Hurts So Good

Hurts So Good PDF Author: Leigh Cowart
Publisher: Public Affairs
ISBN: 9781541798038
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
An exploration of why people all over the world love to engage in pain on purpose--from dominatrices, religious ascetics, and ultramarathoners to ballerinas, icy ocean bathers, and sideshow performers Masochism is sexy, human, reviled, worshipped, and can be delightfully bizarre. Deliberate and consensual pain has been with us for millennia, encompassing everyone from Black Plague flagellants to ballerinas dancing on broken bones to competitive eaters choking down hot peppers while they cry. Masochism is a part of us. It lives inside workaholics, tattoo enthusiasts, and all manner of garden variety pain-seekers. At its core, masochism is about feeling bad, then better--a phenomenon that is long overdue for a heartfelt and hilarious investigation. And Leigh Cowart would know: they are not just a researcher and science writer--they're an inveterate, high-sensation seeking masochist. And they have a few questions: Why do people engage in masochism? What are the benefits and the costs? And what does masochism have to say about the human experience? By participating in many of these activities themselves, and through conversations with psychologists, fellow scientists, and people who seek pain for pleasure, Cowart unveils how our minds and bodies find meaning and relief in pain--a quirk in our programming that drives discipline and innovation even as it threatens to swallow us whole.

Hurts So Good

Hurts So Good PDF Author: Leigh Cowart
Publisher: Public Affairs
ISBN: 9781541798038
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
An exploration of why people all over the world love to engage in pain on purpose--from dominatrices, religious ascetics, and ultramarathoners to ballerinas, icy ocean bathers, and sideshow performers Masochism is sexy, human, reviled, worshipped, and can be delightfully bizarre. Deliberate and consensual pain has been with us for millennia, encompassing everyone from Black Plague flagellants to ballerinas dancing on broken bones to competitive eaters choking down hot peppers while they cry. Masochism is a part of us. It lives inside workaholics, tattoo enthusiasts, and all manner of garden variety pain-seekers. At its core, masochism is about feeling bad, then better--a phenomenon that is long overdue for a heartfelt and hilarious investigation. And Leigh Cowart would know: they are not just a researcher and science writer--they're an inveterate, high-sensation seeking masochist. And they have a few questions: Why do people engage in masochism? What are the benefits and the costs? And what does masochism have to say about the human experience? By participating in many of these activities themselves, and through conversations with psychologists, fellow scientists, and people who seek pain for pleasure, Cowart unveils how our minds and bodies find meaning and relief in pain--a quirk in our programming that drives discipline and innovation even as it threatens to swallow us whole.

Pleasure, Pain Or Purpose

Pleasure, Pain Or Purpose PDF Author: Al Daltrey
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781540490698
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
Life is many things, but one thing it isn't, is predictable. At times, pain weighs heavily on the heart, and then...the sky clears, the ground shifts, and happiness and pleasure return.Billie finally emerges from her emotional slumber. She learns that while David is gone, it doesn't mean that her life can't have restoration. Unless, secrets from her kinky past threaten the promise of a new future?Jasmin decides to take a page from Billie's book, and goes on a pilgrimage of her own. Lessons learned on the Camino de Santiago will help frame her outlook on life. Erotic encounters are never far behind.Vicky fights the good fight against the cancer that has taken root in her body. Andrew, for all his past indiscretions, stands by her every step of the way. Together, the battle only makes them stronger.Life is life, as the three best friends discover. It may not be easy...but together they find renewed purpose.

Pleasure, Pain Or Purpose

Pleasure, Pain Or Purpose PDF Author: Al Daltrey
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781534816077
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
EDITORIAL REVIEWS:Al Daltrey is in the top of his class when it comes to writing erotic stories. The plots are well thought out, the characters are realistic and superbly portrayed. Once again, I felt my own sense of loss when the book was finished. -K's Kinky but Classy BooksI'm continually surprised by Al Daltrey. There's so much going on in this book, but each part is told in a way that keeps you wanting more. Al has proven, once again, that he is a force to be reckoned with. -A Risque' Affair Book BlogThis is a story about life. And what an incredible journey it is. -Secrets From the Boudoir Book BlogI would highly recommend this to anyone that loves a good read. It's not your average book. Not your average storyline. It's unique and bold. Just sit back, read, and enjoy! -Kindle Friends ForeverNow on to important things when will Pleasure, Pain or Purpose: Book Three: Purpose be coming out? I need to find out what happens next. I am truly loving this series and can't wait for Book 3! -Tasty WordgasmsPart two was such a ride. From start to finish I was lost in the stories of these three women. Each going through so much in their own lives as well as together. I was ecstatic to start this second part, but talk about a roller coaster. -Our Bookstars BlogSYNOPSIS:"That's the thing about sex. It can mean the world to one person and nothing to the other." -Bilijana StevensBillie continued her trek to faraway exotic countries with the hope of healing from the devastating loss of David, the one true love of her life. Her journey takes her to a wild lesbian bar in Chile where she serves, a strict Shibari Master in Japan where she is put on display, and a tantric sex guru in India where she has an epiphany. But does any of it help her broken heart heal?Jasmin is torn between two powerful men. A heavily connected mobster, Diego, fresh out of prison, and her mild mannered boss, Gladstone, the consummate professional. What will win out, the desire for intense insatiable pleasure or true lifelong love? Unfortunately, she will learn that in life, one can't always control how things turn out.Vicky had it all. The perfect husband, a promising career, and beauty. Until cracks in the foundation appear. Mistrust, betrayal, and unforeseeable twists in the road. When it rains it pours. At a lowpoint, she comes to learn that, just when you think things can't get any worse, they do.Life goes on for the three best friends as they navigate incredible highs and crippling lows. That's the thing about life. It can be wonderful one minute, and tear at your guts the next. There is pleasure and there is pain.The only constant is their undying friendship.

