Pleasure and Pain

Scientists have identified the specific nerve fibres in the skin that transmit pleasure messages.

This is something different, because for years, they have been investigating what produces the sensation of pain, and how nerves convey that information to the brain.

It seems that, in order for a sensation to be recognized as pleasurable, the skin must be stroked at just the right speed. Too fast or too slow and the pleasure response doesn't happen.

I suppose the same could be said of the stroking that produces pain. Strokes that are too fast (yikes!) or too slow (yawn...) don't produce the same effect as strokes that are just the right number of seconds apart (yum).

Read the whole article here.

Expressions

A recent study carried out at Albright College found that it is often difficult to tell whether the expression on someone's face is one of pleasure or pain.

Ninety-one participants were shown pictures of the faces of men and women expressing either sexual pleasure or pain. Women were better at identifying pain, while men were better at recognizing arousal. The expression of pain was correctly identified more often than one of arousal. (Read the full story here.)

It would be even more difficult if they had been asked to examine the faces of people being spanked. Pleasure? Pain? Where does one end and the other begin? It's not just facial expression, either. The whole range of emotions and physical sensations that we spankees experience is hard to pin down and identify, never mind explain to the uninitiated observer. It's a continuum of delight and aversion that fluctuates and contradicts itself even as it's happening.

This thing we do is complicated.

...So Good

Yesterday evening ended just as I had hoped it would. It was a little unusual, because I took control of the activities, and that's something I rarely do. But last night, I wanted to please my man in every possible way. And I did.

And if part of his pleasure came from spanking me, so much the better. We both had a great time.