| Edge
Play |
 This
is a term used for activities that carry a degree of risk which is perceived
to be high, or play which pushes the submissives limits 'to the edge'.
Hard to define, because what one person perceives to be 'high risk' might
be yawn inducing in others. Edge play could involve activities that are
physically risky (eg the use of guns or knives in a scene) or ones that
are emotionally risky (eg play that involves 'taboo' subjects like rape,
slavery, or indeed anything the submissive is genuinely uneasy or phobic
about). Things like bloodsports, electrical torture,
knife play, and erotic asphyxiation
are examples of physical 'edge play' or 'edgey' activities. If you
are going in for 'Edge' play then make sure you ask about and understand
your submissives limits, plan it carefully, make sure you have a safeword,
and be careful about drugs or drinking, both of which impair judgement
and can be responsible for nasty and sometimes fatal accidents. |
| Electrical
Torture (Electro Play) |
 I
guess we've all seen movies where the villains attach elecrodes to the
heroes dangly bits and crank up the juice as a form of vile torture, so
why would anyone willingly submit to this for fun ? Well, as I'm sure you're
discovering, BDSM is all about context and what might be horrifying in
one context may be desired in another. Apart from the car-battery and crocodile
clips so beloved of the torturers (not recommended for your sweet
submissive) there are other ways of having a 'shocking' time. TENS units
(of the kind sold in high-street drug-stores for pain relief) or even exercise
equipment (eg slendertone) that uses electrical impulses to exercise muscles
can provide all the stimulation most people can take. These units are typically
battery-powered, with control of pulse intensity and frequency, and
have leads or pads which can be attached direct to the genitals or to electric
cock rings or dildoes. They can produce sensations ranging from a mild
tingle right through to an almost unbearable jolt. For safety, remember
that you should only pass electrical current through the body below the
waist. Electrical current crossing the body above the waist risks interfering
with your heart rhythm and might even cause cardiac arrest if its strong
enough. There is another sort of electrical toy you might come across,
called the 'violet wand'. These are tubes with little
glass bulbs sticking out of one end. When turned on, the bulb glows violet
and crackles. Touching it causes static sparks to jump to your skin, with
an associated "sizzle" and a sharp shock. Current doesn't pass through
the body and so these wands are pretty safe. Used in the dark they look
dramatic and probably much more intense than they really are. |
| Emotional
Triggers |
| Events,
words, situations that produce a strong emotional reaction. We all carry
some emotional baggage around with us, and people sometimes bring to BDSM
issues of self-esteem and previous abuse. For example a woman who has been
raped might not react well to play which involves the fantasy of 'forced
sex'. Or she might. But either way its not an area the dominant should
blunder into by accident.A good dominant will take the time to know and
understand his submissive thoroughly, so that by his words or actions he
does not provoke unwanted reactions. |
| Endorphins
( an Endorphin High ) |
 These
are natural substances created by the body which reduce pain and can create
a feeling of well-being and euphoria which is often called an 'endorphin
high'. Exercise can produce endorphins, and some athletes become addicted
to the opiate-like feelings that a good workout can produce. The same feelings
of euphoria and well-being are reported by some submissives during BDSM
activities, but here they can go beyond just the sensation of euphoria
to feelings of 'flying', 'floating', 'loss of will' and to 'psychic connection'
with the dom that can last for hours or days after the event. This condition
of erotically altered consciousness (EAC) is also called 'sub-space' or
'bottom-space' |
| Enema |
 A
device used to inject fluid into the anus to flush the lower intestines.
Generally used for medical reasons (e.g. before surgery or internal examination)
but sometimes used as part of D/s or sexual play for humiliation, to cleanse
before other anal play, or just because you like having someone mess around
with your ass. The process of being made helpless while the shit
is flushed out of you by someone else can be a deeply submissive act and
breaks so many deeply-ingrained taboos that its effects can be positively
cathartic. Lovers of enemas will also tell you that its use can promote
a drowsy, relaxed state conducive to suggestion and submission. If you're
interested in enemas, don't try it out without getting some proper, detailed
instruction beforehand because it can be dangerous in some circumstances.
For basic information you could check out medical and nursing books, including
the practical guides for nursing assistants or health aides that are freely
available. Equipment can be bought at online BDSM toy-stores or even improvised.
If your submissive has any history of heart disease or any existing bowel
conditions then its best to avoid enemas. The intensity of an enema depends
on its pressure, temperature and quantity. Stick to clean, warm water to
begin with, not too much (about 500cc) and administer it slowly. It can
sometimes cause cramps and the flow should be stopped until the cramp passes.
Avoid adding anything toxic, such as caffeine or alcohol (which regularly
kills). Avoid ice-water enemas which can also kill by causing cardiac arrest.
Be careful about combining an enema with bondage as your submissive may
need to make a spirited dash to the toilet. If that all sounds a bit alarmist,
don't worry. Enemas are normally safe as long as you know what you're doing. |
| English |
 Check
out the personal ads in some publications and marvel at the number of 'English'
lessons being offered. Can the whole world of adult magazine readers
be so desperate to brush up their knowledge of the language of Shakespeare
and Monty Python ? Well no. Its a code word for corporal punishment, stemming
from the supposed devotion of the English to anything that smacks of a
good spanking. Blame the English public school system with its archaic
approach to education for fuelling foreign fantasies of swishy canes and
naughty pupils ! |
| Exhibitionism |
 Exhibitionists
are people who love drawing attention to themselves. The term has a specific
use in psychiatry, where it describes a compulsion to exhibit ones genitals
in public. As with most other things, its just a bit more complex than
that within BDSM. While you won't see many men in grubby raincoats waving
their willies around at BDSM play-parties (well, not *too* many) you will
often see submissives wearing very revealing clothing or being punished
in ways that expose a lot of skin. Some of these submissives are overt
exhibitionists who just love the attention they receive, and for them scene
parties can be a trip to paradise. Others may have a secret hankering for
public attention but need to be coaxed into it with the excuse that they're
only really doing it to please their master. For some being exhibited in
a state of undress is just total, abject humiliation but then again the
humiliation might be just what they get off on. Its a funny old world,
isn't it ? |
