If you practice BDSM, you’re probably familiar with the hard-to-describe sensations that come after a play session (scene). It might be the floating, euphoric feeling often called subspace, or the calm, grounded sense of authority known as domspace. But have you ever wondered: why do pain and control produce pleasure? Is something “wrong” with our bodies?
In 2022, researchers Elise Wuyts and Manuel Morrens published a systematic review in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. They combed through medical databases to find answers. Their conclusion was clear: BDSM is not a pathology—it is a complex symphony of hormones and brain activity.
Let’s take a closer look inside the body’s “chemical factory” to understand what’s really going on.
1. The Secret of Subspace: When Stress Turns Into Pleasure
Many people assume that masochists or submissives enjoy pain because there is something wrong with their nerves. The reality is quite the opposite.
The Trigger: Cortisol (the Stress Hormone)
When entering a scene—especially those involving impact or restraint—the submissive’s body reacts immediately. Studies show that cortisol levels in a submissive’s saliva rise sharply during play.
In medicine, cortisol is often seen as the villain responsible for stress. In BDSM, however, cortisol acts as an alarm system. It tells the body: “We’re in a high-stress situation—do something!”
The Rescuer: Endocannabinoids (the Body’s Natural Pain-Relief System)
In response to this alarm, the body doesn’t just endure it passively. It releases natural chemicals called endocannabinoids (specifically AEA and 2-AG) into the bloodstream.
The name may sound familiar—it resembles cannabis. The endocannabinoid system works in a similar way to the active compounds in cannabis: reducing pain, creating calm, and inducing euphoria.
For a long time, people believed this “high” came from endorphins. However, newer research shows that endorphins are too large to easily cross the blood–brain barrier and directly affect the central nervous system. Endocannabinoids, on the other hand, are smaller and more flexible—and they are the true drivers behind the floating, dissociative feeling of subspace.
This mechanism is almost identical to runner’s high: the intense euphoria endurance athletes experience after pushing past their physical limits.
2. Why does spanking become "sweet"?
Science has illuminated the brains of BDSM players using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and discovered interesting things about how we process pain.
Reward System
When a normal person sees a whip, the brain activates the fear region. But when a BDSM player sees images of sadomasochism, a brain area called the Ventral Striatum lights up.
The Ventral Striatum is the center of the Reward System. This is where the signal "I like this, keep going" is emitted when you eat delicious food, have sex, or win the lottery. This proves that, for the brains of BDSM practitioners, pain in the context of play is "interpreted" as an attractive reward, on par with sex.
Context "Filter" (Parietal Operculum)
But why are subs so good at enduring pain? Research has shown that masochists have a higher Pain Threshold than normal people.
The secret lies in a brain area called the Parietal Operculum. This area is responsible for sensing touch and pain. In masochists, this brain region acts like a "sound filter". When you know you are in a safe scene, trusting your Dom, this area of the brain automatically "turns down the volume" of the pain signal. As a result, the pain becomes more bearable and less threatening.
3. Dom-space: Power and Connection
If the Sub gets high from endocannabinoids due to enduring pressure, what does the Dom get high from? The research by Wuyts and Morrens has shown a clear distinction.
Power Play
In Dominant individuals, the concentration of endocannabinoids also increases, but not due to causing pain. Their biological arousal depends on Power Play (the exercise of power and control). This affirms that Doms are not bloodthirsty individuals who enjoy seeing others in pain; they are people who find pleasure in the exchange of power.
Oxytocin
Another interesting finding related to Oxytocin – often referred to as the "love hormone." This substance is typically released when a mother breastfeeds or when couples cuddle.
Research shows that Oxytocin levels are elevated in female Dominants after play. This suggests that for them, the act of domination is not about distance or coldness, but rather a way to create a close and intimate bond with their partner. This is the biological foundation for the emotional "Aftercare" moments.
4. BDSM is Completely Different from Pathology
Finally, the report emphasizes the biological differences between consensual BDSM and criminal behavior (Coercive Sexual Sadism).
Sexual offenders exhibit abnormal activity in the Amygdala (the fear processing center) when seeing others in pain, and they lack connection to the brain regions that control emotions. In contrast, BDSM players maintain their social empathy functions and biological responses based on trust and safety.
Conclusion
BDSM, through the lens of science, is not a disease or a deviation. It is the human ability to use controlled pressure to activate the body's natural reward system.
From stress-inducing Cortisol, to euphoric Endocannabinoids, and love-addicting Oxytocin – all create a unique biological experience that only those involved can truly understand. So, feel free to enjoy your Sub-space or Dom-space, as science has proven: your body knows exactly what it is doing.
Author: Dr. Lux