Auditory/Brain "Orgasm" ?

Lianad

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I know this sounds strange, but it's actually a serious question. I'll try to explain as best as I can.

Ever since I can remember, well, at least for the past 25 years or so I will completely randomly get what I have termed a "brain orgasm". This has absolutely nothing to do with genitalia, the "orgasm" is just the best word I can use to describe the feeling.

Here is what happens in a nutshell. While listening to certain sounds, which in the past have always consisted of a person's voice, or most recently sounds my cat makes while grooming, I'll start to get this weird tingly feeling in my brain, eventually, if I focus long enough on the specific sound, I get the most euphoric and satisfying feeling in my brain.

For years I've tried to pinpoint what exactly is causing it, but it appears so random that I can't put my finger on it. I'm wondering if anyone else can relate to my I'm describing, or possible, if there is actually a diagnosis for this euphoric state I could read up on?

Couple of answers before you ask:
  • No I do not do drugs and have never been on drugs during the experiences
  • The voice that might cause it, can be a voice I've heard hundreds of times before and had no reaction to. (i.e. in school a teachers voice would one day trigger it, at work a coworker one day might trigger it etc)
  • From memory, I believe when it comes to voices, more male than female voices have brought it on
  • Most times it happens, I never reach "climax" (ha ha) as the sound will stop prematurely. I can remember many a times where I was consciously thinking "please don't stop talking!" when the feeling came on
  • The cat sound referenced above is the sound one of my cat makes while grooming itself/biting it's nails. Obviously a completely different sound than a human voice.
Overall I'm wondering if it is 100% completely random, or if there IS some pattern to it, tone, pitch etc. It obviously is based on auditory stimulation, but there simply does not seem to be any stand-out pattern between cases.

This is obviously something I'd like to "master" and understand more, so I'm open to any thoughts or suggestions you might have.
 
Sounds like a visit to a neurologist might be in order. Science Friday just interviewed Oliver Sachs, the author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat.

He's a neurologist who has written extensively on the strange problems that people in the medical field are familiar with, but almost no one else is.
A fairly common one is a sort of "cross wiring" that results in being able to "smell" sounds or "see" music.

Sounds like this might be a related situation.
 
A fairly common one is a sort of "cross wiring" that results in being able to "smell" sounds or "see" music.
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Bikewer I just googled Oliver Sachs and will definitely look into some of his publications. It definitely does seem interesting, I take it you're saying maybe in some sense my brain is "feeling" the sounds?

David, they are so random and rare, I'd say honestly, maybe 1 every other month now adays, so they really don't affect me or distract me in my daily life. When I was a kid they were much more frequent. I honestly can't remember if I get headaches afterwards but I don't believe I do. I do know lately I've had some really bad migraines off and on and I did have my latest episode in question during this time.
 
Are you sure it is associated with sound? It never happens in silence?
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I'm 99% sure it has never happened in silence before. Although there might be one case somewhere that was (hence the 99%).
 
Definitely go see a neurologist. I doubt someone on an Internet forum will be able to give you a satisfactory answer.
 
Definitely go see a neurologist. I doubt someone on an Internet forum will be able to give you a satisfactory answer.
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Thanks for the comment Rebecca.

I guess I just never considered it a big deal, but always one of those weird "things" that happened. After finding this forum I figured this would be a good place to at least ask about it as there are many well educated people here. I was hoping maybe there was a simple explanation, or someone had heard of it before.

I really don't think I'm going to go to a neurologist over it as it isn't a problem, just something I wanted to understand better.
 
Lianad,

Well, the problem is that your chakras are slightly out of order. You need a chiropractor to put them back in alignment and give you a brain enema to wash out the toxins - oh, wait wrong forum :o
 
Well, the problem is that your chakras are slightly out of order. You need a chiropractor to put them back in alignment and give you a brain enema to wash out the toxins - oh, wait wrong forum :o
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LOL thanks for the chuckle. Are you sure I shouldn't be looking into some homeopathic medicine though?
 
