Why would anybody experience discomfort and humiliation as sexually arousing? The puzzle of sexual torture has bedevilled psychology for some time now. That an individual would derive sexual enjoyment from the discomfort, embarrassment, and loss of control associated with the practice is a mystery, as these run counter to the most basic functions of the self – specifically, to prevent discomfort, keep self-esteem, and seek control.
Unlike other non-mainstream sexual practices (such as anal sex, prostitution, bestiality, group sex, etc.) torture is largely missing from historical texts, representations, and testimonials of sexuality before the 18th century. What’s more, the practice appears to be a Western cultural artefact, emerging – together with modern-day conceptions of the self – around the time of the enlightenment.
Even today, sexual torture seems unevenly dispersed around the globe. By readily available proof, it is most typical in the upscale West. Like other unconventional sexual interests, torture is more widespread in guys, although masochistic dreams appear to be more prevalent in women.
The term “masochism” was created in the late 1800s by Richard von Krafft-Ebing, the father of modern-day sexology, to describe a particular type of sexual pathology (torture) in which sensual enjoyment is acquired from being tortured, limited, or humiliated. The term was a reference to the author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, whose book Venus in Furs had a lead character set on being shackled and tortured by an attractive woman.
