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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 post-orgasmic fainting spells^[1] some lovers experience. Also, it can refer to the spiritual release that comes with orgasm, or a short period of melancholy or transcendence, as a result of the expenditure or spending of "life force".
Speculations about the origin of the expression include current connotations of the phrase, including
to sleep

★ Greco-Roman belief that the over-secretion of bodily fluids would "dry out" one of the believed four humours, leading to death

★ Islam's reference to sleep

Contents

See also

References

Further reading

See also

★

★ Beautiful Agony

★ Mantak Chia

References

The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 21, 1952, No. 2. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 34:353
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