Lianad said:
Here is what happens in a nutshell. While listening to certain sounds, which in the past have always consisted of a person's voice, or most recently sounds my cat makes while grooming, I'll start to get this weird tingly feeling in my brain, eventually, if I focus long enough on the specific sound, I get the most euphoric and satisfying feeling in my brain.
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Under similar circumstances I get a strong tingling in the back of my head and down my spine. It usually happens with music with which I have a strong emotional attachment. It does not happen with simple sounds. It has happened ever since I can remember.

As others have said, I think you should see a neurologist, just in case it is an indication of epilepsy or something like that.

~~ Paul
 
I think I've experienced something similar though only with music. The best example so far has been from Of Montreal, Cato as a Pun starting at second 18. The effect is better with earbuds but the sample above works fairly well in the car if I let myself focus on it, it has to be pretty loud as well. There isn't much tingeling, 'brain orgasm' is a pretty accurate term.
 
I get feelings something like yours when I eat chocolate only not as intense as you do. Chocolate really does make me feel a bit happier and I read recently that it does affects parts of your brain.Only some people can be affected by this.
I eat chocalate every day, my favourite is dark chocolate with at least 70% co-coa.
 
Petra10 said:
I eat chocalate every day, my favourite is dark chocolate with at least 70% co-coa.
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The chocolate company headquartered in my town now makes a chocolate with 97.5% cocoa. Surely we can use this to produce multiple orgasms.

~~ Paul
 
As others have said, I think you should see a neurologist, just in case it is an indication of epilepsy or something like that.
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Interesting, please educate me in this as I'm completely uninformed. What part of what I mention could be related to epilepsy or a sign of some "trouble"? I thought people had mentioned that advice simple because they thought it bothered me, which it doesn't, but now I'm starting to think you're all saying my symptoms could be the sign of something wrong?
 
What they are saying is this could be evidence of a simple partial seizure. Some patients have "auras" before they seize. In some very mild and minimal forms of epilepsy, all that happens is the aura itself. Some people smell bananas, some people hear a funny noise or feel a strange sensation. And, that's it. RARELY, this can be a harbinger of later worsening seizures.

Me? I'm more like Paul. Occassionally, I can here an incredible piece of music that gives me a warm, euphoric feeling. For a while (sometime ago), it was the "Daybreak" score in Ravel's "Daphnis and Chloe." Once I listen to the piece enough, I lose the ability to feel that sensation. Most recently, it was the song "Jacksonville" by Sufjan Stevens.

If you only feel euphoria, consider yourself lucky. If you're actually worried, try to figure out what triggers it, see a Neurologist, and get an EEG.

-Dr. Imago
 
Lianad said:
Thanks for the comment Rebecca.

I guess I just never considered it a big deal, but always one of those weird "things" that happened. After finding this forum I figured this would be a good place to at least ask about it as there are many well educated people here. I was hoping maybe there was a simple explanation, or someone had heard of it before.

I really don't think I'm going to go to a neurologist over it as it isn't a problem, just something I wanted to understand better.
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Lianad, I sent your OP past Steve Novella (a neurologist), who said:

Almost certainly a seizure. Some seizures can be triggered by specific tones or sounds, and seizures that involve the "pleasure center' can be exactly as she describes. She should see a neurologist to rule out an underlying problem.
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So, I'll just restate my 1st response and say (whether for your health or curiosity), please see a specialist on this.
 
A) please see a specialist, just in case. It is very cool, but not normal, and if it is a seizure, you really want to know.

B) with Sacks's new book (specifically about music, but more generally about sound), I think he would probably be interested in your story himself.
 
Mercutio said:
A) please see a specialist, just in case. It is very cool, but not normal, and if it is a seizure, you really want to know.

