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Copyright Desautels 2009

The Psychology of BDSM

29 December 2009

The Psychobiology of BDSM

DISCLAIMER: Please Read

The most important thing I learned in writing this paper is that neurobiology and

psychobiology are hard. There’s a reason why people dedicate their lives to studying this

material (I spent under a month doing so.) The most important criticism I received on this paper

is that it is embarrassingly biased, which is fair. Understand that this paper is the result of one

student taking her very first look at neurobiology while trying to use that knowledge to explain

BDSM behaviors. I would not recommend that anyone cite this paper anywhere or even

consider it a credible source. Read it for some fun facts about the brain’s functioning, and to

consider some hypotheses about what makes the BDSM experience happen on a

psychobiological level. Like a Cracked.com article, there will be facts that pique your interest

and make you think, but you shouldn’t assume this is a completely reliable source.

I’m still deciding whether I want to plunge back into psychobiology and do a more

unbiased, in-depth, and factually sound rewrite of this paper. But until then, consider the

following information a brain-teaser. I hope you’ll be inspired to go do some research of your

own on the subject, as I definitely feel that the biological aspect of BDSM is deeply important in

both enriching our understanding of BDSM and fostering greater understanding and acceptance

of the practice. So without further ado, I hope you are amused by:

The Psychobiology of BDSM

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As we have seen, the appeal of adopting an erotic role of submission, pain, or humiliation

(or of inflicting those) can be understood through the abstract psychology of participants: that is,

their thoughts, emotions, and sensations during play. These experiences, however, are much

more than manipulations of thoughts and emotions—much of BDSM play has solid roots in both

the physical structures of the brain and the neurotransmitters and hormones released by the

stimuli of play. We have seen how BDSM utilizes symbols and abstract cognitive function

during play. But studying the biological aspect of play reveals that not only do BDSM

participants play with these archetypes, but with the oldest and most evolution-driven areas of

the brain, using their conscious construction of psychodrama to tease the brain’s perception of

and response to fear and physical pain into intensely positive and erotic sensation. BDSM

players are neurobiological entrepreneurs, able to harness automatic and unconscious brain

activity and utilize it for pleasure and personal growth.

First, we will observe the brain activity of the bottom, or submissive. Most often (though

certainly not universally), the bottom is the recipient of physical pain, the experience of which is

extremely similar to that of mental or emotional anguish. In that a bottom typically experiences

more physical stimulus than a top, there is more content concerning a bottom’s biological

experience than a top’s; although a top receiving physical pain will not experience a very

different biological response to pain than a bottom. So to begin, we must observe how the human

body detects pain.

One of the most popular and respected theories on the body’s detection and perception of

pain remains Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall’s gate-control theory of pain (Gray 242.)

According to this theory, sensation is modulated by inhibitory neurons before being recognized
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as noxious or benign. Without stimulating sensation, the inhibitory interneuron blocks the

projection neuron, and we feel no pain. Non-painful stimuli activate large fibers, which in turn

activate the inhibitory neuron: the gate is “closed”, so we feel no pain. Painful stimuli, however,

causes small fibers or nociceptors to block the inhibitory neuron which therefore cannot block

the projection neuron. The gate is “open”, and pain is communicated through the projection

neuron.

This theory can also be understood in terms of how rubbing a hurt area of the body can

reduce pain: by gently rubbing the injured area, large fibers are stimulated and activate the

inhibitory neuron, “closing” the gate and decreasing the pain. (Allen 201.)

Our brain reacts, consciously and unconsciously, to the pain we experience, which further

alters our experience of pain. It may seem difficult to understand the appeal of pain or

humiliation when these are the sensations that our unconscious brain works so hard to minimize,

neutralize, or escape from when they become imminent. Pain exists to warn us of harm; why

would we desire this noxious sensation, especially when our brains have evolved to ward off this

sensation as best as possible? The answer is in the question: because we are hardwired to

minimize, neutralize, or escape from pain, we can elicit pain in safe scenarios to create intense

sensation and to enjoy our primitive brain’s reaction to pain, much as a runner enjoys a “runner’s

high”—creating sensitivity to an intensely pleasurable and erotic experience.

