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BDSM Dictionary : Self bondage: history
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Self bondage is the practice of bondage without a partner. This means tying or otherwise restraining oneself for the purpose of sexual pleasure. The idea of self bondage can also be extended by using release mechanisms to restrain two (or more) people for a period which they cannot control.
As self-bondage is usually performed alone, it has several distinctive features not present in conventional bondage, including:
Self-bondage is also characterised by experimentation and ingenuity, and
the opportunity to devise novel schemes and variations - in or out of
fictional stories - is part of the appeal, and
part of the increased danger.Risks of self-bondage
Self-bondage is considered a higher risk activity than many other BDSM practices - particularly when combined with autoerotic asphyxia - and has led to many recorded deaths. It is estimated that there are 500 to 1,000 autoerotic fatalities each year in the United States, of which a substantial proportion include self-bondage as a factor. The death in 1994 of Stephen Milligan, the British Conservative MP for Eastleigh, was a case of autoerotic asphyxiation combined with self-bondage, and may also have been the cause of death of rock singer Michael Hutchence.
Self-bondage has all the risks of physical restraint and sexual bondage, with the added factor that should anything go wrong, there is no-one to effect a rescue. For example, if blood circulation cuts off sensation in limbs, the planned escape mechanism may not be useable.
Despite this, many practitioners insist that self-bondage can be performed relatively safely if it is conducted with a view to minimising risk. Common safety advice includes measures such as:
A distinction can be made between "strict" and "sensual" self-bondage http://www.altsex.org/bdsm/self-bd-1.html. In sensual self-bondage, escape from restraints is simple and available immediately, if desired. For example, the keys may be within reach or the knots loosely tied. The chief aim is the sensation of immobility and of constrained movement.
Strict self-bondage, by contrast, requires that the means of escape is unavailable for a period of time and the person must remain in bondage until the release mechanism is activated, regardless of whether or not they would voluntarily continue the scene further if they had the choice.
Although strict self-bondage is potentially more hazardous, some practice it for the greater feeling of helplessness.
There is an alternative approach sometimes recommended which takes the
middle ground, and achieves a compromise between safety and strictness.
The method is to use a backup release mechanism that is available
immediately, but carries with it some penalty or cost with its use. For
example, keys could be placed in a bucket of paint. The person in
self-bondage can then escape quickly if circumstances dictate - say a
fire breaking out, or excessive numbness of limbs. However, the
annoyance of cleaning up the paint afterwards would coerce the person
into waiting for the main release mechanism to come into effect if they
were merely bored or uncomfortable.Release mechanisms
Many release mechanisms are used in self-bondage to allow the practitioner to escape the restraints after a period of time. There are various trade-offs to be made between ease of use, reliability, precision of timing, cost, and so forth. Often, several mechanisms are used concurrently.
Apart from release mechanisms, self-bondage poses a somewhat awkward problem of getting "into" bondage, especially when using rope. What might be a relatively simple matter for couples can be considerably more complex alone.
With rope, the main difficulty is tying the hands in a way that is not easy to untie. One common solution is to use a "cinch noose" - essentially a kind of slip knot - together with a "coil" (a loop of rope). The wrists are placed through the coil with the cinch noose between the wrists and around the coil. To achieve a basic hogtie position, the cinch noose is tied to the ankles. With pressure, the noose tightens the wrist coil, securing the hands. It proves very difficult to escape from, and usually a knife or scissors is required to cut free.
Equipment that can be tightened only, and not loosened, often has
application in self-bondage. This includes
handcuffs, zip ties and ratcheting pulleys.Commercial equipment
While for the most part self-bondage is performed using ordinary and easily available equipment (indeed, it lends itself to impromptu adaptation and a "do it yourself" approach), a few commercial products have appeared - in the United States for the most part - catering for the self-bondage practitioner.
One such toy is a pair of delayed release handcuffs which operate using the principle of melting ice http://www.playtoies.com/Funtoie_Sales/self_bond.... Another vendor sells "Solo Play Straitjackets" http://www.maxcita.com/cottonsj/solocotton/soloc....
The YOUniverse Time Lock Safe http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&... can be used for self-bondage. (This product is intended only as a children's toy, and can easily be opened by a moderately strong adult.)
Meo sells a Self Bondage Lock
http://web-001.meo-team.com/catalog/product_info....
Gay Royal Webshop has some instructions on use
http://gayroyal.misterb.com/index.html?target=p_....See also
(This entry in the BDSM Dictionary incorporates text from the Self bondage article in Wipipedia.)
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