Gives gender-specific: Sado-masochism in dreams, while seemingly sexual in nature, may well show a propensity to tolerate an extreme attitude within a relationship, for both men and women. You might like to consult the entry for martyr for further clarification.
[1]The desire to hurt or be hurt in dreams through sex arises from two causes.
The first is to be a martyr (to suffer for one’s ‘sins’) and the second to feel extreme emotion of one sort or another. We may not allow ourselves to feel deeply in everyday life.
[2]Psychological / emotional perspective: Pleasure from pain, in the emotional sense in dreams, can alert us to our propensity to be a victim, albeit through a self-inflicted injury.
[3]Material aspects: In a mundane sense masochism in dreams can highlight our tendency towards lugubrious acceptance that we can do nothing about the circumstances we are in.
[4]Masochism can represent a desire to punish oneself out of guilt for a crime committed. Physical masochism in a dream can also represent psychological masochism.
[5]Spiritual masochism suggests an act of self-inflicted pain, such as self-flagellation.
The pain perversely brings pleasure. It can be an aspect of martyrdom.
[6]See Also: Sex
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