Phase 1 Clinical Trial on Orgasmic Meditation (Om): Assessing Safety and Feasibility as a Meditation Practice for Individuals with Ptsd

Abstract

BackgroundWe measured the safety and efficacy of a treatment protocol that includes Orgasmic Meditation (OM), 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. Practitioners of OM have reported that this practice triggers a mystical state and that it is distinct both from typical sexual engagement and other forms of meditation (Siegel, et al., 2021). Furthermore, they report that OM is distinctly different from typical sexual engagement and other forms of meditation (Siegel, et al., 2022).MethodsApproved by Advarra Pro00061665. The study involved 28 participants (14 pairs), who were recruited based on residence in the Massachusetts area, being in a relationship, and having no history of practicing OM. Twenty-three of these participants identified and scored as having PTSD symptoms (PCL-5 scores > 31). Participants were instructed to perform the OM practice a minimum of 12 times over a 4-week period and met weekly with the principal investigator to determine if any safety issues were manifesting. A series of surveys (Daily: Tumescence Survey and OM journal. Baseline and weekly: PCL-5. Baseline, completion and follow up: Eudaimonia assessment, PHQ-9, Gad-7, BIPF, and OM perception survey at) were administered to measure the results.Results47% improvement in PTSD scores Average score decreased from 60 to 28. Average score across 23 participants rate 4.9/5 that OM is safe.ConclusionThese results suggest that Orgasmic Meditation may be safe for this traumatized population, and may ameliorate symptoms of PTSD. Further research appears to be warranted to determine the efficacy of OM in treatment of PTSD .

Note:
Clinical Trial Registration Details: This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier NCT05577377.

Funding Information: This study was supported by the Institute of OM Foundation, which provided funding for the research. The funding organization had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interests: For this study, Daniel Kriegman was hired as a consultant for the Institute of OM Foundation, a nonprofit that supports research on Orgasmic Meditation, and the study was designed and performed at the foundation's request. Caroline Griggs also received compensation directly from the foundation during the execution of this study. Rachel Pelletier, Caroline Griggs, and Caryn Roth have been trained to teach Orgasmic Meditation and have personal experience with the practice; however, none of them received compensation for teaching Orgasmic Meditation during this study.

No other conflicts declared.

Ethical Approval: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, as appropriate to the research. Advarra IRB is registered with OHRP and FDA under IRB#00000971. All participants received a digital copy of an Informed Consent Form, which was signed prior to admission into the study.

Keywords: Well-Being, PTSD, Meditation, Safety, Treatment