary movements, cardiovascular / respiratory changes (Bancroft, 1989).

• Sudden, intense sensation just prior to genitopelvic contractions (Hite, 1976).

• Acme of sexual pleasure with rhythmic convulsions of the body of perineal/reproductive organs, cardiovascular and respiratory changes, release of sexual tension (Schiavi and Segraves, 1995).

• Orgastic potency; capacity to surrender to flow of biological energy; capacity to discharge the dammed-up sexual excitation through involuntary, pleasurable convulsions of the body (Reich, 1973).

When we look at the nature of female orgasm, although there are similar patterns to male orgasm, it seems to be very different than male ejaculation depending upon the woman experiencing it. In a classical single female orgasm, there seems to be different patterns contributing the bodily changes (Sayin, 2012-h):

• Whole body changes: tachycardia, elevated blood pressure, hyperventilation, sweating, extension of some muscle groups (e.g. legs and feet), muscle tension, ‘sex flush’, vasodilatation at the cutaneous arterioles and increased venous blood pounding etc.

• Genito-Pelvic changes: erection of clitoral complex and glans clitoris, enlargement of G-Spot area and urethral sponge, lubrication, involuntary contraction of vagina, uterus and cervix, voluntary-involuntary contraction of pelvic floor muscles (PC-muscles), involuntary contraction of anal sphincter etc.

• Psychological changes: Relief of tension, discharge feeling, decrease of anxiety, happiness, euphoria, relaxation, fulfillment, subjective feeling of getting rid of electrical and muscle tension, altered states of consciousness (ASC) etc.

As measured by Masters & Johnson, the contraction duration of genito-pelvic area occurs at 0.8 second intervals (Masters & Johnson, 1966).

Although males have a refractory period after one orgasm, or ejaculation, to become erect again, it has been well documented that females have the capacity to continue having multiple climaxes if they are stimulated continuously and properly (Schwartz 1999; Bodansky, 2000; Taylor 2000, 2002; Komisaruk, 2006; Sayin 2010, 2012a, 2014, 2015).

As described by Masters & Johnson, some women can attain an orgasmic state which may last for 43 seconds, coined as status orgasmus (Masters & Johnson, 1966).

In some women who have developed ESR; EO, multiple orgasms and status orgasmus can vary in duration and in number of minor orgasms they contain in the train of the long orgasmic pattern.

Lately, such prolonged orgasms and the methods how to attain them have been published in many books and articles (Rhodes, 1991; Schwartz 1999; Bodansky, 2000; Taylor 2000, 2002; Komisaruk, 2006; Sayin 2010, 2011a-c, 2012a, 2014, 2015; Deadone, 2011). We have defined status orgasmus as (Sayin, 2010, 2011c, 2012a-b-h, 2014, 2015);

Status orgasmus is the continuous form of blended orgasms and/or clitoral/vaginal orgasms that last for starting from 1 minute to 10-15 minutes (or more). During status orgasmus a continuous orgasmic state is experienced and very few women are believed to achieve status orgasmus state, e.g. less than 1 % of the whole female population.

Status orgasmus can be seen in vaginal and clitoral orgasms, however mostly it is seen as an expanded/extended form of blended orgasms, in which both clitoral and vaginal orgasm reflexes are triggered at the same time. Similar orgasmic states and full body orgasms are also defined in Tantric literature.

The duration may change from woman to woman. Status orgasmus was first defined by Masters & Johnson as lasting for 43 seconds in a woman in 1966. Today it is estimated that status orgasmus continues for 1 to 2 minutes, while it may last for 10 to 15 minutes, a prolonged and extended orgasmic state which ends by a giant orgasm (Big-O) that gives a great relief and satisfaction at the end.

In most of the status orgasmus experiences there is usually a refractory period of 10 to 15 minutes. The number of minor orgasms in a status orgasmus may exceed from 5-10 to 20-30 (some women claim that this quantity goes up to around 50). In status orgasmus it is thought that any combination of pudental, pelvic, hypogastric and vagal nerves mediate the triggering mechanism at the same time.