I’m a guy in my late 20s and kind of a late bloomer. Because of my upbringing I didn’t start dating seriously until I was 26.

The first time I got physical with someone I noticed something strange: my brain went into autopilot. I sort of knew what to do, but my body didn’t really respond the way I wanted. I focused on making sure she was comfortable, and later a doctor gave me something that helped the second time.

Fast forward to now: I started dating again, we were making out, the attraction was definitely there, but the same thing happened. My brain shut off, I wasn’t really present with her, and my body just didn’t cooperate. It didn’t feel like nerves or pressure, more like I wasn’t mentally in the moment. I tried to focus on her but it still left me feeling disappointed afterward.

My question is how do I break out of this autopilot mode and actually stay present when things get physical? Are there ways to train myself outside of dating, or things I can do in the moment to stay connected?

TL;DR: Late bloomer, my brain goes on autopilot when things get physical and my body doesn’t respond. How do I learn to stay present and connected?