What Really Happens To Your Brain Chemistry When You Get Spanked During Sex

When you're a kinky person, spanking is a part of your life. 

As a member of the BDSM community, you've definitely got opinions and personal preferences when it comes to getting spanked. 

Kink loving subs? We love it! Bring on the bare hand or the paddle or the flogger and let the spanking begin! Doms/dommes? They love it too, albeit it for very different reasons. 

Related: 3 Reasons Every Feminist Can (And Should) Enjoy Spanking
 

You might love getting beaten during your kinky sex, but that doesn't mean you've sat around and thought about what spanking during sex has to do with your brain. 

In fact, while your brain might be working overtime helping you get your kinky freak on, chances are you aren't pondering its chemical mysteries while enjoying spanking during sex. 

Luckily, that's where I, a professional kinky pervert, can be of some use. 

Here's what exactly is going on in your mind when you're enjoying a nice session of spanking with your dom/domme:

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1. Endorphins are released.

When you are in a subspace (ie: the transcendent feeling of being at the whim of your dom/domme) it is because loads of endorphins are being released into your brain.

Endorphins bind to opiate receptors in our brains to naturally relieve pain. 

So when he spanks you and it sends a thrill right through your whole body, you aren't just turned on, your brain is expelling chemicals designed to make you feel floaty and high AF. Nice.
 

2. Cortisol levels increase.

Cortisol is a chemical that we associate with stress. In fact, when you're stressed out, your body actually produces more of the stuff.

However, having more cortisol in your system is not necessarily a bad thing — especially not when we're talking about subspace. 

In fact, studies show that subs traditionally have a rise in cortisol, though they report feeling LESS stressed. It's more proof that for people whose kink is feeling pain, there is a real disconnect between physical reality and emotional reality.

Interestingly, for doms/dommes, studies found that their cortisol levels lowered and they also reported that they felcalmerlm after an encounter with their sub. 

It is fascinating how brain chemistry can work the same way for everyone but manifest in such different ways. It really reaffirms how important knowing yourself and your kinks is. 

3. Blood flow redirects.

One study decided to perform an interesting test on BDSM couples after a BDSM session. The researchers performed a Stroop test—a neuropsychological assessment commonly used to detect brain damage — before and after a scene.

It turns out that subs do much worse on this test, while doms/dommes show no difference at all.

The scientists inferred that the reason subs performed poorly on this test after a BDSM encounter is because their blood flow had been redirected from higher levels of thinking to lower levels of functioning. 

So that animalistic, dopey, high feeling you ride when you're in subspace? It actually exists and it makes you very bad at tests, apparently. 

4. Classical conditioning takes hold.

You know that whole "Pavlov's dog" thing where eventually the aforementioned dog would just start salivating every time the bell was rung because he associated it with receiving food? 

As a sub, you're responding to classical conditioning, too. 

So, if you know that being good and taking your spanking means that you will be rewarded and praised by your dom, your body will preemptively respond to the act of spanking itself. 

RELATED: 3 Ways Having Kinky-As-Hell Sex Is Like Eating Spicy Food

5. Operant conditioning takes hold. 

Operant conditioning is the exact opposite of classical conditioning. 

Let's say you show up to get spanked and your partner discovers that you aren't wearing the white cotton panties they prefer you to wear for spankings. 

Punishment? No spanking for you.

It's practically a guarantee that you won't ever show up without those panties again. 

It's all about punishment and reward. 
 

It is important to know all of this information about what happens to your brain when you are spanked during sex, especially since we live in a culture where liking anything other than vanilla sex can make you feel ashamed or embarrassed. The reason you like this stuff is, in part, because of your biochemical makeup! It doesn't get more straightforward than that.