La petite mort
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The little death is a translation from the French "la petite mort", a popular reference for a sexual orgasm. The term has generally been interpreted to describe the postorgasmic fainting spells some lovers suffer from. Also it can refer to the spiritual release that comes with orgasm, or a short period of transcendence, an expenditure or spending of life force.
Speculations to its origin include current connotations of the phrase, including to sleep
- Greco-Roman belief that the oversecretion of bodily fluids would "dry out" one of the believed four humours, leading to death
- Islam's reference to sleep
Popular culture
- Lemony Snicket lists "la petite morte" as an example of a French phrase in The Carnivorous Carnival.
- Goldfrapp have a song called "Little Death" an unreleased song from there debut Felt Mountain.
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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