4 Brave Men Reveal What An Intense Male Orgasm Feels Like
Here's what it's like for guys.
Unsplash: jiangxulei1990 In our quest to find out what exactly goes on in a man's head and body when he ejaculates during sex or masturbation, we started by laying out some facts we already know:
For starters, the male orgasm tends to be significantly shorter and more intense, and is typically experienced no more than once per single sexual encounter.
On the flip side, if properly stimulated, women can experience a series of multiple orgasms with little recovery period necessary.
Additionally, male ejaculation unleashes a rush of drowsy chemicals in the brain — norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, nitric oxide and prolactin — making it next to impossible for men not to feel sleepy after sex.
What does a male orgasm feel like? Do intense orgasms differ drastically between people of different sexes or genders?
With these scientific facts established, we next asked a few bona fide penis-owning individuals to put the feelings and physical sensations they experiences during those few seconds of orgasmic bliss into words.
What we found was that the question is a downright hard one to answer. Asking men to explain the male orgasm was akin to asking them to describe the color orange.
Regardless, we managed to cull a few truths.
This what four brave men say the best, most intense male orgasms feel like, whether they happen while masturbating or having sex.
1. The brain shuts off, and a moment of clarity arises.
Andrew, a 30-year-old computer programmer, said that during sex he's in a trance-like, robotic state. While he's physically there, his mind wanders into deep passion-fueled forests that, if asked about, are just as ephemeral and hard to explain as the orgasm itself.
But afterward?
"Everything makes sense for a split second," he said. "Like I'm seeing things clearly for the first time. That to me is the most powerful thing about orgasm — the moments afterward."
2. The intensity varies depending on how long he holds out.
Paul, a 23-year-old actor, says his most intense and earth shattering climaxes happen after he's reached the edge and held out a few times.
"There's a difference between just letting loose when you first feel the urge and challenging yourself to hold out." he said. "I'm a million times more exhausted after I've stopped and kept going."
3. During sex with a woman, it feels like transferring energy.
Adam a 27-year-old set designer says his orgasms are different depending on whether he's having sex or masturbating. Masturbation for him results in an orgasm out of necessity, but when he comes inside a woman, he explains it as an almost spiritual experience.
"I feel like I'm passing the core of my soul to someone," he said. When we thought he couldn't be serious, he concluded, "Not to be cheesy, but it's like sharing your energy with somebody. Being so close to someone during a very vulnerable period."
4. Women's orgasms are indeed longer — and possibly better.
Wes, a 26-year-old advertising copywriter, reiterates the already known fact that the male orgasm is inherently shorter than a female's. It also doesn't seem to be quite as euphoric.
"My girlfriend seems to experience her orgasm in lingering waves," he said. "Ours isn't like that. We have a very intense three- to five-second burst, if that, and then our entire body goes numb. It feels good, but I get the feeling hers are better."
Melissa Noble is a freelance writer and frequent contributor for YourTango.