Beyond Pain: A Study on the Variance of Pain Thresholds Within BDSM Interactions in Dominants and Submissives

Abstract

Background BDSM is an acronym describing bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism. Afflicting or receiving pain is usually an important part of the BDSM interaction. Aim This research will focus on better understanding the aspect of pain within a BDSM interaction. Methods Submissive and dominant counterparts of 35 couples were recruited to participate in a BDSM interaction, of which 34 dominants and 33 submissives were included in the analyses. A non-BDSM interested control group (n = 27) was included to control for social interaction, of which 24 were included in the analyses. Outcomes This research investigates the differences in (i) baseline pain thresholds, (ii) the impact of a BDSM interaction on those thresholds, and (iii) threshold moderating factors like pain cognition between submissive and dominant BDSM participants and control individuals. RESULTS BDSM practitioners have a higher pain threshold overall and a BSDM interaction will result in a temporary elevation of pain thresholds for submissives. Additionally, pain thresholds in dominants will be dependent upon their fear of pain and tendency to catastrophize pain and submissives will experience less fear of pain than the control group. Clinical Implications By further enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms behind a BDSM interaction in this way, we aspire to relieve the stigma these practitioners still endure. Strengths & Limitations This is one of the first studies of its kind with a large sample size compared to similar research, which makes it a significant contribution to the field. It must be mentioned that there is a possible selection bias because recruitment was only done through the Flemish BDSM community and specifically those who visit clubs. Additionally, pain threshold remains a subjective measurement, which must be taken into account. CONCLUSION This study helps shed further light on the biological processes behind a BDSM interaction through pain threshold measurements.

Pain and masochistic behaviour: The role of descending modulation

“…Another study (Pollok et al, 2010 ) reported an increase in pain thresholds evoked by laser stimuli in a small group of subjects with MB ( n = 10). Consistent with these results, a more recent study (Wuyts et al, 2021 ) reported an increase in the HPT, but not in the pressure pain threshold in subjects with MB. By contrast, Kamping et al ( 2016 ) found no significant difference in the pain threshold evoked by laser stimuli between subjects with MB and controls, consistent with our finding of normal thermal (heat and cold) pain thresholds and electrical pain and tolerance thresholds in men with MB.…”

“…One plausible explanation is that they reflect differences in the psychological profiles of the MB subjects included in the different studies. In both the study by Defrin et al ( 2015 ) and that by Wuyts et al ( 2021 ), changes in pain thresholds were associated with significantly lower catastrophizing scores in subjects with MB than in controls. By contrast, our subjects with MB had catastrophizing scores similar to those of controls.…”

“…participants not oriented towards masochism) matched for age and level of education (Table 1 ). The choice of including only men was motivated by the finding in some previous studies of differences in MB (Luo & Zhang, 2018 ; Wuyts et al, 2021 ) and in the effects of emotional (notably erotic and mutilation) images (Rhudy et al, 2010 ) between men and women, which might have significantly increased the variability of our results. The MB subjects were recruited from BDSM community clubs by advertisement and by requests made in person and the controls were recruited via advertisements.…”

“…They gain pleasure from painful stimuli in the context of BDSM interactions but seem to have normal pain perception in everyday life (Dunkley et al, 2020 ). This suggests that physiological nociceptive mechanisms are normal in subjects with masochistic behaviour (MB), but some studies have reported an increase in pain thresholds in response to experimental stimuli outside the masochistic context in subjects displaying MB (Defrin et al, 2015 ; Pollok et al, 2010 ; Wuyts et al, 2021 ). Another question concerns the way in which subjects with MB process painful stimuli into pleasure in specific contexts.…”

Una taxonomía del masoquismo

“…Estas tendencias comportamentales se vuelven patológicas una vez que nos resultan disfuncionales; por ejemplo, si impiden el desenvolvimiento de nuestra salud. Apoyándonos en la literatura en adicciones (Kurt & Ronel, 2016;Maté, 2009;Pickard, 2020), daremos cuenta de tres niveles de explicación -el biológico, el psicológico y el sociológico -que nos permitirán comprender cómo un hábito incentivado por deseos masoquistas se torna o no patológico (Coluccia et al, 2016;Ellis, 2008;Gebhard, 2008;Goldstein, 1983;Kamel, 2008;Kamel & Weinberg, 2008;Krafft-Ebing, 1892;Kurt & Ronel, 2016;Moser & Levitt, 2008;Wuyts et al, 2021). Interactuamos constantemente con el dolor y lo desagradable y desde hace siglos se ha identificado que el dolor y el placer pueden mezclarse: …cuando el placer prevalece en estas mezclas, la parte del dolor que en ella es inferior produce cosquilleo y hace que se irrite ligeramente, mientras que la parte del placer, que es dominante, lo tensa y a veces lo hace saltar, e infundiéndose toda clase de colores, de gestos, de jadeos, provoca excitación total y le hace dar gritos de locura.…”