One of the brain’s most notable responses to pain is chemical release. The many diverse

chemicals released in response to pain, including neurotransmitters and neurohormones, include

adrenaline, or epinephrine. Epinephrine is key to arousal—while it does not create emotion, it

heightens sensation and emotional response to prepare the body for “fight or flight.” Gray cites

an experiment in which subjects injected with epinephrine were exposed to emotion-eliciting

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stimuli. The experiment revealed that “epinephrine by itself did not produce any particular

emotion…when epinephrine was combined with an emotion-inducing situation, such as a horror

film, it increased the intensity of the subject’s emotion” (Gray 217.) Release of epinephrine is

one of the body’s primary responses to stress, and when incorporated into the erotic context of

BDSM, heightens all sensations, painful, pleasurable, and emotional.

Richard Sprott suggests that epinephrine could be, not just a biological response to stress,

but a psycho-physiological personality trait: “sensation-seeking.” Sensation-seeking is

characterized by “seeking varied, novel, complex and intense situations and experiences…

react[ing] more quickly and orient[ing] to new stimulation in a more open fashion…

extroversion, creativity, risk-taking” (Sprott 13-14.) Research suggests that sensation-seekers are

not merely products of their environment, but of their very biological makeup. Sensation-

seekers, Sprott explains, have lower baseline levels of epinephrine. Since low epinephrine levels

are related to boredom, sensation-seekers function to their highest potential when they are more

stimulated, and their levels of epinephrine are raised. Furthermore, the mentioned personality

traits are closely correlated with higher levels of dopamine receptors; the significance of this

correlation will be explained further on in the paper. Sprott explains that “behavioral genetic

studies estimate that sensation-seeking is approximately 60% genetic (most personality

characteristics are in the 30-50% range)” (Sprott 14.) Sensation-seeking, therefore, is not solely a

behavior or even a behavioral disorder, because of this significant genetic, biological component.

Sprott goes on to observe that socialization and culture can guide sensation-seekers into

destructive or constructive means of expression (Sprott 14.) Since BDSM play is so largely

dependent on stimulus, it would appear that the BDSM community probably contains a large

collection of sensation-seekers who have found a constructive means to heighten their

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epinephrine levels; and a hypothesis I would propose to the more biologically focused BDSM

researchers would be that sensation-seeking personalities could be more likely to use BDSM

than low-sensation-seeking personalities, suggesting a genetic component to the attraction

towards BDSM.

Hormones are also released in response to pain. Gray defines hormones as “chemical

messengers that are secreted into the blood. They are carried by the blood to all parts of the body,

where they act on specific target tissues…relatively slow, diffuse, widespread communication”

(Gray 170.) Endorphins are such hormones, their name short for endogenous morphine-like

substance (Gray 243.) These hormones chemically resemble opiates, drugs distinguished by their

analgesic effects: “they may dampen pain perception during intense physical activity, producing

the indifference to pain sometimes seen among competing athletes” (Allen 202.)

Endorphins play an important analgesic role with the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a major

center of pain inhibition. Klein and Thorne explain that “activity in the PAG activates the

inhibitory interneurons, which then block the pain messages from entering the CNS” (Klein and

Thorne 248); the PAG is a major component of the aforementioned gate control theory. Klein

and Thorne go on to note investigations suggesting that endorphins released by pain stimulate the

neurons in the PAG that “close” the gate (Klein and Thorne 249.) This shows that endorphins

act, not only on their own, effecting the body’s tissues, but in conjunction with the PAG to

“close” the gate before our perception of more pain actually occurs, or to block further

perceptions of pain after the initial perception.

