While the male erection is often the subject of fun and jokes, it’s a complex phenomenon that requires several different parts of the body and brain to work together. To begin, the brain needs to be in a healthy state to be able to create and support the feeling of arousal. When such a mental state is achieved, the brain needs to be able to use the central nervous system to send signals down to the muscles in and around the penis to allow blood to flow into the cavities within the organ at high enough pressure.
As may be expected of a complex phenomenon involving the mind, the brain and other organs of the body, a lot needs to go right for the desired outcome. Decades ago, medical science primarily explained erectile dysfunction as a psychological or psychiatric disorder.