B) with Sacks's new book (specifically about music, but more generally about sound), I think he would probably be interested in your story himself.
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Okay, I'm not disagreeing with you guys. But, what if she sees a specialist and he highly recommends putting her on medication? Hypothetical, but possible. Then what should she do? Just get a second opinion? How about talking about it with her primary care provider first? Let him/her get a good history and help decide what to do next.

Also, find your trigger, Lianad. If you can pinpoint your trigger, then you'll get somewhere. If not, seeing a specialist probably may not be very fruitful, unless you have a specific EEG findings demonstrative of an underlying disorder. And, depending on your insurance coverage, this may be a very costly endeavor. I'm not trying to dissaude you from trying to figure this thing out, but you might want to start simple - especially since you haven't had any really serious symptoms over the past 25 years.

Just my $0.02. Actually, you're not paying anything for it and I'm not responsible for anything you decide to do (just so we're clear... see disclaimer below).

-Dr. Imago

P.S. Remember, I know how the "system" works.
 
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I'm no expert, but that sounds like a form of Synesthesia to me.

I agree with the rest of the folks on this thread that you should go see a neurologist about it.

--Tim Farley
 
Lianad said:
Bikewer I just googled Oliver Sachs and will definitely look into some of his publications. It definitely does seem interesting, I take it you're saying maybe in some sense my brain is "feeling" the sounds?

David, they are so random and rare, I'd say honestly, maybe 1 every other month now adays, so they really don't affect me or distract me in my daily life. When I was a kid they were much more frequent. I honestly can't remember if I get headaches afterwards but I don't believe I do. I do know lately I've had some really bad migraines off and on and I did have my latest episode in question during this time.
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You will want to talk to your GP, if that is the usual pattern. See if they want to refer you to a neurologist or just treat the migranes.
 
Wow, thanks again for the information everyone. I will definitely do some research after the holidays and see if my insurance would cover a neurologist visit ( I believe they do).

And for the record, I'm not sure how this got established in this thread, but I am a male so would appreciate not being referred to as a she in the future :D
 
Lianad said:
LOL thanks for the chuckle. Are you sure I shouldn't be looking into some homeopathic medicine though?
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Since the homeopaths believe that "like cures like", what are they going to prescribe in order to cure orgasms?

Mother Tincture I.L.F.?
 
How about reading up on Psycho Acoustics? The most basic definition is that it is the science of how sounds makes us feel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoacoustics

I can relate to your experience having spent a good deal of time trying to figure out the same thing. I noticed it first when listening to certain types of music. Typically for me I get the same effect when music has a tight repetitive pattern that evolves slowly over time, or when the combination of sounds interact a peak points during a piece, and I am able to reproduce those feelings of euphoria nearly every time if the setting is right...some times to the point of tear secretion.

Examples for me would be listening to Jeff Buckley's title track from his album Grace, pretty much anything by Beethoven, certain electronic tracks by Boards of Canada, or live tracks by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Silver Mt. Zion.

I can't say these examples would work for every one, however I do know of a lot of people who report similar things when listening to musical or vocal pieces.

As an experiment perhaps you would listen to a piece that I know provides me with this effect and you can see if it does the same for you? If you are interested go to the link and listen to TRACK 3 titled "American Motor Over Smoldered Field"...headphones are a help, or a nice volume level above the mid range point:
http://www.archive.org/details/asmz2005-06-16.mic.flac16

Typically for me, treating it as a sort of meditation helps achieve the effect greatly.

From my experience working in psychiatry and dealing with people who have had various brain ailments such as cancer, I know that the brain can produce some pretty amazing and or terrifying things...to use the brain tumor example...a person I have known reported hearing the sounds of ringing bells, radio static a low levels, and low frequency electrical noises, along with people talking as if in the background or over a radio. In the strictly psychiatric end all manner of auditory hallucinations and somatic sensations have been reported, although most are typically voices, sometimes of those familiar to them, and almost always carrying a negative connotation...like "your evil" or "you fat and ugly" or "kill yourself"....
 
