La petite mort

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La petite mort, French for "the small death", is a reference for sexual orgasm. The term has generally been interpreted to describe the post-orgasmic fainting spells[1] or unconsciousness some lovers experience.

More widely, it can refer to the spiritual release that comes with orgasm, or a short period of melancholy or transcendence, as a result of the expenditure of the "life force".

See also

References

  1. The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 21, 1952, No. 2. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 34:353

Further reading

  • Psychobiology of altered states of consciousness, Psychological Bulletin 2005, Vol. 131, No. 1, 98-127
  • Orgasmic aura originates from the right hemisphere, Neurology 2002;58:302-304

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