Four Zoom Gatherings: April 19, 26, May 3, 10, 10am, Pacific time
With Joseph Kramer, PhD
Through the Body Electric School
The title of this gathering comes from John Ryan Haule, who writes: “Sexual arousal may induce an altered state of consciousness that is available to anyone willing to explore it. But, as with meditation and shamanic journeying, the non-ordinary conscious state generated in sustained sexual arousal constitutes an opportunity one must learn to use.”
This training is a communal investigation into the use and celebration of erotic trance states–also known as Sustained Sexual Arousal.
Today, we face an epidemic of disembodiment—a widespread disconnection from our bodies and the natural world around us. This collective inability to connect with our aliveness leaves many of us feeling lost. But there is a powerful medicine that challenges this disembodiment head-on: sustained sexual arousal (SSA).
Becoming more mindful of sexual arousal gives us access to our inner landscape. This interoceptive awareness helps us make better decisions about our health, our relationships and our desires. Sustained sexual arousal also awakens feelings of connectedness with ourselves, with others and with our living green planet.
Our practices will explore integrating sexual arousal into our bodies and lives and playing with that arousal, making consequential use of that arousal. Here is how I, Joseph Kramer, came to know the potential of sustained sexual arousal:
When I look back on sixty-five years of masturbating, I am most grateful for those periods of extended arousal. I call those almost effortless, prolonged stroke sessions: Sustained Sexual Arousal. I found this flow state a place of power, creativity and wisdom.
Most of my Body Electric classes were invented during sustained sexual arousal. Celebrating the Body Erotic, Dear Love of Comrades, Erotic Massage Dancing and dozens of other erotic teaching structures came to me during this glorious state. The idea and even the details necessary for creating the professions of Sacred Intimacy and Sexological Bodywork were birthed in lucid streams of sexual arousal. I try to use this state to make all important decisions. Many teachers and artists use erotic states in similar ways.
You are invited to spend a month beginning April 19th with me and a community of erotic researchers. What surprises lie ahead as we practice sustained sexual arousal? Perhaps your learnings in April and May will be an upgrade for your next thousand solo sex and lovemaking sessions. SSA practices facilitate neuroplasticity. Sexual arousal changes our brains, helping us to replace limiting erotic habits and rigid ways of thinking.
There will be no nudity on camera. Participants will be invited to make use of a Fleshlight (penis-owners) or a Hitachi magic wand (vulva-owners) or similar toys. Vibrating butt plugs are encouraged for everyone. Let’s together change the way we play with ourselves.
Former SSA student Paul Powell writes: The Sustained Sexual Arousal course was an amazing and exhilarating experience. I loved learning the different levels of arousal and how some of the lower levels can be as energizing and effective as the higher ones. It was helpful for me to understand the importance of daily erotic practice as if I were a musician practicing an instrument. What was most important for my learning was the amazing bond that developed among the participants thanks to the course structure, the creative practices, and the generous mentorship of Joseph Kramer.
REGISTER HERE
A Valuable Investment in Personal Liberation
Can you put a price on learning to play with and manage Sustained Sexual Arousal? Check out this February article in Vogue about a retreat where women pay $15,000 for five sessions of sustained sexual arousal. The Vogue author writes it’s “more than an indulgence—it’s a valuable investment in personal liberation.” Pay close attention below as Pam Madsen, the director of this retreat, describes how she has “liberated” several thousand women over the last fifteen years using Sustained Sexual Arousal.
The Foundation of Our Work in Sexual Wellness
Pamela Madsen writes: Fifteen years ago, I was introduced to the profound teachings of Joseph Kramer and the concept of Sustained Sexual Arousal (SSA)—a revelation that fundamentally shaped my understanding of sensual energy, embodiment, and the vast potential of expanded pleasure states. It was through Joseph’s pioneering work that I first encountered the idea that sexual arousal is not just a fleeting sensation but a deep well of creative energy, transformation, and personal insight.
Joseph taught me that sensual trance states—those moments when arousal becomes something more, something expansive—are accessible to all of us. He showed me that when we allow ourselves to linger in the pleasure, to extend our states of arousal without rushing to release, we enter a space of heightened awareness, creativity, and deep self-connection. This learning was pivotal, and I carry immense gratitude for his guidance and the foundation he laid in my own sensual education.
As I stepped into my work with Back to the Body, I knew that integrating sustained sensual states into a communal, embodied experience would be revolutionary. The SSA framework lives in our retreats, woven into the ways we invite women to slow down, listen to their bodies, and explore arousal as a portal to self-discovery. At Back to the Body, we took the wisdom of SSA and asked: How can we make this more relational? How can we create a container where pleasure isn’t just a solo experience but one that is witnessed, celebrated, and supported?
What we found is that when women are given space to sustain their arousal—not just in solo exploration but within the safety of conscious, somatic practices—they awaken to an entirely new relationship with themselves. Through guided bodywork, breath, movement, and sensual trance states, they begin to release old narratives about their bodies, their pleasure, and their worth. They emerge from these experiences more self-assured, more open, and more attuned to the power of their own desire.
We have seen firsthand how sustained sensual states facilitate neuroplasticity, rewiring the brain to embrace pleasure more fully. Women report shifts in body image, increased sexual confidence, and a newfound ability to advocate for their desires—not just in the bedroom, but in every facet of their lives. They step into their sovereignty, their pleasure, their unapologetic yes and their empowered no.
Joseph’s teachings have influenced our work at every level. The core of Back to the Body is built upon the belief that sexual energy is not separate from the rest of our lives—it is a source of vitality, insight, and self-expression. We have taken the principles of SSA and expanded them into a full-body, immersive experience that allows women to reclaim their pleasure not just in moments of self-touch, but in the way they move, breathe, and exist in the world.
His work has also informed our approach to consent, embodiment, and the creation of safe spaces where women can explore their sexuality without shame. The idea that sensual energy can be cultivated and used intentionally—to fuel creativity, self-discovery, and deep healing—is woven into every retreat, every session, and every practice we offer. Through our work, women are not just learning about their pleasure; they are reprogramming their relationship to arousal in a way that affects how they show up in every aspect of their lives.This journey is, at its heart, a continuation of the lineage that Joseph Kramer helped create. His work planted the seeds, and through Back to the Body, we have nurtured them into a thriving garden of sensual exploration and healing. I hold deep reverence for his contributions, and I am endlessly grateful for the way his teachings have become the bedrock of what we offer today.
To Joseph, with love and gratitude—thank you for opening the door. We have walked through it and built something that continues to change lives, including my own.
Loving you from here,
REGISTER HERE