It was my own pre-judgmental revulsion with the moment of someone’s death being the moment of another sexual gratification that shielded me from a realization I still find it terrible to grasp.
Yes, I think it’s the ultimate form of a self-absorbing and selfish fantasy. Sure I understand the need many people have for self-abasement in sexual ways, but snuff I’m still struggling with.
I think the problem I may have, and perhaps others too, is that homicide almost always has a motivation that I can understand, and some kind of justification I can reason with, e.g. revenge, self defense, etc. Snuff on the other hand is totally self-indulgent.
Maybe the enjoyment some people derive from these stories is the thrill of being on edge? I remember when I was a kid and knew I was about to be punished, the adrenaline always seemed to run higher just before the spanking, rather than during or after it.