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Cited by 112Sexual function and dysfunction studiesSexuality, Behavior, and TechnologyPain Management and Placebo Effect

Physiological correlates of imagery-induced orgasm in women

Whipple, Beverly, Ogden, Gina, Komisaruk, Barry R.·1992·Archives of Sexual Behavior
DOI 10.1007/bf01542589
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Abstract

Orgasm has been reported to occur in response to imagery in the absence of any physical stimulation. This study was undertaken to ascertain whether the subjective report of imagery-induced orgasm is accompanied by physiological and perceptual events that are characteristic of genitally stimulated orgasm. Subjects were women who claimed that they could experience orgasm from imagery alone. Orgasm from self-induced imagery or genital self-stimulation generated significant increases in systolic blood pressure, heart rate, pupil diameter, pain detection threshold, and pain tolerance threshold over resting control conditions. These findings provide evidence that orgasm from self-induced imagery and genital self-stimulation can each produce significant and substantial net sympathetic activation and concomitant significant increases in pain thresholds. The increases in the self-induced imagery orgasm condition were comparable in magnitude to those in the genital self-stimulation-produced orgasm condition. On this basis we state that physical genital stimulation is evidently not necessary to produce a state that is reported to be an orgasm and that a reassessment of the nature of orgasm is warranted.

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Crossref · 10.1007/bf01542589

Cites

22 of 22 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Claims other papers make about this one

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  • A number of studies have shown that pupil dilation closely mirrors sexual interest or reward value.

    “A number of studies have also shown that pupil dilation closely mirrors sexual interest or reward value (Hess and Polt, 1960;Whipple et al., 1992;Laeng and Falkenberg, 2007;Bijleveld et al., 2009).”

    From Oxytocin enhances pupil dilation and sensitivity to 'hidden' emotional expressions (2013) · cites this paper as Whipple et al., 1992

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Related

Authors
Whipple, B., Ogden, G., & Komisaruk, B. R.
Affiliations
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
ORCID
Komisaruk, Barry R.
Venue
Archives of Sexual Behavior
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
1992-04
Volume
21
Issue
2
Pages
121-133
ISSN
  • 0004-0002 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2800
DOI
10.1007/bf01542589
OpenAlex
W2023501962
Cited by
112
References
23
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 6
FWCI
0.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Archives of Sexual Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Pain Management and Placebo Effect
Keywords
female orgasm, sympathetic activation, blood pressure, heart rate, pupil size, pain detection threshold, pain tolerance
MeSH terms
Adult, Arousal, Blood Pressure, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Imagination, Libido, Masturbation, Orgasm, Pain Measurement, Reflex, Pupillary, Sensory Thresholds

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