Although activity in the PAG is indeed affected by psychology, this activity remains

mainly in the realm of involuntary activity. Candace Pert, however, suggests that humans have

the ability to access their PAG and manipulate their pain thresholds, as evidenced by yogi
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meditation and even Lamaze training, both of which using breathing techniques to control pain

(Pert 186.) Stressing the concept of “bodymind” (Pert 188), which suggests that psychology and

biology are not divorced, parallel aspects of the human person but rather inextricably linked, Pert

holds as evidence the “wealth of data showing that changes in the rate and depth of breathing

produce changes in the quantity and kind of peptides that are released” (Pert 186), and that by

actively controlling breathing, one can therefore excite the release of peptides such as

endorphins, many of which act, like endorphins, as analgesics. This evidence is clearly linked to

the frequency with which bottoms focus on controlling their breathing while under intense

stimulus: they are managing their pain experience both externally (by cuing the top for more,

less, or constant pain) and internally, by accessing their PAG and altering their release of

endorphins and other hormones and neurotransmitters.

Endorphins and their analgesic effects are often attributed to reduced experience of pain,

especially in the case of athletes who may be injured during a game, but find themselves able to

play through the pain, or even fail to notice the injury until after the game. Of course, endorphins

are not solely responsible for this effect—they work in conjunction with the distraction of an

intense game to “close” the gate and reduce the pain experienced (Klein and Thorne 248-249.)

This raises a dilemma in terms of how endorphins function as analgesics in BDSM play. In some

instances, a bottom receiving pain may be offered distraction or instructions to optimize

distraction; for instance, The New Topping Book cites a top “who required that [Janet] address

him by obscene names, each one different, as he caned her” (Easton and Hardy 99.) For these

bottoms, the effects of endorphins appear similar to the effects in non-erotic contexts. However,

this does not account for those who experience pleasure by focusing intensely on the pain they

receive. Klein and Thorne suggest that keeping the focus on pain keeps the gate “open” and
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intensifies the experience of pain (Klein and Thorne 248.) How does a bottom focusing on pain

manage to experience pleasure? The conundrum speaks, yet again, to the inherent complexity of

BDSM. As mentioned previously, the psychological component of play cannot be ignored,

especially when studying the biological facet of BDSM. Since pain is so heavily influenced by

psychology, the bottom’s knowledge that s/he is indeed safe and secure; accomplishing a goal by

enduring pain; etc. could act in a number of ways. These thoughts and knowledge could reduce

pain; reduce the anxiety that often accompanies pain and significantly increases it; and give the

bottom control over the pain s/he is experiencing, as bottoms are encouraged to offer their tops

feedback on whether they want or can handle more or less pain. This psychological control

enables the bottom to suffer less from pain (or to suffer a precise amount of pain) while enjoying

the effects of the body’s analgesic response. In addition, endorphins and adrenaline are hardly

the only chemicals activated by noxious stimuli. A myriad of other hormones are activated by

pain besides endorphins, all of which contribute to the pleasurable effects of measured,

controlled pain. Another one of these hormones is dopamine.

Dopamine is best identified as a motivational hormone. Whereas endorphins, with their

analgesic and opiate effects, can be identified as “reward” hormones that enhance our enjoyment

of a sensation or experience, dopamine is the hormone that causes us to actively seek this reward

as a goal. If endorphins can be identified with “liking”, dopamine can be identified with

“wanting” (Gray 186.) Gray explains that not only does dopamine motivate effort to achieve

reward, but it enhances learning as well. Experiments with rats prove that dopamine is released

immediately after a spontaneous reward to “reinforce the remembered association between the

reward and any stimulus or response that happened to precede it” (Gray 186.) Conversely, once

the stimulus is well associated with the reward, there is no need for further dopamine production
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to “teach” obtaining the reward, and dopamine is released by the cue preceding the reward, not

the reward itself, although enjoyment of the reward persists.

Recall that baseline epinephrine levels, related to the sensation-seeking personality, are

largely determined by genetics. Sprott states that there could also be a genetic component to our

ability to experience epinephrine and dopamine. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) regulates both

epinephrine and dopamine by breaking them down, so “high levels of MAO in the brain means

low levels of dopamine and epinephrine (and a quiet, reserved behavioral style), low levels of

MAO in the brain means high levels of dopamine and epinephrine (and an outgoing, active

behavioral style)” (Sprott 3-4.) As with epinephrine, a person’s baseline level of MAO is largely

determined by genetics, suggesting another biological link to a person’s probability of being or

becoming a BDSM participant.

