Sex is anyway an interesting topic since it's a taboo. Taboos always attract huge interest. But what makes sex all the more interesting is the fact that it's an immensely pleasurable physical activity.
I did some thinking as to why sex is pleasurable and here's what I met with. Will try to put it systematically.
Physical pleasure and pain are the feelings interrelated in that they are created by the same mechanism. Furthermore, they serve the same purpose! Sounds weird? You might ask, how on earth can pleasure and pain be serving the same purpose? Well, in order to understand why certain experiences are pleasurable we will first see why certain stimuli cause pain.
The mechanism which produces the sensations of pleasure and pain is our nervous system.
Wikipedia says: "The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body."
In simple words, neurons are the cells that are spread across our body. They are present in almost all parts of the body. And their job is to face the stimuli and discharge appropriate impulses to the brain in order for it to "take action". The brain takes action by sending signals to the concerned organs to act in certain way.
Nature has a very special purpose for the way the nervous system works. And what could be more special a purpose than survival!
Just imagine what would happen if your nervous system didn't create sensations of pleasure and pain. If you plunged your finger into fire you wouldn't feel any pain. You would only see your finger changing shape! (And color!) Not surprising if it amuses you to see it! You wouldn't come to know that the fire is actually harming you and if you bathed in it then you will die! Sounds funny but do think about it.
The job of the neurons, therefore, is to let our brain know what experiences are harmful for our body and are to be avoided. When faced with those stimuli the neurons discharge such impulses to the brain which the brain interprets as pain and signals outright to the concerned body parts to retract. Not only that, the brain also registers the instances in the memory. So that when you see fire again you will already know that you are not to touch it.
Now you see? Pain is basically an indication that certain actions and experiences are to be avoided. In exactly the same way, pleasure indicates that certain experiences are to be had.
For example, when you are very hungry you feel unrest in your stomach. That's a pain. Thanks to the neurons doing their job well, it puts you out of ease. Why, otherwise you won't eat and consequently die! So, what happens is that neurons inform the brain that the body needs to eat something, and the brain sends signals for the concerned organs to look for food. When you eat, you feel good. The pleasure! The brain registers this entire experience so that the next time you see food you know that it's to be eaten! Taking the example further, suppose seeing the food you recalled the pleasure previously had, and to feel it now you eat food again but this time your body is actually not hungry. In such a case the food would harm your body, won't it? But here too the neurons play smart. They would send the impulses of stomach ache (or acid reflux, for that matter) to the brain and the brain would order you to stop eating. Again this experience would be registered. As a result of this whole exercise you exactly know when to eat and when not to.
Surprising how it works, isn't it? It was rather a simplified example. The system handles much more complex tasks. But you got the point.
As we understood, physical pleasure and pain are the sensations born of our nervous system. And the nervous system is designed basically to facilitate survival. From Nature's point-of-view survival is important so that the existence continues.
Here comes the important point. Besides "survival" of the existing life, another thing which is equally important for the existence to continue is "reproduction". Creation of the new life!
Reproduction is precisely the reason why Nature has placed pleasure in sex. And the pleasure felt is immense, because immensely critical is the activity of reproduction from Nature's standpoint.
Pleasure is an incentive Nature has placed in sex to make sure we have it. It means that if sex was not pleasurable then perhaps people would not have it. Because they wouldn't know on the first place why they have to have it! Consequently, reproduction wouldn't happen. So, to solve the problem Nature put pleasure in sex to "encourage" animals to have it. This way Nature has served its purpose of reproduction.
Nature has secured continuation of animal life on the planet through two activities, viz. "survival" and "reproduction", both of which are taken care of by our nervous system which does the job largely by creating sensations of pleasure and pain, apart from the other tasks it performs.
I did some thinking as to why sex is pleasurable and here's what I met with. Will try to put it systematically.
What creates pleasure and pain?
Physical pleasure and pain are the feelings interrelated in that they are created by the same mechanism. Furthermore, they serve the same purpose! Sounds weird? You might ask, how on earth can pleasure and pain be serving the same purpose? Well, in order to understand why certain experiences are pleasurable we will first see why certain stimuli cause pain.
The mechanism which produces the sensations of pleasure and pain is our nervous system.
Wikipedia says: "The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body."
In simple words, neurons are the cells that are spread across our body. They are present in almost all parts of the body. And their job is to face the stimuli and discharge appropriate impulses to the brain in order for it to "take action". The brain takes action by sending signals to the concerned organs to act in certain way.
Why nervous system creates sensations of pleasure and pain?
Nature has a very special purpose for the way the nervous system works. And what could be more special a purpose than survival!
Just imagine what would happen if your nervous system didn't create sensations of pleasure and pain. If you plunged your finger into fire you wouldn't feel any pain. You would only see your finger changing shape! (And color!) Not surprising if it amuses you to see it! You wouldn't come to know that the fire is actually harming you and if you bathed in it then you will die! Sounds funny but do think about it.
The job of the neurons, therefore, is to let our brain know what experiences are harmful for our body and are to be avoided. When faced with those stimuli the neurons discharge such impulses to the brain which the brain interprets as pain and signals outright to the concerned body parts to retract. Not only that, the brain also registers the instances in the memory. So that when you see fire again you will already know that you are not to touch it.
Now you see? Pain is basically an indication that certain actions and experiences are to be avoided. In exactly the same way, pleasure indicates that certain experiences are to be had.
For example, when you are very hungry you feel unrest in your stomach. That's a pain. Thanks to the neurons doing their job well, it puts you out of ease. Why, otherwise you won't eat and consequently die! So, what happens is that neurons inform the brain that the body needs to eat something, and the brain sends signals for the concerned organs to look for food. When you eat, you feel good. The pleasure! The brain registers this entire experience so that the next time you see food you know that it's to be eaten! Taking the example further, suppose seeing the food you recalled the pleasure previously had, and to feel it now you eat food again but this time your body is actually not hungry. In such a case the food would harm your body, won't it? But here too the neurons play smart. They would send the impulses of stomach ache (or acid reflux, for that matter) to the brain and the brain would order you to stop eating. Again this experience would be registered. As a result of this whole exercise you exactly know when to eat and when not to.
Surprising how it works, isn't it? It was rather a simplified example. The system handles much more complex tasks. But you got the point.
Why is survival important?
As we understood, physical pleasure and pain are the sensations born of our nervous system. And the nervous system is designed basically to facilitate survival. From Nature's point-of-view survival is important so that the existence continues.
Is "survival" the only important thing for the existence to continue?
Here comes the important point. Besides "survival" of the existing life, another thing which is equally important for the existence to continue is "reproduction". Creation of the new life!
Why there is pleasure in sex?
Reproduction is precisely the reason why Nature has placed pleasure in sex. And the pleasure felt is immense, because immensely critical is the activity of reproduction from Nature's standpoint.
Pleasure is an incentive Nature has placed in sex to make sure we have it. It means that if sex was not pleasurable then perhaps people would not have it. Because they wouldn't know on the first place why they have to have it! Consequently, reproduction wouldn't happen. So, to solve the problem Nature put pleasure in sex to "encourage" animals to have it. This way Nature has served its purpose of reproduction.
To summarize —
Nature has secured continuation of animal life on the planet through two activities, viz. "survival" and "reproduction", both of which are taken care of by our nervous system which does the job largely by creating sensations of pleasure and pain, apart from the other tasks it performs.
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