Monday, July 26, 2010

From the Top Shelf - Highlights III


Here's another interesting highlighted excerpt on the subject of pain, from
S-M: The Last Taboo, by Gerald and Caroline Greene.


Pain, Ellis wrote, should be differentiated completely from cruelty. Sadism and masochism could be seen "as complementary emotional states"... "Any impulse of true cruelty is outside the field altogether... In algolagnia*, as in music, it is not cruelty that is sought; it is the joy of being plunged amongst the waves of that great primitive ocean of emotions which underlies the variegated world of our everyday lives." Pain then becomes "intense emotional excitement", a stimulus sought as well as given: "the real object throughout was to produce strong emotion and not to inflict cruelty." Just as some birds call out courtship cries at sight of an enemy (some women find anger in a man turning-on), so our parched sexual instincts could be aroused to new heights by a recognition of the true relationship between love and pain.
*Taking pleasure in inflicting or enduring pain.

Cruelty in music? Certainly music produces great extremes in emotion, as does pain. I love the comparison.


A woman correspondent wrote to Havelock Ellis:


The fascination of whipping, which has always greatly puzzled me, seems to be a hankering after the stimulus of fear... Excessive fear is demoralizing, but it seems to me that the idea of being whipped gives a sense of fear which is not excessive. It is almost the only kind of pain (physical) which is inflicted on women by persons whom they can love and trust, and with a moral object."
The association of pain, fear and sex is one I find fascinating. How about you?


From Hermione's Heart

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Monday, July 26, 2010
Announcement
I'm going to quit updating SpankaBum and will eventually shut it down.

I originally started it just to play with the html in the template.

But I got carried away as usual and thought I should update it.

I will merge the content from here with Bumtickler, my original blog.

I thank the readers, followers and commenters and hope that you will find something to tickle your bum on the other blog.

Thank you,
Bumtickler

ronnie said...

Yes have to agree, cutting it down to its raw essentials that's what it's all about - for all of us. No matter what spin we put on it or how complicated we make it.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

Hermione said...

Bumtickler - I'm sorry to hear that.

Ronnie - That's true. So simple, really.

Hugs,
Hermione