Jennifer Erickson is a Ph.D. candidate in the Social/Industrial-Organizational Psychology program at Northern Illinois University. Her primary research interests include the positive consequences of pain, altered states of consciousness, extreme rituals, and sadism. As part of the Science of BDSM research team, Jen has presented her work at several academic conferences and has presented workshops at several BDSM-community conferences and clubs. Erickson is part of the research team that Phoenix B mentioned in our April interview. She talks to us about the research methodology used to study the hook pull ritual and why they chose those methods. We talk about a few different ways they gathered data, what that data tells us, and why these results are relevant for the broader population. I practice saying "Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory"; I never did get it right but Jen explains what this important measurement means. We also learn the terms "flow" and "transient hypo-frontality". We talk about the chemical and brain wave changes a person goes through during these events, and she teaches us the difference between everyday sadism and pro-social sadism. We dive into a discussion about the extreme rituals/intense events we experience in life, such as birth, how these experiences affect us, and we ponder why these powerful events are cloaked in suspicion and fear. To join us for a live QA& on May 20th at 5:00 PM PDT, go to Our Website and click "Join our Community". Everyone is welcome and it's a free community, but joining as a supporting member gives you access to all the Q&A recordings and extended versions. I had to cut out 25 minutes of thought-provoking information from this fascinating conversation. Here is a link to the Science of BDSM Research team's publications and presentations.

Ritual Cutting with Phoenix B is the first in our series on Transformation through Extreme Ritual. Get ready to think outside the box as you learn the ways that other people practice communal, ritualized healing.

Pelvic Floor Health, Birth, Death, and Sex. Join us for this interesting, sometimes funny, sometimes serious conversation.

We need connection, kindness, and communication now more than ever. It is time to end the anxieties around sexuality that drain our energy, distract us from what is important, and distance us from our innate connection to the world around us. Brian Gibney is a licensed, professional Surrogate Partner Therapist. In this episode, he explains the importance of the life-changing work that he does and dispels the myths that surround this specialized therapeutic modality. On January 21st, Brian will join us in our community for a live Q&A session. He will share more information about the benefits of his work (because 30 minutes is not enough), and he will teach us some exercises that we can use in our lives to enrich our relationships and strengthen our communication skills. He will also talk about what he liked and what he didn't like about the film "The Sessions", which is the only reference point that many folks have about this type of therapy. This is the final episode of Season One of The Pleasure Principle Podcast. We will be back on March 15th as we continue to explore what Sex-Positive Consciousness means to each one of us and how we can use this shift in awareness to create a new, more compassionate world. Here are some links related to the content from today's episode: AASECT International Professional Surrogates Association Surrogate Partner Therapy Resources

Join us in part two of our series on the dreaded herpes virus as we talk with STIgma slayer Rae Kennedy, RN about her herpes support group Positive Results. Get ready to learn more about herpes than you ever thought you wanted to know and prepare to be deputized as a Herpes Stigma SLAYER. Find Rae on her website HERE In Part I of this series, we talked about the medical facts and myths about this virus. In Part II, we examine the emotional and social implications of a herpes diagnosis; including when and how to disclose. How do you have that conversation with family, friends, and potential lovers? More importantly, how do you turn that talk into one that is empowering for you and your relationships? Believe it or not, you're going to really enjoy this episode! I promise. Join us in our community on December 20th at 5pm PST for a live Q&A with Rae You can always get more information here on our website We are only one of the innumerable creatures inhabiting this planet; currently, there is a particular virus strain that has captured our attention and is a daily topic of conversation. Unfortunately, the general phobia around sexuality and the aversion to talking about genitals (with the appropriate terminology prevents us from having productive conversations about the microbes that cause Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in the same open manner. Like it or not, the herpes virus is a ubiquitous presence in our lives and though it is not generally life-threatening, along with HIV, it has the dubious honor of being the most feared and stigmatized sexually transmitted infection of all. At this point, there is no cure, so once you are infected with HSV-1 or HSV-2, it never leaves you. However, the virus itself is very manageable, it is the stigma around herpes that causes real devastation. I've been thinking a lot about microbes, in general, a lot lately. How they influence us, create or end relationships, how we couldn't live without them, yet sometimes they lead to our demise. In this episode, I mention Dr. Nicolas Christakis, and his research and books. I highly recommend them! (I confess he is one of my current fantasy guests so I'm putting this request out into the universe so that someday- I'll have the courage to contact him for an interview. I know he'd have a lot to say about how microbes affect our sexual relationships and our attitudes about sex.)

We are only one of the innumerable creatures inhabiting this planet; currently there is a particular virus strain that has captured our attention and is a daily topic of conversation. Unfortunately, the general phobia around sexuality and the aversion to talking about genitals (with the appropriate terminology prevents us from having productive conversations about the microbes that casue Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in the same open manner. Like it or not, the herpes virus is a ubiquitous presence in our lives and though it is not generally life threatening, along with HIV, it has the dubious honor of being the most feared and stigmatized sexually transmitted infection of all. At this point, there is no cure, so once you are infected with HSV-1 or HSV-2, it never leaves you. However, the virus itself is very manageable, it is the stigma around herpes that causes real devastation. Join us in part one of our series on the dreaded herpes virus as we talk with STIgma slayer Rae Kennedy, RN about her herpes support group Positive Results. Get ready to learn more about herpes than you ever thought you wanted to know and prepare to be deputized as a Herpes Stigma SLAYER. Find Rae on her website HERE In Part I of this series, we talk about the medical facts and myths about this virus. In Part II, we examine the emotional and social implications of a herpes diagnosis; including when and how to disclose. How do you have that conversation with family, friends and potential lovers? More importantly, how do you turn that talk into one that is empowering for you and your relationships? Believe it or not, you're going to really enjoy this episode! I promise. Join us in our community on December 20th at 5pm PST for a live Q&A with Rae You can always get more information here on our website

