Why are we always looking for the next thing that’ll scare us, that’ll get our adrenaline going?
It’s funny, because when I was growing up and first developed an interest in BDSM, I was sure that there was something wrong with Me. But I didn’t feel the same way about My love of horror movies, roller coasters, or sending Myself careening down a steep hill on a skateboard with high traffic at the bottom… How the hell did I survive My youth?
Anyway, as I said, while exploring BDSM from a submissive standpoint, I was always chasing that next rush, the next thing that would, basically, scare Me. So how is that different than looking for the next big roller coaster?
Well, it isn’t, and science is getting really good at telling us why. I’m sure you’ve all heard of adrenaline junkies and thrill chasers. This is the same thing. We’re chasing thrills, we want that adrenaline, and more to the point, we want the endorphins.
I’m not going to go into deep science, but think of it like this. When your body gets hurt or scared, it needs a defense, something to block the pain and/or fear and keep you from freaking out. Queue the endorphin. They not only block pain, but trigger feelings of pleasure. It’s the bodys home grown narcotic.
When someone says that pain is pleasure, they aren’t kidding. Our bodies are actually set up to mask pain and fear with pleasure.
So the next time you’re thinking that you must be crazy for liking this stuff, remember that it’s natural for you to feel a rush of pleasure when confronted with something that scares you. Why else would coaster parks and horror franchises be doing so well?
