Why are masochists seeking repulsive experiences?

How can a person derive a pleasure while someone drowns him with his own hands? Why do some people prefer to read Dostoyevsky from Mark Turin or watch movies like « The Shawshank Redemption » instead of « Legally Blonde »? How does it all relate to pain, what will masochism say and what are the masochists in the end?

The American author of « Hurts so Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose » Lee Kauart asks about the above examples: « Do you see a pattern among them all? », While few lines later, she replies: « These people choose the pain deliberately. »

Benign masochism

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 2023 study published in the Journal of Research in Personality defines him as « a search for enjoyment from commonly unpleasant experiences that are physically interpreted as repellent ». These experiences, which are negatively negative, are quickly followed by a sense of pleasure.

Carolina Hazar, a researcher at the University of Vyrtzburg in Germany And author of the study in the Journal of Research in Personality, he remembers encountered the term when studying why some people enjoy involved in activities that usually cause disgust or sadness.

Hazar compares these practices to sexual masochism, which also has shades, but ultimately seeks to satisfy through humiliation or beating. « These activities are both painful and harmful, » he explains.

Fictitious threat and masochists

In benign masochism, there is no real harm.

Mariana Castillo, a psychiatrist at HM Hospitales, explains that in benign masochism, « the main factor is that the environment is controlled and there is no pursuit of extremely intense senses. » She distinguishes benign masochists from those who seek extreme adrenaline outbursts, 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.

« Unlike benign masochists, these people do not require a safe environment. Instead of seeking pain or hassle, they chase the thrill of climax »

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

This change 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.

« The enjoyment comes from the realization that the threat is not real, » says Hazar.

Castillo adds: « This allows us to relax our defenses and let go of the physical feel. »

Previous studies have shown that pain and pleasure experiences activate similar areas of the brain, which are even overlined.

The main difference lies in the intensity of the stimulus and the way the brain interprets the condition based on the frame.

Therefore, it is difficult to determine whether benign masochism is a universal tendency in humans or if it is shaped by the personal history and cultural context of the individual.

However, research shows that this phenomenon is more widespread among certain types of personality.

« Benign masochism has been linked to antisocial characteristics, such as subclinical psychopathy and subclinical sadism, » Hazar explains.

Research on this phenomenon still has many gaps. Hazar believes that further research is needed to reveal the core of these impulses and answer the question of $ 1 million: why are the benevolent masochists seeking repulsive experiences?

« Maybe they do it to better understand themselves or to create links with others. They may also use it as a way to learn how to face challenges in a safe environment, ”the expert proposes.

As Lee Kauart writes in her book: « Our mind and body find meaning and relief in pain – a peculiarity in our planning that leads to discipline and innovation, even when it threatens to swallow us whole. »

*Source: El Pais English, Lights: Unsplash