I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a link between those interested in BDSM and those who experience a stimulus in one sense automatically triggering a perception in another.
This angle is genuinely underexplored in my research so far!
A huge part of my fascination with impact play is that I experience textures and colors associated with sounds. I also ‘have’ emotions through haptics and proprioception. This means that very subtle acts of dominance can be a sadistic feast.
I’ve noticed that some subs tend to be more disconnected than average from their internal experience. Perhaps that’s a factor that drives the urge for intense stimuli. I’ve also seen others who are exquisitely sensitive, to the point of being able to enter something like a dreamworld during play. It’s distinct from what I’d typically recognize as subspace, but is facilitated by it.
Whether you’re drawn to giving or receiving sensation- do you notice anything unusual about how you experience it?