During breath play, you and your partner restrict airflow with a variety of tools like hands, plastic bags or specialized BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism) devices that create a barrier around the mouth and nose. It can also include choking or strangulation techniques.
Breath play is a dangerous activity and can be life threatening. Harm reduction is essential, and it’s recommended you talk to your partner about a safe word or hand gesture both of you can use when you feel uncomfortable or in pain.
Physiological Reasons
People often enjoy breath play for physiological reasons, as choking on air restricts oxygen to the brain, triggering sensations that can be intense and pleasurable. When the pressure is released there is a rush of oxygen and blood, which can stimulate the release of hormones like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins for a head-spinning exhilaration. People may also engage in choking or other forms of breath control play to create power exchanges with their partners.
For example, if one partner chokes the other it can be highly sexual, and this type of erotic asphyxiation is often portrayed in pornography. However, there are also dangers to this type of erotic asphyxiation. Cutting off oxygen to the brain can cause a variety of injuries, including cardiac arrest and brain damage. Moreover, without sufficient oxygen, a person can become lightheaded and pass out, which can be life-threatening.
As a result, people who practice this kind of erotic asphyxiation tend to be highly cautious and take many precautions to prevent injury or death. They may have a companion in the room to monitor their breathing or set up an emergency alarm. They may also wear a mask or use chemicals to limit their oxygen intake. Despite these measures, this dangerous activity can still cause serious injury or even death. It is therefore important to practice harm reduction, which involves educating people about the risks and teaching them how to do something dangerous in a safer way.
Physical Reasons
Intentionally reducing or severing air flow during sexual activity to produce sensations of asphyxiation can increase sexual arousal and orgasmic pleasure. This is known as breath control play or erotic asphyxiation and may be done with or without a partner. Erotic asphyxiation is also sometimes called asphyxiophilia, and is categorized as a paraphilia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- fifth edition (DSM-5).
Despite its risks, many people enjoy this dangerous practice. This is especially true if they have partners in the room to watch over them. In many cases, people involved in this behavior rig some sort of safety mechanism, or a rescue device. This is supposed to allow them to escape if they lose consciousness. However, in some cases, the rescue device does not work correctly or they are unable to accurately measure their restricted oxygen amount, leading to unconsciousness and sometimes death.
Autoerotic asphyxiation is a popular form of sexual masochism and has been documented in historical records. For example, Peter Anthony Motteux died from apparent erotic asphyxiation in 1718. Frantisek Kotzwara, composer, and Sada Abe, a Japanese woman who committed suicide by strangulation in 1936, were both said to have been practicing this type of sexual activity. Erotic asphyxiation is often depicted in fiction, as well. For instance, in the novel Rising Sun, a character dies from this type of sexual arousal.
Emotional Reasons
A lot of people who like erotic asphyxiation like it for the way it makes them feel, not just physically but also emotionally. The restriction of air causes the body to release endorphins which make you feel high. It also increases testosterone which boosts sex drive and enhances sexual pleasure. Moreover, the threat of dying adds an element of edge play to it.
Some people also find that choking and breath control play makes them more intensely aroused and leads to more intense orgasms. In fact, this is a very popular kink in the BDSM community and it is sometimes called “breath play” or “erotic asphyxiation”.
The main problem with asphyxiation is that it’s incredibly dangerous. If you do it alone without a partner and something goes wrong, you could die. People have died from erotic asphyxiation in many ways, but the most common is that the pressure of the asphyxiating object cuts off the blood flow to the brain. This happens because the asphyxiation restricts the flow of blood to the head through the carotid arteries.
It’s also important to note that if you’re engaging in this kink with a partner, you should only do it with their permission and affirmative consent. It’s also a good idea to communicate clearly and continuously throughout the experience. Choking should never be done around the windpipe as this can cause damage or break it.
Psychological Reasons
Erotic asphyxiation is a popular form of sexual play in the kink community. It can be practiced solo or with a partner and involves restricting oxygen flow to the brain for sexual stimulation. It can be used as a fetish for those who have a fondness for sadomasochism or for the feeling of power exchanged between the person being choked and the person doing the choking. This type of kink also appeals to those who enjoy the taboo and the trust of exposing their neck and throat to another person.
It is commonly known as breath play, sex and asphyxiation, scarfing, kotzwarraism or breath control play. It is a dangerous and risky paraphilia that can lead to death by asphyxiation. It has been portrayed in novels and movies and is the basis for a short story by Chuck Palahniuk. This fetish has been documented since the 17th century and has been used to treat erectile dysfunction because it is believed that the restriction of oxygen followed by an influx of oxygen can cause blood to engorge and erect the penis.
Many different tactics are used to achieve the level of oxygen deprivation required for this fetish. Some common methods include hanging, suffocation by a plastic bag, self-strangulation, chest compression and chemical volatile solvents. In addition, participants often rig some sort of lifesaving system to use as a safety release in case they lose consciousness.
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