The Relativity of Pain
Understanding why sensation is often circumstantial
Last week’s spanking felt wonderful and turned me on. Today, it only hurts. Why?
I’ve received silly amounts of pain under the whip, belt, cane, and any other impact tool under the sun. Sometimes, I take it with stoic grace; my teeth clenched, and knuckles white from grabbing whatever’s in front of me as I slip into the mythical roams of subspace. Other times, just a few of a partner’s barehanded slaps on my bum can be enough to make me tear up and beg for mercy.
In my last essay on the connection between pain and pleasure, I ask why something can feel plain painful in one setting and pleasurable in another. Why can seemingly similar types of impact or stimulation be experienced as thrilling and euphoric in one scenario, with one partner, and unbearable in or with another?
I’ve pondered this a lot and have come to the understanding that the following factors determine my interpretation of pain:
Mindset | How am I doing overall and what’s my current life situation like?
Personal relationship | How do I feel about whoever’s administering the pain. Are they a romantic partner, play partner, or someone I just met?
