Assaulted with opportunities for pleasure everywhere — from sex to food or exotic escapes — our culture is becoming more depressed and anxious…
— from a blurb for ‘Why Good Sex Matters’ by Nan Wise, PhD, on Amazon.com
In spite of the headline, this column will focus mainly on crossword puzzles, and why they are beneficial to brain health.
But I was led to this subject by hearing an interview on NPR, with host Juana Summers. Ms. Summers’ guest, author Emily Nagoski, PhD, discussing her brand new book, Come Together.
The title might be a double entendre. But you can decide that for yourself.
The full title is Come Together: The Science (And Art) Of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections
I’m generally leery of book titles that put “science” and “sex” in the same sentence. They just seem like they exist in different universes.
After listening (intently) to the NPR interview with Ms. Nagoski, I went about the rest of my day — doing the laundry, feeding the cat, making a grocery list — and promptly forgot the title of the new book that Ms. Nagorski had published.
But I didn’t forget what the book was about.
A completely accidental Google search led me to a different book on the same general subject, by Nan Wise, PhD.
Why Good Sex Matters: Understanding the Neuroscience of Pleasure for a Smarter, Happier, and More Purpose-Filled Life
Because this book also had the words “sex” and “science” in the title, I mistakenly thought I’d found the right book. (Turns out there are dozens of books available on this subject. Who knew?)
Also, the author, Dr. Wise, is a PhD, just like Dr. Nagoski. So my confusion was probably understandable.
I hate to actually spend money on books, but it turns out that Dr. Wise had been recruited to pen an advice column for Glamour magazine, and some of the articles were available online without a subscription. (I hate to spend money on magazine subscriptions.)
From her first column:
As a certified sex therapist turned neuroscientist, I get asked about orgasms a lot. In my new column for ‘Glamour’, I’m here to address your pressing questions about sex, love, and pleasure. With over three decades of experience studying the science of pleasure, I can say without a doubt that the ability to experience potent and satisfying pleasures like orgasm isn’t a luxury — female pleasure is a necessity for our health and well-being…
And blah, blah, blah. Stuff we all knew back in sixth grade.
But here’s the paragraph that really caught my attention:
My research has demonstrated that the Big O is indeed a “big brain” event, increasing blood flow to a range of brain regions, which is good for brain health. In fact, having an orgasm may be better for your brain than doing crossword puzzles — not to mention, much more fun.
I understand that Dr. Wise — more affectionately known to Glamour readers as “Doctor Nan”) is a certified sex therapist turned neuroscientist and has probably been studying the connections between sex and our brains, longer than I have. (I pretty much stopped my studies after the divorce.)
But I’m not clear that Doctor Nan has been studying the connection between our brains and crossword puzzles?
I’ve come across an awful lot of magazine articles that extol the benefits to the brain of doing a daily crossword puzzle.
Of course, putting the word “sex” in your book title or magazine article headline is pretty much guaranteed to attract attention. A lot more than putting the word “crossword” in the title. (I strongly suspect our Daily Post editor will include the word “sex” in the headline for this column.)
But speaking as a non-scientist, I really want to make the case for crossword puzzles.
For one thing, who says crossword puzzles aren’t more fun that sex? Sure, I will admit I rarely have an orgasm while doing a crossword puzzle. But sex (as I recall) lasts about five minutes. Maybe ten, tops. I’ve come across crossword puzzles that took me in excess of an hour to finish. The ‘level of fun’ is different, but if we’re reckoning the ‘length of fun’ provided, a crossword wins, hands down.
Also, there’s not that awkward sense of “did the other person enjoy this more than I did?’ when you finish a crossword.
Another indicator. My cat doesn’t turn his back when I’m doing a crossword. In fact, he sometimes jumps up on my desk to watch.
The best part about crosswords, however: I never feel like I did exactly the same one, last week.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all.