While dopamine is strongly determined by biology, it remains a “learning” hormone, and

can also explain a more behavioral-learning component to enjoyment of BDSM. This perspective

would be especially relevant in relation to those persons who enjoy BDSM, but were introduced

to it later in life by an active participant or knowledgeable person, rather than having original

power-based erotic interest prior to “discovering” the practice of BDSM. We have discussed how

the experience of pain can be psychologically and chemically altered to exist in a pleasurable

scenario, and once this pleasure-pain coexistence has been established, it is highly likely that

dopamine helps the body to remember contextualized pain as a source of pleasure, and

motivation would further lubricate the passage between pleasure and pain for a BDSM

participant.

Among those who are opposed to BDSM, there is the sentiment that the high stimulus of

BDSM can create an “addiction” to pain, or otherwise “ruin” the person for “normal”, vanilla
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sex, perhaps best evidenced by the fact that regular BDSM play remains categorized as a sexual

disorder. Addiction and dependence are always serious concerns worthy of being addressed,

especially when the dopamine reinforcing BDSM behaviors is also related to such grave

concerns as drug addiction. I would not go so far as to say that “addiction” to pain or BDSM is

impossible. But fortunately, for reasons I will illustrate, such an addiction is extremely

improbable and unlikely.

Recall, as Gray states, that dopamine is only released when the reward is spontaneous and

unexpected; and Schulkin adds that once a cue-reward system is “learned”, dopamine “is not

longer activated to the same degree” (Schulkin 72.) With the use of hard drugs, however,

dopamine response is elicited with every dose of the drug, so dopamine levels do not taper off

once the reward of the drug is established, but the drug elicits continuous levels of dopamine

which creates a “super-learning”, or addiction (Gray 187.) The drug builds up levels of

dopamine, or cravings and addictions, while the body develops tolerance to the drug. The end

result is a drug addict who experiences intense levels of “wanting”—from subsequent dopamine

buildup—but decreased “liking”, from needing larger and larger doses of the drug to obtain the

original effect (Gray 187.)

While BDSM certainly calls endogenous chemicals into play, the body’s natural supply

of dopamine, however stimulated, is exhaustible. Although spiking dopamine can “lead to

dependence, since returning to a ‘normal’ level of activity leads to less dopamine sensitivity and

less dopamine release. Previously enjoyable activities become less pleasurable” (Sprott 12), the

CREB proteins activated by dopamine only remain active for about 30 minutes before its

expression by dopamine stops and tolerance levels drop (Sprott 12.) Therefore, dopamine

spurred by the stimuli of BDSM play would show its effect most prominently during the end of a
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scene, where aftercare for the “slump” of heavy endorphin release and psychological strain is

standard, rather than in the long-term, as with a hard drug. Unlike the drug user, whose pattern of

drug usage can be described as “vertical”—needing more and more stimulation to achieve the

same effect—a BDSM participant is more likely to experience a “upward diagonal” and then

“horizontal” path with BDSM sensations in the long-term. Part of BDSM play does involve

pushing limits, which, paired with initial introduction of dopamine in relation to pain and

pleasure, would account for the upward path, or incremental use of more pain during play, of the

initial “diagonal.” However, as stated, the body’s capacity to experience pain as part of pleasure

is far more limited than its ability to experience drugs as pleasure. If not impossible, it is highly

unlikely that the body can develop a limitless capacity to desire or enjoy pain in the long term;

rather, it is much more likely that any given BDSM participant’s career will follow a more

horizontal path, seeking dopamine through diverse and varied scenes and expressions of BDSM,

rather than simply wanting more of the same thing.

Addiction is a broad field, and I think it is possible to become addicted to BDSM much in

the same way it is possible to become addicted to “vanilla” sex. Like drug addiction, there would

certainly be a biological component to such an addiction, but as important or even more

important would be the psychological component of an addiction—addiction could arise if

BDSM was used, not as recreation, but as avoidant compensation for a problematic area of a

person’s life, depended on to cope with an outside problem rather than addressing the issue itself.

