"La petite mort", from French: Small death, is an expression meaning "short loss or weakening of consciousness / consciousness". The first use to denote "orgasm" is thought to have been made for the first time in 1882. Today, it is also used to describe "the post-orgasmic state of consciousness that some people have had after some sexual experience".
Speculations about its origin are several:
- Greco-Roman belief that excessive secretion of body fluids would lead to death.
- Islamic references that describe sleep as "small death" etc.
Spiritual / philosophical meaning of "little death"
Philosophers have suggested that this statement speaks of the "psychological loss" suffered after sex. The idea lies in the fact that orgasm causes not only a physical liberation, but also a spiritual liberation. Others argue that "la petite mort" refers to something more real: The idea that an orgasm brings us a little closer to death. Of course, the cultural link between death and sex existed long before "la petite mort" entered the French lexicon.
Aristotle believed that orgasms made women incapable of conceiving children. Throughout history, from medieval times to the Victorian era, doctors feared that one's life force could be "consumed" by having sex. Thankfully, none of these beliefs turned out to be true.
The "little death" in fact, is a beautiful proof that we are still alive, in every sense!
Source: Urban Dictionary, Refinery 29
