There's a reason our emotions are also called our feelings. It's because we feel them. Heart pounding, nerves tingling, blood rushing to different parts of our body… these are all physically felt in the same way we feel a smack on the ass.
We know that some people are delighted by bodily sensations others would avoid, such as jumping from an airplane or being beaten with a bullwhip. So it should come as no surprise that some folks get an erotic thrill out of the sorts of feelings others would avoid: things like embarrassment, jealousy, shame, and fear. This truth is at the core of erotic humiliation play.
This article appears in May 5-11, 2011.