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From: a mean old Daddy, but I like you - Joni Mitchell
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I can’t imagine what the colleagues of Dr. Bruce Gross think when they read his curriculum vitae and see his Forensic Examiner article titled The Pleasure of Pain. I was very surprised when I read valid BDSM information and advice coming from the Forensic Examiner magazine. Here are some excerpts if you need to be “sold” on reading the article. Otherwise, jump to full article link at bottom of page.
“There is evidence of BDSM occurring across time and cultures, with perhaps the most widely known example being the Kama Sutra, written by Vatsysayana in 450 AD as a guide to maximizing sexual pleasure (Vatsysayana, 1964). As suggested by the Kama Sutra and as raised by Ellis in 1927, “pain” may not be an appropriate term or applied concept in the context of sadomasochism, in which (regardless of the underlying reason) pain is experienced as pleasure resulting in sexual gratification (Eulenburg, 1911). This paradox led to a paradigmatic shift away from a singular focus on pain, as pain itself is not perceived as erotic for every practitioner of BDSM and may be included in only one of many BDSM rituals practiced by those who do. As BDSM includes the desire or need for submission, domination, and humiliation for sexual gratification (often without requiring pain), the definition of BDSM shifted to a focus on the construct of an erotic power exchange.”
“Clinical and lay views on the practice of BDSM range from its being a form of normal, healthy sexuality, to being reflective of issues related to vulnerability and intimacy, to its being synonymous with mental illness. While dominance and submission are generally accepted as normal aspects of the continuum of sexual behavior, sadism and masochism are less so. In light of the fine line between pleasure and pain, it has been hypothesized that BDSM is associated with an atypically high pain threshold. As endorphins are autonomically released in response to both pleasure and pain, it has also been suggested that BDSM is associated with abnormally high levels of endorphins reinforcing an initial experimental or accidental experience with BDSM.”
“Within the BDSM subculture, there exists a division in thought (and in practice) related to safety measures (Masters et al., 1995). On one side are those who believe BDSM requires heightened risk to achieve heightened pleasure. The requisite imbalance of power becomes illusory when the interaction is negotiated and scripted, drawing emphasis to the difference in authenticity between playing a sexual sadist/masochist and being one. On the other side of the ongoing controversy are those who are adamant that the transfer or surrender of power and control should always be negotiated in advance.”
“The social and legal expectation for all sexual encounters is that each party has given informed consent and that each will respect and behaviorally conform to the other’s “no.” Without both elements a sexual act becomes a punishable crime.”
“Compared to more traditional or vanilla sex, the potential for missing or misreading a partner’s “no” is far greater in BDSM, given that the identifying power imbalance is manifested in signs of servitude, acts of blind obedience, desperate begging, vigorous resistance, and complaints of pain.”
“An increasing number of states are enacting mandatory arrest laws in situations of domestic violence that could potentially result in the arrest of one party (most likely the top) if for any reason the police are called to the location of the BDSM scene.”
“Those who advocate safe, sane, consensual (SSC) BDSM—also known as riskaware-consensual-kink (RACK)—recommend establishing safe-words (other than “no” or “stop”) that once spoken by either party will immediately stop the scene. If gagging is part of the sexual experience, a safe-sign should be created as well.”
“As a result of this normalization through familiarity, by the mid-1980s BDSM was no longer considered inherently indicative of mental illness.” “With the revisions made to the DSMIV in 2000, sexual sadism/masochism can be diagnosed if the fantasies or urges are acted upon, even if the individual does not suffer consequent distress or impaired functioning (APA, 2000). As noted by Masters et al., there are individuals with sadistic or masochistic fantasies that, while ego-dystonic, do not result in a level of distress sufficient for diagnosis and do not meet the criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder (Masters et al., 1995).”
“Healthy relationships are characterized by mutual trust and respect manifested in the negotiation of roles and boundaries in interactions. When BDSM is part of a relationship, this negotiation of roles and boundaries is critically important not only for the health and survival of the relationship, but also that of the individuals involved.”
The entire article is eloquent, informative, well researched and well written. I have never seen someone wrap up BDSM so thoroughly in a nice 6 page read like this before. Although short, it covers the origins, practice, cultures, SSC, legal consent, TPE vs D/s, legal issues, legal exposure of practitioners, beating the law, safety, psychology and etc. Hell, he even claims it’s normal and is one of the few doctors I’ve seen to associate algolagnia with SM. If the article presents nothing interesting to you I at least hope you enjoy the irony of the source being the Forensic Examiner as much as I did. Someone buy Dr. Bruce Gross a beer will ya!
Refernce:
Forensic Examiner, Vol:15, Issue:1, Date: Spring 2006, Pg: 56 – 61
Article: The Pleasure of Pain
By Bruce Gross Ph.D.
Format: PDF
http://www.theforensicexaminer.com/pdfs/spring06.pdf
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Please note: although this a magazine publication it is not BDSM in the news.
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