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This Curious Human Phenomenon

An Exploration Of Some Uncommonly Explored Aspects Of BDSM

There are many books which explain how to "do" BDSM. This Curious Human Phenomenon instead looks more at the why of BDSM. It examines needs, wants, and motivations. It looks at what gets satisfied through BDSM, and at how this satisfaction works.

As you can see from the table of contents below, this exploration is quite wide-ranging.

In just a few words, This Curious Human Phenomenon looks at:

• The various types of relationships and interplay between BDSM partners,
• A wide range of reasons why someone might be involved in BDSM,
• The psychological mechanisms at play in much of BDSM,
• The different wants and needs which can be better satisfied through BDSM than through other means,
• A large selection of the different activities which fall under the BDSM banner,
• Culture and BDSM - be it BDSM's own micro-cultures, or BDSM's place in our wider western culture,
• The unique role of social and formal groups in the world of BDSM.

Table of contents

1. Introduction

• The abundance of how
• The scarcity of why
• It isn't always about sex
• A note about references
• Culture
• The two surveys
• The rest

2. Survey of physical activities

• Bondage and discipline
• Bondage and restraint
• Nipple clamps
• Labial clamps
• Piercing
• Cutting
• Branding
• Fisting
• Waxing
• Suspension
• Fireplay
• Iceplay
• Sensation-play
• Breathplay
• Catheterization
• Vaginal and anal stretching
• CBT
• Electric play, or electroplay

3. Survey of psychological activities

• Humiliation
• Orgasm control and denial
• Nudity and nakedness
• Fear
• Ritualised, symbolic, or service behaviour

4. Conscious and unconscious

• The conscious
• The unconscious
• The personal unconscious
• The collective unconscious
• A wind-up on communication
• Knowing the difference

5. Identity maintenance, management, and role-play

• What it is
• Selective vision
• Conflict
• Active subsets of the whole identity
• Primary identities
• Identity protection
• Role-play
• Ready-to-wear behaviour
• Baggage
• Communities
• Alternate names

6. The Other

7. Penetration

• The hunt for penetration
• An analogy
• Custodians of penetration
• Male / female differences
• Trying to see BDSM without penetration

8. Relationships I

• Nailing down some roles and dynamics
• Tops and bottoms
• Dominant and submissive
• Master and slave
• Trainer and trainee
• Owner and property
• A common thread
• Hunter and prey

9. Relationships II

• Plato steps in

10. Motivations

• Chemical high
• Sub-space
• Transformation of pain into pleasure
• True Self / False Self
• Minimising self
• Experiencing power
• Ecstasy and rapture
• Intimacy and bonding
• Hotter sex
• Play versus "deep play" versus work
• Catharsis
• Recreation
• Physiological
• Pretenders
• Subtle
• Failing to recognise
• Consequences
• A role for self-harm

11. Need

• How can you recognise something as a need?
• Satisfying need
• Health concerns
• It's not just subbies

12. Surrender and anchors

• Anchors (and masochism)

13. Health concerns

• Risk
• Riding the ragged edge
• Not focused enough to notice
• Physical health concerns
• Psychological health concerns

14. Comments on some research into BDSM and sex

• Hill and Preston 1996
• Meston and Buss 2007

15. The role of groups

16. Social groups

• Boundaries

17. Structured groups

• Resources
• Roles
• Ranks
• Rules
• Subgroups
• Master and slave as a structured group
• Structured groups create novel and unique contexts
• The individual's relationships within the group
• Citadel complex
• In conclusion

18. Analyses

• At a hotel
• The Sad Man
• Correspondence canned
• The unpaid consultancy
• Token compensation
• Common factors
• Conclusion

19. Types of authority

• Authority of office
• Technical authority
• Personal authority
• Delegation
• Rank
• Awarded authority
• Physical superiority
• Many hats
• Not authority

20. Training

• Play
• Service
• Training and trainers

21. Abuse

• The common view
• Definitions
• Good intent, but bad consequences
• Long-term consequences
• The role of intent
• Unequal power
• Instances of abuse
• Physical outcomes
• Carelessness and neglect
• A note about the perpetrator
• Recognising abuse and abusers
• Wrap-up

22. Conclusion

Bibliography

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