currentsinbiology:

Orgasm is all about rhythmic timing, according to new research paper

“Synchronization is important for signal propagation in the brain,
because neurons are more likely to fire if they are stimulated multiple
times within a narrow window of time,” Safron said. “Otherwise, the
signals decay as part of a general resetting mechanism, rather than sum
together. This then caused me to hypothesize that rhythmic entrainment
is the primary mechanism by which orgasmic thresholds are surpassed.”

Safron said this research could be relevant for improving sexual
functioning, encouraging people to focus more on the rhythmic aspects of
sexuality.

“The idea that sexual experiences can be like trance states is in
some ways ancient. Turns out this idea is supported by modern
understandings of neuroscience,” Safron said. “In theory, this could
change the way people view their sexuality. Sex is a source of
pleasurable sensations and emotional connection, but beyond that, it’s
actually an altered state of consciousness.”

Safron found parallels between sexual climax and seizures as well as with music and dance—something he wasn’t expecting.

In both orgasm and reflex seizures, rhythmic inputs into
high-bandwidth sensory channels resulted in an explosive process after
certain stimulation thresholds were surpassed.

“And although obvious in retrospect, I wasn’t expecting to find that
sexual activity was so similar to music and dance, not just in the
nature of the experiences, but also in that evolutionarily,
rhythm-keeping ability may serve as a test of fitness for potential
mates.”

He said this is consistent with the fact that rhythmic song and
dances are nearly universal parts of mating, going back hundreds of
millions of years to our common ancestors with pre-vertebrate animals
such as insects.

The article appeared in the journal Socioaffective Neuroscience and Psychology’s special issue “Orgasm: Neurophysiological, Psychological, and Evolutionary Perspectives.”