The sexual masochist rarely, if ever, truly seeks pain and suffering as an end in itself. At the most he is playing a role in his sexual perversions or in his everyday life. It reality he is seeking to destroy through his very masochism: he expects his tormenting partner to be punished through exhaustion from physical exertion and harm from sexual excitement. The sexual masochist fears passivity. He experiences little passivity in his sexual relations and cannot tolerate a passive attitude toward the tensions of sexual sensations. The need in all human beings for sexual gratification is accompanied by a seeking for the post-orgastic state of peace, a state without irritating internal or external stimuli. This phenomenon is connected with the physiological momentary unconsciousness that accompanies orgasm. It is suggested that this drive is a possible source of masochistic needs.

AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT