Processing the Pain into Pleasure | Intense Sensation Play

How does someone derive pleasure from receiving “intense sensation” or pain? Processing pain into pleasure is something that you improve on over time. Good pain processing skills can increase your enjoyment of SEX and BDSM scening, along in aiding you and your partner engaging in more intense sexual scenes. Whether your vanilla lovers or experienced BDSM partners, you can take their sexual relationship to higher levels using intense sensation play. The Top or Dominate partner as well as the bottom or submissive partner both experience BIG WINS doing this type of play because it increases your body’s self awareness and helps with reduction of anxieties. The key to remember is everyone experiences pain differently. You’ll need to experiment and practice to find which techniques that work best for you and your partner during Intense Sensation Play.

Instead of only thinking about this as pain, as practicing sadomasochism, which some couples aspire to work toward, think of this as a technique that is used during any sensation play. Some examples of intense sensation play are spanking, nipple play, clit play, hair pulling, biting, flogging, tight bondage, poking/pricking/scratching with the Wartenburg wheel and Dracula’s glove. Even tickling can be an intense sensation. Most of these are external markings, but there are also internal sensations such as forced orgasm control and edging that you can learn to take the pain and process it into a pleasure.

Your Brain and Pain

The pain itself, may not be the point of a pain to pleasure scene. Pain can be used as a key that unlocks a feel good space to explore new sexual heights. When we are in pain, our body releases chemicals to our brain called adrenalin and endorphins to help us heighten and manage intense sensations. These chemicals can make you feel high, some people call it subspace. I describe subspace as a similar sensation to a runner’s high. Do you know someone who likes rollercoasters, bungee- jumping, or being scared? Our bodies, when doing something like this, give us a rush of adrenalin and endorphins.

Pain to Pleasure Techniques

Breathing

“Hee-hee-hoo” then “pant-pant-blow”! Lamaze anyone? If you’ve ever used Lamaze or seen someone using Lamaze breathing during childbirth, you know how effective it can be in combating pain, whether you use slow breaths or shallow, rapid breaths.

The first pain to pleasure technique that came to mind is, breathing. I learned when we first began this dynamic and doing scenes, DO NOT FORGET TO BREATH. Holding your breath, you may get lightheaded, hyperventilate, or even pass out. I did learn that just like when I was in labor with the kiddos that breathing can help you through any intense situation or sensation. Stub my toe, breath……… Break a nail, breath……… Work pain into pleasure to heighten a scene, breath!

Tension

Tensing your body is a natural response to pain. Tensing of any of the body is counter productive. Try to relax into sensations whenever you can. Tension can also work for you if you learn to use it in the right times and scenerios. Try intensionly tensing another part of your body may make it easier for you to relax the part that’s in pain.

Vocalizing

Have you ever watched a movie where someone gets kicked in the testicles? You and the person getting kicked make a noise, UGHHHHH! Makes me think of an entertainment we had at one of our annual events! Some of you reading this know exactly what happened. But, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas! Making noise can help you endure and process pain. Yelling, swearing, and moaning can all work well in scenes as it is a form of communication to your partner. If you’re going to let it out, let it out loud! Yell out those traffic light signals. You know green means GO, yellow means slow down or lighten up, and RED means STOP!!!!!

Shifting

If you feel like you’re reaching your limit but want to keep the scene going, changing the type or location of the pain may increase your stamina. For instance, a spanking scene you may want to tell your partner that if you use yellow, which means caution or slow… It can also mean they need to give you a minute to process or shift your legs or buttocks or que them to change their spanking area.

Focus, Meditation, and Distraction

Reducing sensory overload can increase your ability to manage intense sensations and pain. Focusing your attention on parts of your body that are feeling good. Release the parts that are recieving the pain or intense sensation.

I do a mental meditation, I think about a door, with a knob that I am reaching for, as I get closer and closer I reaching out your hand, stretching my fingers until I reach the door and the pleasure has begun. There are many meditations you can use.

Some people find it very helpful to distract themselves from the pain. Wiggling, snapping fingers, even holding a squeeze ball, tensing and releasing muscles. We have even used yoga blocks or positions that will distract me from the pain of intense sensations.

Distractions can be used for good and evil, as you will see below.

Sensory Deprivation and Addition

Using a blindfold or headphones to block out sensory input can often make it easier for you to concentrate on other things. Sensory depravation can be used to help manage pain. You can also add music or sounds to headphones to distract or add pleasure.

Temperature Play

Hot and cold, temperature play is a good accessory for sensation. It can draw your attention away from your painful sensations and or add to it. Heating and cooling glass, metal or skin like sex toys and tools to use as distractions or additions to the pain to pleasure. Do your homework try out these toys ahead of time and know your partners reactions to them BEFORE adding to a scene or play.

Pressure and Pinch

Applying pressure or a slight pinch (heavy grab) can often distract the brain’s neural pathways to pain. Try this with massage, being gripped and held tightly. Using bondage or being bound firmly with a leather restraintm or rope. Another great pressure or pinch is the use of nipple and clitorus clamps.

Sexual Edging, Promise, and Power Exchange

I left the BEST for last, sexual edging and promise of a happy ending is an most effective form of distraction during intense sensations. Heck, it’s the best way for the TOP or Dominant partner to get the most from their bottom or submissive partner. The bottom or sub wants to please their partner and therefore climb the pain to pleasure mountain just for them, gaining their pleasure by doing so. It’s all about the power and pleasure exchange that happens in the play and scene.

Remember that pain tolerances do drop abruptly after orgasm. So, once your partner climaxs then you must step back on pain and let them reprocess into pleasure all over again.

Downtime Review

It’s always good to go through all these techniques, read this article and review during your downtime communication with your partner. Plan your sexual scenes or playtimes together. Think of it as practicing to make a better and better show. Honestly Communicating about your desires and willingness to try these types of things is very good for building trust and respect in a marriage or long term relationship.

Dominance and Submission Dynamics

Are you wanting a little MORE meaning to your relationship & sex scenes or just wanting to try a little BDSM play to heat up your bedroom? Try our D/s-M Communities, subMrs.com or husDOM.com. Both communities are based on good marital communication and relationship skills. All the edge without your marriage or relationship getting cut. We base all our foundations on a monogamous relationship. Both communities have separate Discord communities.