That being said, however, BDSM is not a hard drug, and there is almost no reason why a

psychologically healthy person with good coping and problem-solving strategies should be

concerned about developing a chemical addiction to BDSM over the months or years. In fact, the

inherently introspective nature of healthy BDSM play would decrease a person’s likelihood of
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becoming addicted to the practice, as any given participant is likely to be vigilant about their

own psyche, especially concerning BDSM, and would be able to identify and approach a

problem, personally or professionally, before it reached any magnitude close to that of addiction.

In short-term play—that is, a single scene of BDSM—“addiction”, or rather, tolerance

can be seen on a smaller scale and is a more immediate and pressing concern. In-scene demand

for increasing stimulus is unlikely to be much related to dopamine, as dopamine “learning”

cannot increase so drastically in only a few hours. A bottom under intense stimulation may be

inundated with endorphins and other neurotransmitters and hormones which would lead them

either to demand more pain than they can withstand, due to their suppressed perception of pain;

or they may endure a constant pain for longer than they would normally be able to, also due to

heightened endorphin activity. Easton and Hardy confirm that “your bottom may or may not be

able to tell you if something you’re doing is causing physical harm. She may be so high on

endorphins that he simply can’t tell what’s happening, or may have gotten non-verbal and

forgotten how to communicate” (Easton and Hardy 43.) This situation is a very real concern in

all BDSM scenes, and it is the grave responsibility of every top to stay vigilant to their bottom’s

condition so that, should their bottom pass into such a state, they can stop play, prevent physical

damage to the bottom, and bring the bottom back to “reality.” Such is one of the inherent risks of

BDSM play; however, a responsible and vigilant top should be able to identify such a state of

mind in their bottom and end play before any serious damage, physical or otherwise, occurs.

If any “addiction” occurs during BDSM play, it is most likely to come, not from

dopamine, but from the release of oxytocin and vasopressin—pair-bonding hormones that form

the biological basis for long-term relationships in a pattern not unlike that of addiction to opiates.

The reason, as Peterson explains, is that in neuroimaging studies of individuals looking at

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pictures of their “true loves”, “the neural circuitry implicated is the same that is active when

individuals are high on cocaine” (Peterson 250), and a person separated from a loved one will

show oxytocin withdrawal symptoms not unlike those of drug withdrawal—indeed, a person

separated from their oxytocin-bonded lover will literally experience a chemical withdrawal

(Brizendine 67.)

Oxytocin and vasopressin are two different hormones that serve the similar function of

inducing pair bonding. Both hormones are present in both male and female brains, but oxytocin

is sensitive to estrogen and vasopressin is sensitive to testosterone (Sprott 5.) In addition, females

have more receptors for oxytocin whereas males have more receptors for vasopresin, which often

results in vasopressin being considered, peripherally, as the male equivalent of oxytocin.

(Brizendine 71.) Brizendine explains that oxytocin is “a neurohormone that triggers and is

triggered by intimacy” (Brizendine 37); and Peterson goes even further, stating that oxytocin

“has been called the cuddle hormone, and it has been linked to the creation of a loving bond

between two individuals and perhaps even to monogamy” (Peterson 249.) Oxytocin is released

during birth and breastfeeding, and is closely related to maternal behavior—voles and monkeys

injected with oxytocin show maternal behavior towards other voles or monkeys’ infants,

respectively (Angier 312.) In addition, both oxytocin and vasopressin are elicited by sexual

arousal and orgasm. Oxytocin in females is more stimulated by touching and sexual pleasure,

whereas vasopressin in males is released after orgasm (Brizendine 72). In addition, some forms

of stress are proven to release oxytocin, including restraint, immobilization, foot shock, and

forced swimming (Kalin and Reul 214.) The former two are sometimes simultaneously present in

BDSM play—being placed under stress by a trusted partner elicits oxytocin or vasopressin and

subsequent trust and love for the partner, an effect only increased if the play involves sex and
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orgasm.

