1. Sadomasochism Without Sex: A Research Study On The Dance Of Souls And A Search For The Essence Of SM
James K. Ambler, Evelyn Comber, Sarah A. Hanson, Kathryn R. Klement, Ellen M. Lee, Brad J. Sagarin, & Michael Wagner
Northern Illinois University

2. Research Hypotheses
Dance participants will consider the Dance as more sadomasochistic than sexual.
Dance participants will feel closer to others during the Dance.
Dance participants will experience an increase in positive affect and a decrease in negative affect from before to during the Dance.
Dance participants’ hormonal levels will change during the Dance.

3. Materials Surveys (before, during, after) Saliva Samples
PANAS
Self/Other Overlap
We Relationship
Flow
Open-ended questions
Why participate
Expectations of Dance
Saliva Samples
Cognitive test (card-sorting task)
Behavioral observations

4. Hypothesis Testing
Hypothesis testing is used to determine the likelihood of there being group differences
Null hypothesis – no differences
Alternate hypothesis - differences
A p value represents the chance, given that the null hypothesis is true, that you would obtain these results or results more extreme
For example, a p = .03 means that 3% of the time, when there are no group differences, we would obtain these results or results more extreme
Another way of looking at this, when there are no group differences, 97% of the time we wouldn’t obtain results this extreme
In psychology, we use a 5% cut-off (p = .05); this number is arbitrary but represents what we consider to be acceptable risk

5. Correlation Coefficient
The relationship between two standard variables
They range from -1 to +1
-1=negative relationship
0=no relationship
+1=positive relationship
Indicates a strength of a relationship (larger number indicates stronger relationship)
Just because there is a correlation between two variables does not mean that one causes the other
For example, the positive relationship between shark attacks and ice cream sales

6. Types of Correlations Perfect positive correlation (+1.00)
Perfect negative
correlation (-1.00)
No relationship (0.00)

7. Participant Demographics
Gender
Males: 20, Females: 26, Transgender: 3
Sexual Orientation
Straight: 15, Gay: 8,
Heteroflexible: 9, Bisexual: 9, Other: 8
BDSM Roles
Top: 18, Bottom: 16, Switch: 14
Age
Mean: 49 years old, SD: years
Range: years old

8. Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

9. Sexual Orientation and BDSM Roles

10. Sexual vs. SM
Extremely
p =.09
Not at all

11. Sexual vs. SM vs. Spiritual
Extremely
p =.01
Not at all

12. Correlations – Sexual, SM, Spiritual
And pre self/other overlap = .527 (p = .01)
And during self/other overlap = .423 ( p = .007)
Sexual
And pre positive affect = (p = .014)
And pre sexual arousal = .487 (p = .016)
And during sexual arousal = .758 (p = .001) SM
And pre sexual arousal = .647 (p = .001)
And during sexual arousal = .342 (p = .031)

13. Sexual Arousal
Extremely
p <.001
Not at all

14. Self/Other Overlap, Relationship with Others

15. Correlations – Self/Other Overlap
Pre self/other and during self/other = .463 (p = .026)
Pre self/other and pre positive affect = .33 (p = .019)

16. PANAS
Extremely
p = .175
p = .014
Not at all

17. Correlations – Affect
Pre positive affect and during positive affect = .605 (p = .001)
Pre stressed and during negative affect = .502 (p = .003)
Pre negative affect and pre stressed = .743 (p = .001)
During stressed and during negative affect = .507 (p = .007)

18. Stressed
Extremely
p = .14
Not at all

19. Cortisol
p = .064

20. SM Role x Sexual
p = .036
p = .046

21. SM Role x Spiritual
p = .057
p = .031

22. Behavioral Observations
Time
Activity
1:30 pm
Before-care
2:00 pm
Sage burning
2:30 pm
Dance begins
5:45 pm
Drumming ends
6:10 pm
All lights back on
The Dance lasted about 4 hours
Biggest group of dancers hooked together observed = 8
Not much verbal communication
Dancers mostly communicated through eye contact and gestures

23. Pre-Dance Qualitative Data
Why are you participating in the Dance of Souls? What do you hope to get from the experience?
“It is a wonderful way to exchange energy not just with my owner but with my tribe. It is transcendental & amazing. It is also a great way to release the negative.”
“I find peace, power, and well-being at these events.”
“To participate in high energetic levels and feel the transformation that can occur in myself and others.”
“I have had visions and deep spiritual experiences. Or not. But it's fun anyway.”

