Hormones, Pain, and Altered States: A Scientific Search for the Essence of Sadomasochism

1. Brad Sagarin Northern Illinois University Hormones, Pain, and Altered States: A Scientific Search for the Essence of Sadomasochism

2. Hamilton’s 1929 survey of 200 married men and women: 51% 28% Men 32% 29% Women “Pleasant thrills” frominflicting pain “Pleasant thrills” fromreceiving pain

5. Clinical Criminal Consensual

6. Physiological and psychological effects of consensual BDSM • Hormonal changes and couple bonding in consensual sadomasochistic activity • Co-authors: • Bert Cutler • Nadine Cutler • Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin • Leslie Matuszewich

7. Participants and methods • 13 participants: Arizona Power Exchange (APEX) • 45 participants: Thunder in the Mountains • Questionnaires and saliva samples before and after scenes

8. Testosterone

9. Cortisol

10. Relationship closeness

11. Relationship closeness

12. Before, During and Aftercare

13. Conclusions • SM activities show marked physiological and psychological effects on participants • Aftereffects confirm reports by SM practitioners: Reductions in stress and increases in relationship closeness • Opposite effects occurred in the scene that went poorly

14. SM without sex?

15. Dance of Souls • Sadomasochism without sex: Pain as a catalyst to transcend the self • Co-authors: • Kathryn Klement • Ellen Lee • James Ambler • Sarah Hanson • Evelyn Comber • David Wietting • Michael Wagner • Valerie Burns • Bert Cutler • Elwood Reid

16. Participants and methods • 67 participants: Southwest Leather Conference (SWLC) • Questionnaires, saliva samples, cognitive tests, behavioral observation

18. Sexual orientation and BDSM roles

19. Positive and negative affect p = .18 p = .01

20. Psychological stress Extremely p = .02 Not at all

21. Physiological stress (cortisol) p = .06

22. Intimacy p = .85 p = .005

23. Why are you participating in the Dance?What do you hope to get from the experience? • “It is a wonderful way to exchange energy not just with my owner but with my tribe. It is transcendental & amazing. It is also a great way to release the negative.” • “I find peace, power, and well-being at these events.” • “To participate in high energetic levels and feel the transformation that can occur in myself and others.” • “I have had visions and deep spiritual experiences. Or not. But it's fun anyway.”

24. Thoughts or feelings during the Dance • “I am in an amazing happy place. Serene yet joyous.” • “Connection through the drums and the tribe and the shared energy that overrides any pain and -opens my heart and mind to a focus beyond the physical.” • “Just very high!!!” • “Pleasantly exhausted” • “I'm very happy and aroused. I feel strong and beautiful.”

25. After the Dance • “Observed energetic releases of others, saw emotions stir in many; tears, anger, screaming, laughter, pure joy. Many had variety of different experiences. I got to share in all of them, and feel their release.” • “The experience was quite calming. The degree of pain I allowed myself to have physically allowed my hyper-analytic brain to focus/center on the present. With the exception of knitting and crochet, pain this intense is the only way I can truly fall into this state of peace/have a quiet mind.”

26. Themes

27. Conceptualizing the Dance Extremely p<.001 Not at all

28. Altered states of consciousness • Physiological short term changes in the brain caused by SM related activities

29. Escape from the Self The self is sometimes burdensome • "The greater the demands in my outside life, the likelier I am to feel submissive sexually." Baumeister(1988) Wiseman (1996)

30. Consciousness as a Process

31. Transient Hypofrontality Hypothesis Dietrich (2003)

33. The Stroop Test

34. Read the word

35. Green

36. Red

37. Blue

38. Yellow

39. Name the color

40. XXXXX

41. XXXXX

42. XXXXX

43. XXXXX

44. Read the word

45. Yellow

46. Green

47. Blue

48. Red

49. Name the color

50. Green