Sex Could Erase Your Memory

A new report says a 54-year-old woman temporarily lost her memory after sex, in an example of the rare condition transient global amnesia. Scientists think they know what causes it, but they’re not sure why it seems to strike victims only once.

According to LiveScience, when people increase the pressure in their abdomens — by lifting weights, pooping, or having sex — they can force deoxygenated blood back into their neck veins. If the valves in their necks aren’t working right, this blood can flow back into their brains, messing with the regions governing memory. Result: temporary amnesia, in which people may forget what just happened and have trouble forming new memories for a period of time. The woman in the report lost most of the previous day, but began to return to normal while she was in the ER. A man who experienced the condition in 1964 reportedly yelled “Where am I? What’s happened?” right after he orgasmed.

What scientists don’t know is why the condition usually only affects each patient once, even though he or she presumably poops and has sex habitually. Maybe the brain somehow foolproofs itself afterwards. Or maybe you only get amnesia after the very best sex of your life — which is sad, because then you won’t remember it. On the other hand, maybe it’s a blessing — forgetting your amazing encounter will keep you from being perennially dissatisfied when nothing else measures up.