Episode 3: Why Good Sex Matters and the Neuroscience of Pleasure

In this episode of the podcast, I interview Dr. Nan Wise, a cognitive neuroscientist, certified sex therapist, and Associate Research Professor at Rutgers University. Dr. Wise just published a fantastic new book titled “Why Good Sex Matters: Understanding the Neuroscience of Pleasure for a Smarter, Happier, and More Purpose-Filled Life.” We cover a wide range of questions and topics, including: What exactly is “pleasure?” Why are we experiencing less pleasure today than we used to? How can we get more pleasure in our sex lives? Is the answer different for men and women? Dr. Wise has conducted neuroscience research on women’s orgasms. How does one go about studying this in the lab? Is it challenging to find participants who are willing to masturbate to orgasm in an fMRI machine? (The answer might surprise you!) What are the key things Dr. Wise has learned from the women in her research who were willing to “donate their orgasms to science?” Enjoy, and be sure to check out Dr. Wise’s new book Why Good Sex Matters! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: LEGIT Audio (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos and book covers used with guest permission.