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rebecca said:
Lianad, I sent your OP past Steve Novella (a neurologist), who said:



So, I'll just restate my 1st response and say (whether for your health or curiosity), please see a specialist on this.
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I second Rebbecca on this. It's one thing to chat on a forum about weird things you've experienced, but this sounds like maybe potentially it could be something like a seizure. In any case, rather than banter on it and have us go back and forth with what it may/may not be, see a doctor. We've established that it's potentially a problem, and when in doubt: see a doc. It may be nothing, but even for a doctor, an online text-based diagnosis is not gona cut it.

If you don't know a neurologist or neurological place to go, just call your GP or the student health center or whoever you go to and ask them to point you the right way. It sounds like this has been going on for a while, so it might not be real urgent, but you still ought to go the professional road sooner rather than later.
 
Paul C. Anagnostopoulos said:
The chocolate company headquartered in my town now makes a chocolate with 97.5% cocoa. Surely we can use this to produce multiple orgasms.

~~ Paul
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Name of chocolate company, town and chocolate...Please!!!!

Sorry to derail your thread Lainad but this is an emergency.
 
The sensations you describe, or something similar, are familiar to both me and my wife. In my case the trigger is musical: specific harmonic progressions or orchestral colours can bring on the effect. My wife can produce the "orgasm" almost on demand by controlling her breathing and putting herself into some sort of meditative state.

I've never thought of this as being a seizure or other illness: it's just something very pleasant, a sort of euphoria with no apparent side effects. Since it is not accompanied by any other symptoms, and it's something I have known for about 35 years, I doubt that it is the sign of an illness. I just enjoy it. Many musicians I've talked to have similar experiences. A deeply religious friend of mine has something similar happen when he prays, so of course for him there is no doubt as to the cause. ;)

A neurologist might do tests to rule out possible nasty causes such as brain tumours, but I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with you. With luck you might find a neurologist with a specific interest for such phenomena, who might be able to shed some light on what actually happens in a "brain orgasm". I've just started reading Oliver Sacks' Musicophilia: I'll report back here if I find he has described anything similar to this.
 
I vaguely recognise this. I was once forced to ask an older woman what a hot flush actually felt like. Since I'd been led to believe they were unpleasant, and, well.... She gave me a description that certainly did sound unpleasant, and capped it by saying, if you have to ask, you're not having them.

No, quite right, I wasn't.

Rolfe.
 
I wonder if any of this has something to do with a "popular fact" that I read somewhere (and of course it could be false) which says: "The brain cannot tell the difference bewteen a sneeze and an orgasm".

I laughed at first. Then later I remembered that sometimes when I get aroused really fast (And by really fast I mean that I get really excited all of a sudden), sometimes I sneeze. It's like the libido triggers a sneeze. Has anyone else experienced this?
 
Rolfe said:
I vaguely recognise this. I was once forced to ask an older woman what a hot flush actually felt like. Since I'd been led to believe they were unpleasant, and, well.... She gave me a description that certainly did sound unpleasant, and capped it by saying, if you have to ask, you're not having them.

No, quite right, I wasn't.

Rolfe.
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I've felt a hot flash once or twice. It was after I had tried to start the damn grill a bunch of times and the propane had pooled in it. It was something of a flash and it was most certainly very hot.
 
Ron_Tomkins said:
I wonder if any of this has something to do with a "popular fact" that I read somewhere (and of course it could be false) which says: "The brain cannot tell the difference bewteen a sneeze and an orgasm".

I laughed at first. Then later I remembered that sometimes when I get aroused really fast (And by really fast I mean that I get really excited all of a sudden), sometimes I sneeze. It's like the libido triggers a sneeze. Has anyone else experienced this?
Click to expand...