This month's episode contains explicit language. For a beeped version, email me at [email protected] to request a beeped version. I'll be happy to do that for you. This month's episode is lighthearted and inspiriational. I thought we could all use a bit of laughter and fun right now. So- Here you go! From Dawn's Website: "I specifically work with conscious sexuality, pleasure positivity, and manifesting (what I like to call femifesting) with pleasure because I have found that all these combined have gotten my clients and myself the best results for truly living the life they want. Pleasure is meant to be a safe, sacred experience, and living in pleasure creates a life that we flourish in instead of hiding from. This is the work I hope to achieve in this lifetime. I look forward to talking to all about the benefits from pleasure, the helpful ways you can apply pleasure to life and business, and specifically how to use pleasure to live a full and prosperous life." After you listen to this interview, write down your questions about Erotic Blueprints, Intentional Orgasms, Femifesting, and any other magical tips and tricks you'd like to learn from this Bada$$ Fairy Godmother. Then join us on Friday, December 4th from 5-6:00 PM PST and you can ask Dawn those brilliant question face to face. Click HERE to join our online community for that discussion Here's our website Here is Dawn's website

This month we are so lucky to have the opportunity to spend time with Joan Price; she has been "Talking Out Loud about Senior Sex for 15 years". Find Joan and all she offers at: www.joanprice.com Joan Price calls herself an advocate for ageless sexuality. She is the author of four books about sex and aging, including the award-winning Naked at Our Age: Talking Out Loud about Senior Sex and Sex after Grief: Navigating Your Sexuality After Losing Your Beloved. Joan's blog (https://joanprice.com/blog) has been offering senior sex news, views, and sex toy reviews from a senior perspective since 2005. At age 77, Joan Price continues to talk out loud about senior sex -- partnered or solo - in speeches, workshops, and webinars. She writes the Sex at Our Age column for www.SeniorPlanet.org and is the "resident senior sexpert" for the Senior Sex Hub at www.HotOctopuss.com. Joan is the co-creator of the film, "jessica drake's Guide to Wicked Sex: Senior Sex," which won AASECT's AV Award 2020. Find Joan and her books and blog at https://joanprice.com. This is also the month we are launching our online community for seniors, anyone who plans to be a senior someday, or anyone who knows and loves a senior, here at www.community.joyfulsexed.com. On October 24th we will be hosting an open house so that you can come in and get a feel for what this space will offer. I'll offer a tease of my Power of Pleasure workshop, we'll have a virtual sit down, face to face conversation with Dr. Don Lucas, Toni Solene, and Dr. Joli Hamilton. If you haven't listened to these three episodes, go back and do it- because this is your chance to ask them questions and tell them how much you enjoyed their wise words. We'll also have a social hour at the end of the evening so that y'all can get a chance to meet each other. This is going to be an enriching and supportive community that offers the safety and confidentiality that FB cannot. Please join us on Saturday, October 24th from 5-8 eastern time, I know you'll love it!

Episode Notes for "Jealousy Destigmatized with Dr. Joli Hamilton" Make peace with the Green-Eyed Monster, Jealousy. Dr. Joli Hamilton talks about the history of marriage, defangs the complex emotion of jealousy, tells us what we can gain from talking about this taboo topic, offers a fundamental understanding of the alternative family structure of polyamory, turns us on to the magical word "numinous", offers a lesson on the archetypal framework of jealousy, recounts some dramatic moments in Greek mythology that educate us about the power of this emotion, discusses how we can end the tragedy of extramarital affairs, and help facilitate a positive direction as the world experiences a shift in consciousness. Whew! It's a loaded episode and this shortened version will get you started. To hear the longer version, sign up on a waitlist for our Joyful Sex Education Community. Don't forget to click subscribe so that you are updated each time an episode comes out. If you love the guests on this podcast as much as I do, please rate and review! Here is a link to the Intercepted Podcast episode that ties in perfectly with this episode. Find out more about Dr. Joli Hamilton here. Here is a link to her informative and readable dissertation. If you want to dive deeper into this topic, here is a list of publications she recommends: Jealousy in the context of polyamory: · Cathy Labriola's Jealousy Workbook · Kitty Chambliss's The Jealousy Survival Guide For Polyamory: · Sophie Lucado Johnson's Many Loves (memoir and more) · Carrie Jenkin's What Love Is and What it Could Be (philosophy but so readable!) For non polyamorous jealousy, Dr. Hamilton recommends: · Ayala Malach Pines, "Romantic Jealousy: causes, symptoms, and Cures" (though Dr. Hamilton says, "I would NEVER use the word cure in relation to jealousy, however many people do and Pines handles the topic extremely well."

What can the Leather Community teach us? Toni Solenne is a sex positive social activist warrior! We talk with her about what the leather community means to her; we hear about her new book- "Women in Leather: Shaping Our Own Identity. Have you ever wondered what those kinky people are all about? In this interview, you will hear from a Leatherdyke about what this concept means to her and why she was drawn to this community. Not into kink? That's okay! These words of wisdom are for you too. You can find Toni's book on Amazon, search for "Women in Leather: Shaping Our Own Identity" by Toni Solenne