Masochism: Because we are looking for experiences that associate pleasure with pain

What comes to mind when you imagine a masochist; The American writer, Leigh Cowartsuggests that it could be someone who breathes through a hole in a latex outfit. Or be a person who works very hard, who bite his towels or dancing ballet until his legs are numb. A masochist, Cowart says, could be a tattoo fan or like hot sauces or a marathon runner who is recorded in a race -free race.

“Do you see a pattern between all of them?”the journalist asks in her book Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose. And a few lines later, replies: “These people choose pain on purpose.”

Everyone can, in one way or another, be a little masochists and enjoy it. Masochism is a spectrum and one of its shades is what researchers call “benign masochism”. A study of 2023, published in ‘Journal of Research in Personality’, defines him as’Search for enjoyment from commonly unpleasant experiences performed physically as repellent ». These experiences, which are negatively negative, are quickly followed by a sense of pleasure.

Karolina Dyduch-Hazar, researcher at the University of Würzburg in Germany and author of the study ‘Journal of Research in Personality’he remembers encountered the term when studying why some people enjoy participating in activities that usually cause disgust or sadness, as El Pais writes.

“For example, because some people prefer to read Dostoyevsky’s books instead of Mark Twain, watch films such as The Shawshank Redemption instead of Legally Blonde, or watching video with pimples instead of cute videos.”. In short, his understanding why people are looking for enjoyment, fun, and even satisfaction by participating in unpleasant but harmless activities.

The scientist compares these practices to sexual masochism, which seeks satisfaction through humiliation or beating. “These activities are both painful and harmful”explains. According to her, in “benign masochism”, there is no real harm.

Mariana Castillo, psychiatristexplains that in “benign masochism”, “the main factor is that the environment is controlled and there is no pursuit of extremely intense senses.” She distinguishes the “benign masochists” from those who seek extreme adrenaline outbreaks, such as paratroopers. “Unlike benign masochists, these people do not require a safe environment. Instead of seeking pain or hassle, they chase the thrill of climax »he adds.

The explanation of the phenomenon

In early 2023, a team of researchers from the University of Cambridge published a work claiming that “benign masochism” “It refers to the enjoyment of – beginning – negative experiences, which the body (the brain) interprets incorrectly as threatening. This awareness that the body has been fooled and that there is no real danger leads to pleasure. “

“A possible explanation of why there are such people is that they enjoy the sudden change that comes with the realization that the mind has been fooled by the body,” Experts say.

This change, according to themselves, shows that the threat is not real, even though the body perceives it as such. When you watch a horror movie or ride the amusement park train, the heart rhythm increases and releases adrenaline. The body reacts to these stimuli in the same way that he would react if, during a walk in the mountains, he suddenly encountered a bear.

Previous studies have shown that pain and pleasure experiences activate similar areas of the brain, which are even overlined. The channels of pleasure and pain are linked in such a way that when experienced the same feeling, the body can interpret it as pleasant whether it is mild or as painful if it is very strong. The main difference lies in the intensity of the stimulus and the way the brain interprets the condition based on the frame.

It is therefore difficult to determine whether “benign masochism” is a universal tendency in humans or whether it is shaped by the individual’s personal history and cultural context. As Leigh Cowart writes in her book: “Our minds and bodies find meaning and relief in pain. It is a peculiarity in our planning that leads to discipline and innovation, even when it threatens to swallow us whole … “.