Sometimes I fantasize about having a cold while I fondle my nose and look at pictures of dust and pollen. But that's because I don't have a real virus in my life to be with at that time :-(
 
Paul C. Anagnostopoulos said:
Under similar circumstances I get a strong tingling in the back of my head and down my spine. It usually happens with music with which I have a strong emotional attachment. It does not happen with simple sounds. It has happened ever since I can remember.

As others have said, I think you should see a neurologist, just in case it is an indication of epilepsy or something like that.

~~ Paul
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That's interesting. I get the same thing, it's with music, almost always music I have a strong emotional attachment to of one kind or another, and the tingle in the back of the head and down the spine is the signature of it for me. It can bring tears to my eyes.

As far as the epilepsy, that was my thought as well; I don't know if the term is current, but I was thinking psychomotor epilepsy or a variant, rather than one of the more well-known types. Definitely see a neurologist.
 
Ron_Tomkins said:
I wonder if any of this has something to do with a "popular fact" that I read somewhere (and of course it could be false) which says: "The brain cannot tell the difference bewteen a sneeze and an orgasm".

I laughed at first. Then later I remembered that sometimes when I get aroused really fast (And by really fast I mean that I get really excited all of a sudden), sometimes I sneeze. It's like the libido triggers a sneeze. Has anyone else experienced this?
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I've heard of something very like this before. Hopefully I'll remember what it was before long. But this is not the first time I've heard of it.
 
Your brain can't tell the difference between a sneeze and an orgasm?? Well if you can tell the difference, so can your brain...
 
me too

"Here is what happens in a nutshell. While listening to certain sounds, which in the past have always consisted of a person's voice, or most recently sounds my cat makes while grooming, I'll start to get this weird tingly feeling in my brain, eventually, if I focus long enough on the specific sound, I get the most euphoric and satisfying feeling in my brain."

This happens to me too. I'm 24 and I think it first started happening 12 years ago but it happens more and more all the time. Now it's about once a week. I'm not concerned but very curious as to the cause, especially because I believe it's neurological. For me it happens more often with female voices. I go into a trance-like state and it's so euphoric - I want to stay in it forever. It's a little similar to the sensation of someone softly playing with your hair - the tingling of the scalp except obviously this is inside my head. Additionally, after the person stops speaking the sound resonates for about 30 seconds and I feel tingly and so happy and calm and it really feels like I'm moving back slowly to reality.

I also don't know the cause, but clues for me are that it almost always happens when someone is speaking calmly to me. It has happened over the phone. It's been strangers as well as good friends but more often its people I don't speak to on a regular basis. Sometimes if I feel it coming on I can focus to make sure my brain gets to that good feeling. If there's a lot of background noise or something else distracting it's very difficult. When I respond to the person talking it doesn't break the spell but it does decrease the power of the feeling.

It's so great to have finally found someone who has this same experience! Now, did anyone ever figure out the cause? Lianad?
 
Yeah, this sounds familiar, but I can bring it about "on demand" if I'm in the right relaxed frame of mind, and am generally feeling pleasant. It's definitely not an orgasm, but it is a highly pleasurable tingling that starts at the back of the scalp and runs suddenly down the spine, often causing me to slightly hunch my shoulders and smile. There don't appear to be any negative side effects, and it certainly isn't pleasurable enough that I find myself becoming addicted to the situation.

Now real orgasms, that's a different story.
 
Furious Coder said:
Yeah, this sounds familiar, but I can bring it about "on demand" if I'm in the right relaxed frame of mind, and am generally feeling pleasant. It's definitely not an orgasm, but it is a highly pleasurable tingling that starts at the back of the scalp and runs suddenly down the spine, often causing me to slightly hunch my shoulders and smile. There don't appear to be any negative side effects, and it certainly isn't pleasurable enough that I find myself becoming addicted to the situation.
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I get the same sensation when I feel embarrassed, although there is no feeling of orgasm. I can also create the same tingling at will but its neither pleasant nor unpleasant.
 
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