Orgasmic Meditation (OM) is a structured attention training practice conducted between two people who follow a predefined set of detailed instructions. The practice involves one person gently stroking the clitoris of the other person for 15 minutes while both place their attention on the point of contact and notice what they feel. This is in contrast to sex or masturbation, which tend to be oriented around the goal of climax without any established structure or attention training protocol.
In OM, practitioners train to harness the power of sexual energy to supercharge their meditation, allowing access to mental and physiological states that are most similar to the states reached by long-term meditators or experienced by individuals taking psychedelics.
Research from MIT, Jefferson University, University of Pittsburgh, and others has demonstrated the profound potential impact and effectiveness of OM. We have found OM to be the fastest, most reliable, safe, and sustainable way to reach states of clarity, oneness, and enhanced intimacy with life that promotes human flourishing, or what is called Eudaimonia.
Here, we describe the OM practice, its intention, structure, benefits, and how to learn the practice.
An OM practice session involves a set of predefined steps:
Preparation
Stroking (15 minutes)
Integration
Preparation:
The practice session begins with a series of steps that lead up to the main stroking phase.
Stroking (15 minutes):
During this phase, one person gently strokes the clitoris of the other with their left index finger. Both participants focus their attention on the point of contact between finger and clitoris, noticing the sensations they experience.
Integration:
After the stroking period, participants share a moment of sensation to integrate and digest the experience.
Orgasmic Meditation provides participants with access to a powerful state of mind that is:
Sustainable
Replicable
Reliable
Relatively Expedient
The steps of the practice are designed to ensure safety and ease for both participants throughout the entire process.
A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that the mental state achieved during Orgasmic Meditation is similar to a profound mystical experience, with a brain signature resembling that of meditation.
Orgasmic Meditation provides practitioners access to mental and physiological states that promote human flourishing. Science is discovering that arousal plus meditative contemplation produces long-term, sustained changes in one's primary disposition that may both increase resilience and facilitate the conversion of traumatic experience into what has most recently been referred to as "post-traumatic growth."
Current research on the healing effects of psychedelics is finding that entry into a mystical state is the key to the puzzle. The mystical state is associated with:
Increased Clarity
Surrender
Sense of Oneness
New Perspective
Scientific research on OM indicates that one of the best ways to access a mystical state may be the pairing of sexual arousal with mindful concentration.
A 2021 peer-reviewed, IRB-approved study examined the mystical experiences of 780 OM practitioners:
62% of practitioners reported having had a mystical experience during an OM
The power of these experiences was measured using the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30)
Results were compared to a study examining the effects of psilocybin mushrooms (Siegel & Emmert-Aronson, 2021)
Researchers found that participants ranked their mystical experiences in OM at the same level of potency as those who took the second-highest dose of psilocybin in that study.
Mystical states are currently a hot topic of investigation in the scientific community as their healing benefits are becoming increasingly accepted, and the substances that induce them are edging toward legalization across the country to treat symptoms of various conditions, including:
Depression
PTSD
Anxiety
Addiction
Emotional Numbness
In another study looking at brain connectivity in participants who had practiced OM, Dr. Andrew Newberg, the Research Director at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University, observed that how OM affects certain regions of the brain more closely resembles brain patterns seen in meditation than sexual activity (Newberg, Wintering, Hriso, et al., 2023).
Newberg says, "As with these findings in sexual climax, the current study of the OM practice did show significant changes in functional connectivity in the cerebellum and orbitofrontal cortex in the males, but most of the significant changes in functional connectivity were not in areas specific to orgasm."
In OM, the various combinations of variables are referred to as strokes, which we perceive in terms of tactile sensation at the point of contact between finger and clitoris. These variables include:
Pressure
Speed
Length
Direction
Location
You might find resonance with different strokes at different times during the practice. For example:
A firm, slow, medium-length, downward-inclined stroke on the left side of the clitoris for a period of time.
A light, medium-speed, medium-length, upward-inclined stroke on the same spot a few moments later.
Unlike a violin, where the strings always produce the same tones, the tactile experience of stroking a clitoris is ever-changing. This is because:
The clitoris is connected to the nervous system of a human being.
It engorges, expands, and contracts, becoming firmer or softer.
It changes dimensions and pliability throughout the experience.
