Dominance and submission
[7][8] Many misconceptions of this relationship and its associated activities come from the fact that early theorists conceptualized that sadomasochism and BDSM behavior were a symptom of psychopathology.
[9] Not only is it shown in literature but also in the actions of ancient rulers that would participate in sexually sadistic torture, role play, and finally the assertion of their dominance over subjects.
[8][11] The growth of dominant and submissive behavior, sadomasochism, and other BDSM activity is evident through its history, from ancient times through the separation from disorder to consensual-community participant.
In human sexuality, this has broadened to include voluntarily chosen roles and activities that express dominance and submission.
The proportion of the population which partakes in D/s activities is difficult to ascertain as the statistics vary widely depending on the particular study, date of publication, and country where the research has taken place.
Safewords can have differing levels of urgency - some may bring a scene to an outright stop, whereas others may indicate that a boundary is being approached.
It is usually a negotiated lifestyle, with people discussing their wishes, limits, and needs in order to find commonality.
Most adherents search for the essential intensity, trust, and intimacy that are required to make any deep relationship possible.
[16] A scene between two switches can involve trading off the dominant and submissive roles, possibly several times.
In contrast, the terms top and bottom refer to the active (agent) and passive (patient) roles, respectively.
[17] The terms top and bottom are used as verbs or nouns to describe the physical play of SM but with less of a focus of the "sadist" and "masochist" part of the activity.
It was popularized in internet chatrooms, to make it easier to identify the orientation of the writer or the person being written about.
As well as the fact that all erotic experiences are performed in a safe, legal, and consensual practice as well as benefiting both parties.
[8] The consensual practice is what helps distinguish BDSM participants from a psychiatric diagnosis of a sexual disorder.
[8] Negotiation in terms of the sexual scenes is required to ensure that the BDSM play is enjoyable and safe for both parties involved.
The discussion of what activities are available and the mutual definition of the play is the only way both the dominant and submissive will be able to comfortably perform.
[8] Safewords are verbal codes both partners can recognize as the end or altering of activities done in a BDSM scene.
[8] There are also possibilities where speaking is not an option and so there are "silent safewords" that are simple gestures that represent stopping an activity, for example, clapping hands, snapping fingers, or any action showing the scene must end.
"[8] Being blacklisted includes being personally ridiculed by individual members, as well as exclusion from play parties, clubs, and organizations held by the community.
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is an educational organization that is driven to propose positive and safe sex that was founded in 1997.
[1] Consensual non-consensuality is a mutual agreement to act as if consent has been waived within safe, sane limits.
It is an agreement that consent is given in advance, sometimes without foreknowledge of the exact actions planned, though within defined limits subject to a safeword, reasonable care, common sense, or other restrictions.
As such, it is a show of extreme trust and understanding and is usually undertaken only by partners who know each other well, or otherwise agree to set clear, safe limits on their activities.
Slave contracts are simply a way for consenting adults to define the nature of their relationship and clarify personal boundaries, and are not intended to carry legal force.
[23] After a slave contract is drafted, some celebrate the event with a "collaring ceremony", in which the local D/s community is invited to witness the commitment made in the document.
Some people maintain a special room or area, called a dungeon or playroom, that contains special equipment, such as shackles, handcuffs, whips, queening stools, and spanking benches or a Berkley horse, for example, used for play scenes, or they may visit a BDSM club that maintains such facilities.
The traditional collar is a neck band in leather or metal, chosen, designed, and even crafted by the dominant partner.
Use of collars in the sexual aspects of furry lifestyle may or may not be connected to BDSM, depending on the individual's preferences.
The book has elements of both social and physical submission, and is the genesis of the term "masochism" coined by the 19th-century psychiatrist Krafft-Ebing.
