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Some "sex magic" practitioners assert that it is possible to achieve a higher state of consciousness, "eroto-comatose lucidity", through basically making one fall asleep through too much sex.

Eroto-comatose lucidity

Eroto-comatose lucidity is a technique of sex magic known best by its formulation by English author and occultist Aleister Crowley, but which has several variations and is used in a number of ways by different spiritual communities. A common form of the ritual uses repeated sexual stimulation (but not to orgasm) to place the individual in a state between full sleep and full wakefulness as well as exhaustion, allowing the practitioner to commune with their god.

While I do believe that this practice is adopted, I am fairly skeptical of the following claims:

  • that this is a reliable method for achieving a particular mind state (in comparison to e.g. meditation)
  • that the state achieved is anything different from other mind states achieved via deprivation or extreme exhaustion
  • that sex is even necessary at all

Have any studies been performed on the matter?

Wertilq
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Sklivvz
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  • **Note**: this question was asked as part of the "[topic of the week](http://meta.skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/1371/topic-of-the-week-weapons)" initiative to raise our questions per day stat. Please contribute some great questions! – Sklivvz Feb 12 '12 at 14:34
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    I did some extensive reading into Mr. Crowley some time ago. He just likes teh sex. – jdstankosky Nov 01 '12 at 14:49
  • This claim is false. Sleeping is actually a lower level of consciousness, not a higher one. – Kenshin Apr 03 '13 at 00:01
  • States between full sleep and full wakefulness certainly exist -- lucid dreaming, partial dreaming, sleep dystonia while awake, sleepwalking. For some people, sex may be a way to provoke one of these. I don't think there's anything especially mystical about any of them, having had experience with several, but then I don't think there is anything mystical about life in general? I can certainly see how someone who was inclined that way could convince themselves that partial-dream hallucinations were mystic visions. But, yeah, Crowley seems more interested in the excuse for sex. – keshlam Nov 14 '16 at 01:29

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