Scientists from Charles University in Prague reported the case of a 33-year-old woman who developed the ability to reach orgasm without genital stimulation after tantric training. The research was published in the journal sexual medicine.
Orgasm is a complex reflex that activates neurochemical pathways in the brain and spinal cord, usually with stimulation of the genitals (bottom-up stimulation). The new study involved a 33-year-old woman who improved her ability to reach orgasm and control its duration without genital stimulation (top-down stimulation). The woman practiced yoga for ten years, starting because of the relative difficulty with vaginal orgasm, vaginismus, and pain during sex.
The scientists took blood samples from the patient before, during and after spontaneous orgasm, which lasted five to ten minutes. The woman also provided subjective ratings for different types of orgasms using the Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS).
Prolactin hormone levels increased by 25% and 48% after a 5 or 10 minute orgasm and remained higher than baseline 30 minutes after orgasm. Prolactin fluctuations prove that the woman has an orgasm. It also means that “tantric” orgasms cause the same physiological changes as normal orgasms.
Other previous research has reported that some people experience orgasms during sleep or after exercise. Some women can experience orgasm just by having sexual fantasies. Men and women with paraplegia also occasionally report “ghost” orgasms.