One myth about BDSM already dispelled by psychology—the idea that BDSM play is

cold and impersonal—is further disproved by the role of oxytocin. This bonding hormone is

released in response to stress—which occurs during play—and also to physical intimacy, which

frequently occurs during aftercare and winding down the session. If the BDSM play involves

sex, orgasm elicits yet more oxytocin. Not only is BDSM play psychologically intimate, but the

pairing of stress and tenderness between players creates fertile ground for fostering intimate,

loving, long-term relationships, as well as reinforcing the feeling of nurturing that is so crucial

for tops and bottoms staying vigilant of their partner’s well-being during play, especially if the

players are already in a committed, loving relationship. While the long-term effects of oxytocin

will be seen most strongly in committed, long-term, romantic BDSM relationships, its positive

effects will surely be seen, albeit with less intensity, in any BDSM encounter that elicits this

hormone.

Now that we understand the chemical responses elicited by noxious stimulus, we can turn

to the physical structure of the brain, and how different parts of the brain perceive pain and

noxious stimulus. Three major parts of the brain are involved in pain perception: the brainstem,

the limbic system, and the neocortex (Sprott 1.)

The most ancient parts of the brain, or subcortical structures of the brain, are all parts of

the brain stem: medulla, pons, and midbrain. These parts of the brain serve our most basic

survival instincts. The brainstem is similar to the spinal cord, in that it processes both ascending

and descending neurons, although the brainstem’s processing is more complex (Gray 150.) The

medulla and pons, the lowermost portions of the brainstem, organize postural and vital reflexes.
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Postural reflexes keep us balanced while moving or standing, and vital reflexes coordinate heart

rate and breathing rate according to neural input from the spinal cord (Gray 150.)

The midbrain organizes, as Gray describes, “species-typical movement patterns, such as

those involved in eating, drinking, attacking, or copulating” (Gray 150), as well as speed of

movements. The brainstem organizes the most primitive, survival-oriented motions, but contains

no capacity for choice or deliberation. Gray describes this through the example of the brainstem

animal: “an animal whose central nervous system is cut completely through just above the

brainstem” (Gray 150). While such an animal will respond to immediate stimuli and can go

through the motions of keeping itself alive (i.e. eating, grooming, etc.) it will not act “in either a

spontaneous or a goal-directed manner…the animal behaves like a machine that responds to

certain triggers rather than like an intelligent, decision-making mammal” (Gray 150.) This part

of the brain accounts for a person’s sexual drive and base aversion to pain, both of which are

experiences further elaborated on by the limbic system.

Since the limbic system is named for the Latin word for “border”, or limbus, Gray’s

description of the limbic system is unsurprising: “the limbic system can be thought of as the

border dividing the evolutionary older parts of the brain, below it, from the newest part (or

cerebral cortex) above it” (Gray 152.) Originally evolved for complex olfactory analysis (the

remnants of which are seen today in the close ties between our emotions and smells), today’s

limbic system’s primary responsibilities include “processing emotional and social information,

forming emotional memories, and learning” (Sprott 1.) The limbic system’s position in the brain

makes it not only a border, but a crossroad of information. All sensory input is received in the

limbic system, and its connection to the basal ganglia—a part of the brain involved in

coordinating movements—“is believed to help translate emotions and drives into actions” (Gray
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152.) Even the hippocampus serves an important function in monitoring spatial location. The

hypothalamus, which is not considered a part of the limbic system but is connected to all of its

parts, also contributes to the “crossroads” nature of the limbic system—its task is to regulate

homeostasis within the body, a task that includes influencing the automatic nervous system and

hormone release, drive states such as hunger, and emotional states (Sprott 152-153.)

The limbic system is comprised of the hippocampus, pituitary gland, and amygdala. The

hippocampus is a vital structure in forming lasting memories (Coon and Mitterer 69.) The

pituitary gland, although itself controlled by the brain, releases hormones that elicit hormone

production in other glands, leading to the pituitary gland being nicknamed the master endocrine

gland (Gray 172.) The pituitary gland’s intimate connection with the emotional limbic system

explains how emotions can elicit the aforementioned hormonal responses; a relationship

understood better still by observing the neighboring portion of the limbic system: the amygdala,

possibly the most important portion of the limbic system in terms of understanding the BDSM

experience.

