Pain play

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Template:Bias Pain play refers to many forms of consensual erotic play involving pain including spanking, flogging, caning, paddling, play piercing, and many others.

Some peoples eroticise pain in certain contexts. Pain releases endorphins and enkephalins which can contribute to a cessation of chronic physical or mental pain, a reduced sensitivity to pain, an overall sense of well being, and in some situations can induce altered states of consciousness such as subspace.

Enduring pain may also contribute to a sense of inner strength (masochismo). Pain play is a form of BDSM. The right psychological state is very important to perceiving pain in a positive way; if one fears permanent physical harm, pain can be unbearable and lead to extreme stress but if one knows that the appropriate safeguards have been taken, pain can be enjoyed. Pain endured during physical therapy or intense exercise which one expects to improve ones physical health produce an emotional and physiological reaction very different from one associated with serious physical injury. Some people who have suffered from prolonged and/or severe pain become more acquainted with the complex nature of pain and the body's physical and mental responses and thus are better psychologically prepared to understand the merits of pain play.

Evolution and environment produce people with a wide variety of characteristics, many of which give one the ability to excel in some circumstances and not in others. Human beings did not evolve in a world relatively devoid of physical pain and have coping mechanisms for dealing with pain and repairing minor damage; as with many other mechanisms in the body, it is possible that insufficient use may lead to physical or mental illness. The right amount and type of pain in the right circumstances can be cathartic. Part of the subtle art of pain play is inflicting enough pain to produce the positive effects without producing so much pain that the negative effects outweigh the positive ones. An acute awareness that potentially painful experiences exist without enough of an actual experience base with pain that was successfully dealt with can lead to unhealthy levels of fear and avoidance.

Many forms of pain play superficially resemble harmful activities and situations such as abuse, slavery, rape, assault, and oppression. A superficial resemblance does not, however, imply equivalence. The consensual nature, physical and emotional safeguards, and proper emotional care make these pain play activities fundamentally different from the harmful activities they resemble. Pain play is conducted within the ethical frameworks known as Safe, Sane, and Consensual (SSC) or Risk Aware Consensual Kink (RACK).

Those who enjoy pain are called masochists. Many people seem to lack the ability to eroticise pain or have yet to learn how to tap into that ability, though many benefit from the effect of endorphins after vigorous exercise.

See also

• sadomasochism
• paraphilia
• alternative sexuality
• human sexuality
• sex positive