24. During-Dance Qualitative Data
Any current thoughts or feelings during the Dance
“I am in an amazing happy place. Serene yet joyous.”
“Connection through the drums and the tribe and the shared energy that overrides any pain and -opens my heart and mind to a focus beyond the physical.”
“Just very high!!!”
“Pleasantly exhausted”
“I'm very happy and aroused. I feel strong and beautiful.”

25. Post-Dance Qualitative Data
Please write down any thoughts or feelings:
“All throughout the dance, I felt very present and connected with everyone else there, but also recognized the work I was doing was my own work and needed my attention. I also felt closer to the spirits of those who have walked this earth before us and the Universe's energy abuzz inside me. It was beautiful and powerful.”
“Observed energetic releases of others, saw emotions stir in many; tears, anger, screaming, laughter, pure joy. Many had variety of different experiences. I got to share in all of them, and feel their release.”

27. Flow
Are skills required for the Dance?

28. Major Conclusions Mainly spiritual, less sexual or SM
Increase in connectedness to others
Reduction in negative affect
Higher body stress response, but reported reduction in psychological stress

29. What’s happening?
This talk available at

30. What’s happening?

31. Transient Hypofrontality Hypothesis
Common experiences of altered states of consciousness:
time distortions
disinhibition from social constraints 
changes in focused attention
Transient Hypofrontality States
-Runner’s High 
-Meditation 
-Dreaming 
-Day dreaming 
-Hypnosis 
-Various Drug Highs
Specific variations:
reduction of pain
feelings of floating
feelings of peacefulness
little consistent logic
difficulty with memory
feeling of living in the here and now
little active decision making
Dietrich (2003)

32. Consciousness as a Process

33. Limited Resources “The human brain has limited resources”
Specific structures receive more blood flow
“A minimum level of intensity is required to force the redistribution of resources in the brain.”
Dietrich (2003)

34. Transient Hypofrontality Hypothesis
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DL):  
Important for directed attention, temporal integration, and working memory
Working memory deficits cause:
Less abstract thinking
Less access to memory
Less self-reflective consciousness
Less cognitive flexibility
These lead to subjective changes
in consciousness
Dietrich (2003)

35. Escape from the Self Motivational; the self is sometimes burdensome
“Pain gradually obliterates psychological content, eventually leaving only the awareness of pain. One’s knowledge of the world is temporarily forgotten, and attention is narrowed to the immediate present, both spatially and temporally.” (Scarry, 1985)
Pain, interrupted action and failure feedback focus people’s attention
BDSM play
Pain
Bondage
Humiliation
Sex as a reinforcer
Baumeister (1988)
Vallacher & Wegner (1987, 1989)

36. Tentative Support? Transient Hypofrontality Escape from Self
Feelings of oneness with others, with the universe
Feelings of transcendence
Feelings of peacefulness
Spirituality, connectedness, altered consciousness
Rating the Dance as more spiritual than sexual or SM
Increase in ratings of self/other overlap
Escape from Self
Reduction in negative affect
Increase in physiological stress, decrease in psychological stress

37. In Conclusion… Problems?
Cognitive testing: transient nature, appropriateness of task
N size
This study was not a direct test of these theories
We can only interpret results cautiously
The context and framing elements of the conference may influence the way participants perceived the Dance
This is why we need to continue doing research!
Switch Study at APEX – March 29

38. Thank you!