The amygdala, as Sprott describes, is “central to aversive emotional processing,

especially fear and anger, emotions critical to physical survival…Medial amygdala is important

in sexual arousal” (Sprott 2.) It is believed that the amygdala’s role in processing the base

evolutionary responses of “fight or flight” and sexual arousal explain how quickly sex can turn

into a heated argument, or how fighting can lead to copulating. The role of the amygdala is made

conspicuous by its absence in experiments where monkeys’ amygdales were removed, producing

a condition described as psychic blindness. Gray describes these animals as retaining vision and

motor control, but inability to attribute psychological significance to objects: no longer

responding to stimulus they had previously learned to associate with fear or aggression, failing to
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distinguish between favorable and even inedible food objects, and similarly making no

distinction in their choice of partners (animate or inanimate) for copulating. Gray even notes that

similar effects have been seen in humans sustaining damage to the amygdala (Gray 226.)

Although sensitive to basic emotional drive, the amygdala is not a rational part of the

brain. Since the limbic system is evolutionarily older than the analytical neocortex, Coon and

Mitterer note that “cognitive learning has little effect on these lower brain areas” (Coon and

Mitterer 224.) This explains why conditioned phobias—or phobias “learned” from a negative

encounter with the stimulus—are often resistant to analytical reasoning, and are better treated

with desensitization therapy, or gradually exposing the phobic person to the stimulus of their

phobia (Coon and Mitterer 224.)

BDSM play is steeped in stimulus to excite the emotional, survival-oriented amygdala.

Because this part of the brain is disconnected from the neocortex, it will respond to threatening

stimulus even when the neocortex is fully aware that no actual threat exists. And since the

amygdala is also involved in learning, it may be the part of the brain responsible for personal

preference in BDSM play; the reason why a participant might enjoy the fearful stimulus of a

kidnapping scene, but find a discipline scene too steeped in fear stimulus from previous learning

(such as corporeal punishment in childhood) to be tempered by the rational neocortex and

integrated into a scene as erotic. Also, since the amygdala responds to fear before the neocortex

has analyzed the stimulus, as a survival strategy (Coon and Mitterer 69), intense, learned fears

may become activated in play before the neocortex has a chance to mediate the amygdala’s fear

response. Previously, we have discussed unavoidable emotional “hot spots” that may be

unwittingly triggered during play to the result of emotional upset. The amygdala is the part of the

brain that can most prominently be held culprit for this phenomenon.
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Finally, we reach the evolutionarily newest part of the brain: the cerebral cortex. The

cerebral cortex has many important functions, including processing sensory information and

negotiating motor control. The most relevant area of the cerebral cortex to the BDSM experience

is also the one we know least about: the frontal association areas. While primary sensory and

motor areas send and receive sensory and motor messages, the association areas use memory to

combine and interpret sensory information (Coon and Mitterer 63-64.) This part of the brain is

also distinctly associated with personality and emotion, as well as reasoning and planning.

Gray describes the pathway of pain, from sensory receptors to neocortex. After being

received, pain is interpreted by the somatosensory cortex, “the area of the parietal lobe that

receives input for touch and temperature as well as pain” (Gray 241.)

BDSM play is a psychodrama, and the cerebral cortex—specifically the prefrontal cortex

—is the part of the brain that lets us identify play as a fiction. BDSM scenes are specifically

constructed to excite the limbic system with stimuli that the prefrontal cortex can comfortably

interpret as illusionary. The obvious dichotomy of pain and pleasure coexisting in BDSM play

extends to the most physical reactions of the brain: it experiences the dichotomy of a stressed

limbic system and a secure prefrontal cortex that can enjoy the limbic system’s reactions from

the position of security and recreation.

Thus far, we have discussed the brain’s reactions to stimulus most typically (though not

exclusively) experienced by bottoms during BDSM play, as well as how a top might also take

advantage of these reactions from different stimuli. Pain elicits many complex responses that

make BDSM play exciting, erotic, and pleasurable for a recipient of such stimulus. However, we

must now turn our attention to the top: how does biology account for the pleasure a top,
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specifically, experiences during play?

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Angier, Natalie. Woman: an Intimate Geography. New York: Houghton Miffling

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