Your Pain, My Pleasure
Discover the alluring links between pleasure and pain
Sex should be a perfect balance of pain and pleasure. Without that symmetry, sex becomes a routine rather than an indulgence.
— Marquis de Sade
What’s the link between pain with pleasure, and why do some enjoy certain types of pain more than others? Further, why can something feel painful in one setting and pleasurable in another?
To many, especially those who are strangers to sadomasochism, the idea of seeking pain for the sake of sexual arousal and satisfaction might seem foreign, even off-putting, but, if we look at how our brains are wired, there are natural explanations why us BDSM aficionados (and many others) indulge in the perplexing pleasures of pain.
The things we do for pain
Seeking pain for the sake of pleasure isn’t all that uncommon. Runners high, experienced by athletes and runners as the pain of physical exertion eclipses into pleasure, is a well-known phenomenon. Its gratification is further magnified with the promise of reward, such as completing and potentially winning a marathon. Similar highs can be derived through everything from excessive chili eating to…
