Transformation of pain into pleasure

Psychology of BDSM

Psychology
of BDSM

Psychology
gateway

(all psychology articles)

Basics

Penetration

Engagement

Consent

Communication

Power

Authority

Control

Trust

Fetish

Defence mechanisms

Mapping motivations to activities

Roles
Top		Bottom
Dominant		Submissive
Master		Slave
Trainer		Trainee
Owner		Property
Mistress
Switch
SAM

Motivations (all motivation articles)

Ecstasy

Subspace

Catharsis

Surrender

Experiencing power

Hotter sex

Recreation

Expiation of guilt

Intimacy and bonding

Physiological outcomes

Chemical high

Unhealthy motivations

Just a bit of fun (not)

Pain (not)

Play versus "deep play" versus work

Transformation of pain into pleasure

The joy of being a top or dominant

One of the difficulties non-BDSM folk have with understanding BDSM is the transformation of pain into pleasure.

Nicola Abel-Hirsch wrote about the difference between how pain can be processed by someone as an end in itself, compared to how pain can instead be used as a gateway to somewhere else. This encapsulates the difference between true masochism and what goes on in BDSM.

If a bottom or submissive engaged in, say, flogging or caning just to feel the pain, then this would be masochism.

However, using the pain to achieve a certain psychological or emotional effect, such as subspace or catharsis, is not masochism.

Indeed, when the outcome is the satisfaction of one or more of the typical BDSM motivations, the pain itself may be effectively as insignificant as a mosquito bite (or even less). The satisfaction of the wants or needs will instead override the pain and be experienced as pleasure.