I’ve extracted four bits to convince you that you might like to go read the entire article. The author speculatively explores the biochemical basis of the pleasure that masochists like myself get from pain.
A pain impulse will set off adrenaline production. Adrenaline is a “home made” (by the body) drug that will first of all create a state of higher alert. Adrenaline is produced when the body or mind experiences or suspects stress, pain, danger or uncertainty. Managers and sports people are usually real adrenaline junks and so are many of the people who are into erotic power exchange.
Endorphins may be – at least to a certain extent – one of the things lifestyle erotic power exchange revolves around. Although it is way too early for any scientific conclusions, it is becoming apparant endorphins play an important role in erotic power exchange scenes. Although endorphins are relatively “new” to the medical world – and even more so to psychologists and psychiatrists – it is quite generally acknowledged they play an important part in both our physical and psychological reactions.
Last but certainly not least the release of gonadotropin triggers the production of steroid hormones (amongst others the male sex hormone testosteron and the female counterpart oestrogen). To keep it plain and simple and very unscientific – there appears to be a direct links between endorphins (a.k.a. “emotion amino acids”) and the production of steroid hormones. Since we know some of the endorphins trigger direct EPE related emotions such as responses to pain, humiliation, uncertainty, love and affection, there seems to be a direct hormonal link between these emotions and sexual arousal. Why this happens to some people and not to others is probably the question that will eventually be found somewhere in the DNA-encoding.
Serotonin, found in many parts of the body, has immediate emotional effects. An increase of serotonin that follows introduction of its biological precursor into the brain generates signs of ecstasy and euphoria. Drugs that immitate the effects of serotonin have analogous chemical structures and produce excitement, hallucination and agitation. Drugs that are serotonin antagonists tend to generate feelings of depression. Psilocybin (found in certain mushrooms), used in Yucatán for centuries to induce trance states and LSD are serotonin-like.
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