Suffering: From Discomfort to Anguish
Suffering is a deep and complicated feeling — the prolonged experience of pain. In some situations, it serves as a warning system for danger or a natural deterrent to a potentially harmful stimulus, something to avoid. In other scenarios, suffering is a part of an ordeal path, something to be celebrated, to learn from, and to sit with. But no matter the experience, suffering includes the endurance of complex emotions and feelings. During this class, Jerith will talk about the different levels and types of suffering, from physical pain to mental distress, annoying discomfort to intense anguish. She will cover the reasons that she and others choose to include intense suffering in the scenes, how it enhances different aspects of BDSM, and pain processing techniques that can help you fully endure and experience it. In addition, she will discuss the tangled emotions that arise from wanting to be done with discomfort, torment, and agony but choosing to endure it anyway. The class will close with a demonstration of suffering, during which Jerith will be in intense and visible distress.