This presents an ever-varying tactile surface that can be felt by both partners while neither has any control over it.
The practice rests on both participants placing their attention on the point of contact where the clitoris meets the finger. It's this staying present with a dynamically shifting object of attention that puts the "meditation" in Orgasmic Meditation. Simply sitting and breathing does not mean you're meditating; it's the attentional aspect that defines the practice.
The clitoris has more than 8,000 nerve endings—the highest number of any body part, compressed into an organ the size of a pencil eraser. Each nerve carries sensory feedback to the brain, and with this much sensitivity, the clitoris is primed for subtlety and feeling each nuance.
The tip of the finger is the most dextrous part of the human body—the part with the finest motor control available.
When these two body parts make contact, the potential for resonance is infinite. In OM, we practice attunement between finger and clitoris, learning to tune in our senses and pay attention to what we feel; for example:
When to go faster
When to go slower
When to be firm
When to be gentle
Practicing attunement in an OM lets us apply these skills to the rest of our lives, ultimately learning to meet anything life brings us with resonance.
The concept of the "container" in OM is fundamental to the integrity and effectiveness of the practice. It consists of a set of unchanging rules that define how the meditation is conducted.
The prescribed steps of OM must be followed in order and without omission.
No reciprocation between participants, meaning each role in the OM is engaged solely for its own purpose without expectation or promise of any return or reward.
The stroking portion of the practice is always 15 minutes long.
The stroker remains fully clothed while the strokee is undressed from the waist down only.
The stroker must wear gloves.
Each element of the container is designed to address one or more aspects of our vigilant minds by removing the potential that something unwanted or surprising might occur. For instance, it offers a time limit to the stroking portion of the OM, so we don't have to think about whether it has gone on longer than we'd like it to. The container allows our mind to gradually release its alertness, freeing up a tremendous amount of attention.
Without the need to be alert for changes in the environment, the mental energy typically reserved for this vigilance can be redirected. Participants can refocus their attention inwardly, enhancing their awareness of their own internal experiences and the subtle interplay of sensations during the practice.
This shift away from external monitoring to internal observation allows for a richer, more nuanced engagement with the meditation. Participants can delve deeper into their sensory experiences and inner states, free from the distraction of having to adapt to unexpected changes. They become more attuned to the dynamics of the interaction with their minds and bodies, fostering a more profound experience.
Additionally, the container is key to maintaining the purity and focus of the practice. By preventing deviations such as romantic gestures or modifications to the prescribed format it ensures that the core objectives of OM are not undermined.
Orgasmic Meditation involves genital stroking, which superficially resembles a sexual act, but the intention, step-by-step protocol, and neurological results clarify that OM is vastly different from sex.
Research by Siegel and Emmert-Aronson (2019) shows that a sample of 220 practitioners overwhelmingly consider OM to be more akin to meditation than to sex.
Seasoned practitioners were even more inclined to view OM as a meditation practice (Siegel & Emmert-Aronson, 2019).
Imaging studies by Newberg and colleagues (in preparation) found specific changes in brain regions commonly associated with meditation, such as the parietal lobe and parts of the default mode network, which are not typically active during sexual encounters.
According to findings using the Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ30), OM sessions often lead to feelings of mysticism, transcendence, and a profound positive mood, which are characteristic of deep meditative states rather than sexual activities (Siegel & Emmert-Aronson, 2021).
Over 60% of participants in a 780-person sample experienced a "complete mystical experience" during an OM session as defined by the MEQ30, comparable to the effects of the second-highest dose of psilocybin in another study.
Research by Prause, Siegle, and Coan (2021) showed that OM increases emotional closeness and positive emotions more significantly among non-romantic partners than among romantic ones.
Participants with high levels of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported increased sexual arousal and positive emotions following OM, a notable deviation from the typical negative impacts these individuals experience in sexual scenarios (Prause, Cohen, & Siegle, 2021).
In summary, while OM might initially appear similar to sexual activities due to its physical aspects, its primary alignment with meditation, both in intent and effect, clearly distinguishes it from sex. This distinction is well-supported by participant perceptions, a growing body of neurological data, and the quality of experiences during OM practices.
In addition to sex, other activities are clearly not OM. Due to the sensitive nature of the practice, we lay many of these out explicitly. When we OM, each partner overtly opts-in to holding the container described above and practicing good form. The "form" of the practice refers to how practitioners conduct themselves in and around the practice; for example, how we do what we do inside the container in terms of intention, behavior, and technique.
Falling out of the form is not always the same as breaking the container, though both matter greatly to the integrity of the practice. Deliberate or accidental, each practitioner is responsible for their actions in and education surrounding the container and form.
Adding any additional steps or skipping steps of the predetermined steps of OM, such as massaging thighs during an OM, deliberately adding time to the 15 minutes, or skipping the grounding pressure step.
One partner taking on the position of "healer" or "therapist" during the practice, rather than both practitioners establishing equal footing.
Overt reciprocation—one partner deciding to OM with the other to get something from them later.
One partner being untrained and thus unaware of what an OM is and is not.
The stroker not being fully clothed or the strokee removing more than just her bottom garments.
Substances being used during the experience.
Romantic elements such as sexy lingerie, candles, gifts, or eye gazing as part of the experience.
Stroking anything except the glans of the clitoris.
Making sexual advances during the OM.
None of the above are an OM.
The intention used with the practice also determines the benefits one receives from it. While it's technically possible to physically complete the practice steps, the intention is crucial. The following are examples of intentions at odds with the spirit of the practice that will eventually undermine any potential benefits of OM as it's taught properly:
Deliberately stroking for the goal of climax.
Using the allure and/or offer of OM as a method of picking up sexual partners.
Using OM as a means of reinforcing a false sense of dependency on men or women.
The strokee moving her hips to get the stroke she wants.
Recent scientific studies and practitioner experiences have highlighted numerous benefits of Orgasmic Meditation (OM). These benefits include improved well-being, increased energy, enhanced closeness and connection, and potential interventions for substance and mood disorders.
OM increases positive emotions while decreasing negative emotions
Researchers note that OM is unique in expanding emotional range, unlike other modalities that may limit emotional range (Prause, Cohen, & Siegle, 2021)
OM increases closeness, demonstrating that closeness is not dependent on being in a relationship
Practicing OM more frequently may lead to lasting effects of closeness (Prause, Siegel, & Coan, 2021)
The practice generates a mystical experience without the use of any substances
Scientists speculate that OM may be effective in the treatment of mood and substance disorders (OM and MEQ; Siegel & Emmert-Aronson, 2021)
Both strokers and strokees report the following benefits:
Greater experience of their own emotions and sensitivity
Deeper intuition and empathy
A sense of deeper connectedness with the world around them
Being more in touch with their bodies
Better communication in moments of high-intensity
Ability to better handle conflict
Feeling more vitality, energy, and free attention
Ability to break unhelpful interpersonal patterns and forge more functional relationships
These benefits represent some of the intermediate states that ultimately lead to Eudaimonic well-being, a life of human flourishing.
For those wishing to learn the practice, training in OM is available through the following channels:
iOS app: 'OM App: Partnered Meditation' found on the iPhone app store, om.instituteofom.com for the web-app version suitable for Android users.
Website: Institute of OM
Live course taught in-person by OneTaste
Online course through The Eros Platform
Offered by a certified OM trainer from the Eros Coaching Collective: ErosCoachingCollective.com
Note: Certified OM trainers will never be present with clients while clients are OMing. All training is done verbally and/or via fully clothed demonstration either in person or via telecommunication.
Suitable for both new and advanced practitioners
Covers nuances and subtleties of the practice, such as mastering the spots, speeds, strokes, and pressures
The official, unabridged supplement to training in Orgasmic Meditation that includes a step-by-step breakdown of the practice and answers many FAQs about the practice
Available at ErosPlatform.com/container and in the back of *The Eros Sutras, Volume 3: Orgasmic Meditation
The practice of OM trains the attention and harnesses sexual energy, opening the door for practitioners to heightened states of consciousness. From this place, we can access Eudaimonia or human flourishing. Orgasmic Meditation is the most effective way we've found to reach this state.
Its structured container, emphasis on attunement and sensitivity in the body, and focus on one dynamic point bring out the strengths of meditation while also tapping into the power of sexual energy. While genitals are involved, OM is distinct from sex, and a host of benefits—such as clarity, oneness, and more intimacy with life and others—emerge for both participants.
