Non-sexual orgasms can occur unexpectedly without engaging in sexual activities, as documented in a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Sexual Health. The study reported 687 self-reported incidents of non-sexual orgasms, triggered by various activities such as brushing, exercising, breastfeeding, driving, listening to music, getting a tattoo, giving birth, and even urinating.
The process of experiencing an orgasm is quite complex and involves the brain. Orgasms are typically a response of the brain to physical or emotional stimuli. When the body becomes aroused, the brain increases blood flow to the genitals, leading to enlargement and the secretion of fluids. This process is accompanied by an increased heartbeat, intensified breathing rate, muscle tension, and heightened nerve activity. All these signals are sent back to the brain, resulting in an orgasm.
Interestingly, sometimes the body can mistake non-sexual situations for sexual stimulation, leading to an orgasm. For example, a fast-beating heart and intensified breathing due to a tense situation might trigger the body to perceive it as sexual stimulation, resulting in an orgasm.
The researchers behind the study noted that orgasms can encompass various forms and are not always limited to sexual or genital events. They proposed that orgasms should be viewed as a set of neuropsychological processes rather than solely associated with sexual or genital experiences.
Non-sexual orgasms can be experienced in a variety of unexpected ways, as reported by individuals. Some examples include getting a haircut, smoking weed, engaging in painting, using drugs like cocaine, receiving massages or rubs on the head, back, or shoulders, cleaning ears with a cotton bud, kissing, writing exams, experiencing tense or emotional events, participating in exercises such as hiking, swimming, dancing, running, yoga, push-ups, walking, squatting, leg lifts, marching, rope climbing, and tree climbing.
Additionally, non-sexual orgasms can be triggered while traveling by bus, rail, car, motorbike, airplane, or bicycle, playing music, encountering turbulence in an aircraft, reading, urinating, defecating, giving birth, breastfeeding, eating, brushing teeth, or even through the power of imagination. These examples demonstrate the wide range of experiences that can induce non-sexual orgasms in individuals, further highlighting the complex nature of orgasmic responses.