#141 The Neuroscience of BDSM: Pain, Pleasure & the Kinky Brain with Hermes Solenzol Part 1

You can listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

The Erotic Realm podcast explores eroticism in all its forms, including the darker desires of BDSM and kinky sexuality. It’s mission is to humanise eroticism one erotic realm at a time.

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In this episode I’m joined by Hermes Solenzol, a pain neuroscientist, writer and lifelong kinkster, to explore the fascinating relationship between BDSM, pain, pleasure, sadism and the kinky brain.

We explore:

• The neuroscience of BDSM and why pain can become erotic pleasure.

• How the brain processes pain, anticipation, arousal and desire.

• BDSM pain thresholds and how context can change pain perception.

• Subspace, altered states of consciousness and the neuroscience of kink.

• The psychology of consensual sadism and compassionate dominance.

• Becoming a BDSM switch and exploring both sides of power exchange.

• BDSM, spirituality, Buddhism and the subjective experience of pain.

• Free will, monogamy, polyamory and the psychology of human relationships.

• Sexuality and ageing: remaining erotic at 69 and beyond.

• Erotic fantasy, writing and discovering ourselves through imagination.

Further reading: Beyond Pain: A Study on the Variance of Pain Thresholds Within BDSM Interactions in Dominants and Submissives.

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Thanks for listening!

Stay perverted,

Emma

Founder of Psychology of Desire | Host of The Erotic Realm

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The Psychology of Desire partners with aligned brands in the realms of psychology, sexuality, and symbolic transformation. Interested in sponsoring? Start here.

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p.s Want to explore my writing?

The Psychology of Desire Case File Series:

1. The Sole of Desire: Foot Fetish Origins | Psychology of Desire: Case File #1

2. The Psychology of Cuckolding: Jealousy, Power, and the Erotic Mind | Psychology of Desire: Case File #2

3. The Female Orgasm Demystified | Psychology of Desire: Case File #3

Mating in Captivity and the Lost Rituals of Desire: What modern relationships forgot about mating.

Auralism: The Psychology of Erotic Sound: Why Do Some People Hear Desire?

My Erotic Journey: From Repressed to Expressed

Free Giveaway & What’s happening in the Psychology of Desire Realm: The Desire Dispatch #01– June Edition

The Shadow’s Playground: When Suppressed Desires Visit Us in Dreams

Consent Doesn’t Have a Gender

The Sole of Desire: Foot Fetish Origins | Psychology of Desire: Case File #1

What Your Erotic Dreams Reveal About Your Deepest Desires

The Secret Life of Your Desire

Why Your Desires Are More Normal Than You Think.

What If Everything You Know About Men and Women Is Wrong?

A Love Note To Men.

The Hidden Key to Lasting Desire: It’s Not What You Think

Are Men and Women Wired Differently For Desire?

And don’t forget my Jung of Sex Series:

1. The Jung of Sex | The Alchemy of Libido

2. The Jung of Sex | The Individuation of Desire

3. The Jung of Sex | The Erotic Mirror

4. The Jung of Sex | The Archetypes of Desire