This post will be primarily talking about men, as there is not nearly as much known about sexual reflexes in women.
The spinal cord in men contains some reflex centers, including those which deal with getting/maintaining an erection and ejaculation. The center which is responsible for erections in men is located in the Sacral area of the spinal cord, whereas the Lumbar section of the vertebrae is responsible for ejaculation. A gentle caress on the thigh, somebody running their tongue up and down the side of your neck, nibbling on your ear or any form of erotic touching stimulate these areas (which is why men can get hard so quickly, because the message doesn't have to be transmitted to the brain, but simply to the spinal cord to elicit a reaction). Men with spinal cord damage might have difficulties with these two processes (not that they're impossible), but where the spinal cord deals with the physical aspects of the sexual response, it is the brain which is involved with the psychological aspect of sex (mainly desire and fantasy).
Men who are paralyzed and are unable to control themselves below the waist can still achieve an erection and ejaculate, but only through physical stimulation/erotic touching. As that portion of the spine is disconnected from the brain, however, somebody in a wheelchair would be unable to get or maintain an erection via fantasy alone (thinking about an erotic/sexy scenario). In normal individuals, though, both types of arousal are important when dealing with level of arousal (though this varies depending in the individual), and should be taken into consideration.
The areas of the brain responsible for sexual behavior are close to the olfactory center, which has been proposed as a explanation to the role of pheromones in sexual behavior.
Some of our response can be voluntarily controlled, though. The use of fantasy alone (depending on the individual) can initiate a very intense sexual response in an individual. Sexual thoughts or images that alter the person's emotions or physiological state are considered sexual fantasies. Almost all men and women have reported having experienced these fantasies, the most common of which being thoughts of intimate, sensual touching and kissing, watching the partner undress, giving/receiving oral sex and seducing or being seduced by their partner. Other common themes include sex in unusual locations, in unusual positions or sex that lasts for significant periods of time.
Fantasies are oftentimes images that come from experiences (earlier and from childhood) which may be pleasant or abusive. They can also originate from dreams or things you've viewed in media or stories you've read (literotica, for example). Their function serves to enhance the individual's self-esteem and attractiveness, increase one's own sexual arousal and help facilitate orgasm, and also to rehearse future sexual scenarios. Some fantasies the individual experiences may be perceived as negative by the individual and cause guilt, depending on how their own culture and society regard that specific fantasy.
The incidence of fantasy is greater for men during masturbation (87% of men vs. 69% of women), but evens out during sex (84% vs. 82%) and during the waking hours outside of sexual activity (82% vs. 81%).
Whereas men focus on the sexual activity itself, women tend to focus on the role they play during sex, and the relationship they share with their partner plays a key role in the sexual satisfaction they experience during sex. Gay and lesbians experience similar fantasies, the only difference being the genders of the individuals involved.
The spinal cord in men contains some reflex centers, including those which deal with getting/maintaining an erection and ejaculation. The center which is responsible for erections in men is located in the Sacral area of the spinal cord, whereas the Lumbar section of the vertebrae is responsible for ejaculation. A gentle caress on the thigh, somebody running their tongue up and down the side of your neck, nibbling on your ear or any form of erotic touching stimulate these areas (which is why men can get hard so quickly, because the message doesn't have to be transmitted to the brain, but simply to the spinal cord to elicit a reaction). Men with spinal cord damage might have difficulties with these two processes (not that they're impossible), but where the spinal cord deals with the physical aspects of the sexual response, it is the brain which is involved with the psychological aspect of sex (mainly desire and fantasy). Men who are paralyzed and are unable to control themselves below the waist can still achieve an erection and ejaculate, but only through physical stimulation/erotic touching. As that portion of the spine is disconnected from the brain, however, somebody in a wheelchair would be unable to get or maintain an erection via fantasy alone (thinking about an erotic/sexy scenario). In normal individuals, though, both types of arousal are important when dealing with level of arousal (though this varies depending in the individual), and should be taken into consideration.
The areas of the brain responsible for sexual behavior are close to the olfactory center, which has been proposed as a explanation to the role of pheromones in sexual behavior.
Some of our response can be voluntarily controlled, though. The use of fantasy alone (depending on the individual) can initiate a very intense sexual response in an individual. Sexual thoughts or images that alter the person's emotions or physiological state are considered sexual fantasies. Almost all men and women have reported having experienced these fantasies, the most common of which being thoughts of intimate, sensual touching and kissing, watching the partner undress, giving/receiving oral sex and seducing or being seduced by their partner. Other common themes include sex in unusual locations, in unusual positions or sex that lasts for significant periods of time.
Fantasies are oftentimes images that come from experiences (earlier and from childhood) which may be pleasant or abusive. They can also originate from dreams or things you've viewed in media or stories you've read (literotica, for example). Their function serves to enhance the individual's self-esteem and attractiveness, increase one's own sexual arousal and help facilitate orgasm, and also to rehearse future sexual scenarios. Some fantasies the individual experiences may be perceived as negative by the individual and cause guilt, depending on how their own culture and society regard that specific fantasy.The incidence of fantasy is greater for men during masturbation (87% of men vs. 69% of women), but evens out during sex (84% vs. 82%) and during the waking hours outside of sexual activity (82% vs. 81%).
Whereas men focus on the sexual activity itself, women tend to focus on the role they play during sex, and the relationship they share with their partner plays a key role in the sexual satisfaction they experience during sex. Gay and lesbians experience similar fantasies, the only difference being the genders of the individuals involved.
All of this information was derived from my psychology textbook: Understanding Human Sexuality. The image of the spinal cord was retrieved from google, and the drawing belongs to Zimbrul-Furios on DeviantArt.
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