Pleasure, Pain Or Purpose. Book Two

Pleasure, Pain Or Purpose. Book Two PDF Author: Daltrey Al (author)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781310207266
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Thrilled to Death

Thrilled to Death PDF Author: Archibald D. Hart
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1418574791
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 287

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Book Description
A fascinating exploration of the profound loss of pleasure in our daily lives and the seven steps for restoring it. Pleasure. We know what it feels like and many of us spend our days trying to experience it. But can too much pleasure actually be bad for us? Yes, says Dr. Archibald Hart, clinical psychologist and expert in behavorial psychology. Backed by recent brain-imaging research, Dr. Hart shares that to some extent, our pursuit of extreme and overstimulating thrills hijacks our pleasure system and robs us of our ability to experience pleasure in simple things. We are literally being thrilled to death. In this insightful book, Dr. Hart explores the stark rise in a phenomenon known as anhedonia, an inability to experience pleasure or happiness. Previously linked only to serious emotional disorders, anhedonia is now seen as a contributing factor in depression (specifically nonsadness depression) and in the growing number of people who complain of profound boredom. This emotional numbness and loss of joy are results of the overuse of our brain's pleasure circuits. In Thrilled to Death, Dr. Hart explains the processes of the brain's pleasure center, the damaging trends of overindulgence and overstimulation, the signs and problems of anhedonia, and the seven important steps we must take to recover our wonderful joy in living.

The Sweet Spot

The Sweet Spot PDF Author: Paul Bloom
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062910582
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
“This book will challenge you to rethink your vision of a good life. With sharp insights and lucid prose, Paul Bloom makes a captivating case that pain and suffering are essential to happiness. It’s an exhilarating antidote to toxic positivity.” —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife One of Behavioral Scientist's "Notable Books of 2021" From the author of Against Empathy, a different kind of happiness book, one that shows us how suffering is an essential source of both pleasure and meaning in our lives Why do we so often seek out physical pain and emotional turmoil? We go to movies that make us cry, or scream, or gag. We poke at sores, eat spicy foods, immerse ourselves in hot baths, run marathons. Some of us even seek out pain and humiliation in sexual role-play. Where do these seemingly perverse appetites come from? Drawing on groundbreaking findings from psychology and brain science, The Sweet Spot shows how the right kind of suffering sets the stage for enhanced pleasure. Pain can distract us from our anxieties and help us transcend the self. Choosing to suffer can serve social goals; it can display how tough we are or, conversely, can function as a cry for help. Feelings of fear and sadness are part of the pleasure of immersing ourselves in play and fantasy and can provide certain moral satisfactions. And effort, struggle, and difficulty can, in the right contexts, lead to the joys of mastery and flow. But suffering plays a deeper role as well. We are not natural hedonists—a good life involves more than pleasure. People seek lives of meaning and significance; we aspire to rich relationships and satisfying pursuits, and this requires some amount of struggle, anxiety, and loss. Brilliantly argued, witty, and humane, Paul Bloom shows how a life without chosen suffering would be empty—and worse than that, boring.

Shoes: Pleasure & Pain

Shoes: Pleasure & Pain PDF Author: Helen Persson
Publisher: Victoria & Albert Museum
ISBN: 9781851778324
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Published to coincide with the exhibition of the same name, first held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2015.

Pain, Pleasure, and the Greater Good

Pain, Pleasure, and the Greater Good PDF Author: Cathy Gere
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022650185X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 301

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Book Description
"Contents "--"Introduction: Diving into the Wreck" -- "1. Trial of the Archangels" -- "2. Epicurus at the Scaffold" -- "3. Nasty, British, and Short" -- "4. The Monkey in the Panopticon" -- "5. In Which We Wonder Who Is Crazy" -- "6. Epicurus Unchained" -- "Afterword: The Restoration of the Monarchy" -- "Notes" -- "Bibliography

Dopamine Nation

Dopamine Nation PDF Author: Dr. Anna Lembke
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1524746746
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES and LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER “Brilliant . . . riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued.”—Beth Macy, author of Dopesick, as heard on Fresh Air This book is about pleasure. It’s also about pain. Most important, it’s about how to find the delicate balance between the two, and why now more than ever finding balance is essential. We’re living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, Instagramming, YouTubing, tweeting . . . The increased numbers, variety, and potency is staggering. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. As such we’ve all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption. In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain . . . and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The lived experiences of her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives. In essence, Dopamine Nation shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.

Mercy for Today

Mercy for Today PDF Author: Jonathan Parnell
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
ISBN: 1535959266
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
You cannot make it without God’s mercy. Do we just need God’s grace in dark and shameful moments? Are prayers for mercy only for those times when we really mess up? Jonathan Parnell says we need God’s mercy all the time. In fact, contrary to many church cultures, Parnell shows that asking God for mercy should be as regular as asking God for our daily bread. There’s no doubt that David was in a terrible predicament when he first prayed the words of Psalm 51. It was a dark and shameful moment in the Bible, and one so dark and shameful it seldom feels relevant to us today. But David’s most desperate prayer is really a prayer for all of us—and not just for our worst moments, but for our every moment. In these pages, you'll discover: how to pray a daily, memorable prayer derived from Psalm 51 how to practice daily repentance and soul care how to pursue God and experience his joy in the Christian life This is God’s mercy, and it’s Mercy for Today.