At SexEggheads, we’re proud to share not just our own projects, but also the communities we’re part of. One of the most inspiring is the Science of BDSM research team — a dynamic group of psychologists and scientists who have been pioneering the systematic study of kink for nearly two decades. Randal and Theandra are honored to introduce you to the team that makes it possible. Randal has been a team member for the last two years. Theandra has been an active computational collaborator (her phrase) on many projects, including some already submitted for publication!
The Science of BDSM Lab was founded in 2008 at Northern Illinois University, and from the start, it has stood out for one thing: treating BDSM as a legitimate subject of scientific inquiry rather than a punchline, pathology, or subculture footnote. Their guiding principle is that BDSM is playful, consensual, and worth understanding on its own terms.
The team has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, tackling questions that go far beyond the clichés. How do BDSM scenes affect stress and pain? What role do endorphins and endocannabinoids play? How do people negotiate trust and intimacy through power exchange? Each study chips away at stigma while also building a nuanced, evidence-based picture of what BDSM really is: a complex, embodied form of play with profound psychological depth.
The lab’s founder and director, Dr. Brad Sagarin, leads with clarity and rigor, steering projects that bridge the worlds of psychological science and lived BDSM experience. Under his leadership, the team has grown into a hub where graduate students, researchers, and community collaborators can push the frontiers of knowledge together.
So, what does this mean in practice? Imagine a team with a kink for statistical analysis, tracking cortisol levels and heart rate variability in the middle of a flogging scene. Or designing controlled studies of aftercare, altered states, and negotiation strategies. It’s science done with precision, but also with respect for the people whose lives and desires make it meaningful.
For those of us at SexEggheads, the Science of BDSM team represents something bigger: a model of how to do research with communities rather than on them. They’ve proven that kink is not only compatible with science — it’s fertile ground for discovery.
If you’d like to dive deeper, their team page and publications list are a treasure trove of insights.