From lengthy oral narratives, interviews and completed questionnaires, the author built a tremendous database of preferences, practices, equipment, techniques and incidents that seemed to him to be accurate and astute in their portrayal of the SB scene. Yet this raw data would be far too clinical to be interesting to anyone except those doing their own studies of the same or related activities.
Eventually, the interviews and oral narratives provided by open and frank survey participants, coupled with the answers in questionnaires, allowed the author to build a series of chapter length narratives and Q&A discussions that seemed to form an intelligent overview of what goes on, usually behind closed doors. If you read this, it becomes clear that every kind of individual, male and female, with all levels of education and background, indulge in some form of self-restraint. Note that I said every kind, not every one.
The information here is the author's interpretation of what was initially said or written. The original thoughts and ideas are not compromised, but the prose has been carefully edited and altered to provide consistent and readable materials.
While not in full agreement with some of the author's conclusions, the range of material or with some things perhaps intentionally left out, I found von Stuka's work to be useful and enlightening. We are talking about a world that is probably hidden more carefully than most erotic practices, if for no other reason than it is indulged in by single players who seldom, if ever, record their activities, although I suspect that if not already there, photos and videos of self-bondage work will appear more and more often on the internet.
To put self-bondage in a slightly different light, to show that it is engaged in and enjoyed by normal people in all professions and lifestyles, I think von Stuka has succeeded. As more than one participant in the survey said, if done with planning and foresight, SB is a healthy and safe outlet for erotic fantasies. It is no more dangerous than walking across the street.
Eric Kastle, MD, Ph.D.
The Process - A Bit of an Apology
Each guest at this retreat, each member of the group, knew in advance that some low-key research would take place during the gathering. Those who did not want to participate carried on as they normally would. Those who said they would willingly contribute went through three different interviews, one each day. They also filled out a detailed questionnaire
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on a computer. Anonymity was guaranteed. There was no coding, no way to identify who wrote or said what.
The narratives, interview responses and questionnaire contents were then assimilated into a large database for later study. I went back to Berlin with several DVDs and external drives with the compressed data.
Sorting this all out took several months. I had to contact N more than once, asking for clarifications of terms and solving some apparent contradictions. In the end, more than a year later, this collection of essays began to take shape. The writing is mine. The words and contents are those of the respondents. If the text seems unbalanced in that it reflects a male point of view, it is my fault, not that of the respondents.
I have done everything I can to protect the people involved and at the same time maintain a high level of credibility. Since I could not fact check with the sources, there is bound to be some inconsistency and inaccuracy here. I do not think that most of those quoted shared much of what they said with other members, nor did I ever get the feeling that what they were saying was contrived or imaginary. If what they said or wrote was fantasy, so be it.
Some of the essays go beyond single person, auto-bondage. This, given the nature of the experiences, is normal and acceptable.
For obvious reasons, everything here involves consenting adults who participate on their own free will. One of the interesting elements of self-bondage is that, even if a coercive fantasy is involved, there cannot be any non-consensual activity when the only person involved is the person performing the act.
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See appendix A
JvS
Copyright by Jurgen von Stuka, 2011, 2012
Participants, by Chapter
1. Lorrie S. - Demonstrator - Ch 1
2. Mavis - Assistant
3. Calibria - Advice on equipment - Ch 2
4. Melissa - Ch 3
5. Jackie - Ch 4
6. Paula - Female TV - Ch 5
7. Meg - Photos - Ch 6
8. Patti - Closet - Ch 7
9. Felicia - High tech - Ch 8
10. Paula - Dog collars - Ch 9
11. Mandi - Ch 10
12. W. - Steel - Ch 11
13. Carol - Double standard - Ch 12
14. Alexis - Spreaders - Ch 13
15. Fran - Butt plugs - Ch 14
16. Lois - The fantasy - Ch 15
17. Penelope - Strapped - Ch 16
18. Wendy/June - Phone sex - Ch 17
19. Launa - Symbolic ties - Ch 18
20. Carol B - Belts et al - Ch 19
21. Glenda - Creative - Ch 20
22. Hillary - Rings - Ch 21
23. Asian - Pony - Ch 22
24. Kathleen -Kid stuff - Ch 23
25. Anna - Gender switch - Ch 24
26. Lynda - Latex - Ch 25
27. Gerry - Competitive - Ch 26
28. Lynn - Scenario - Ch 27
29. Bret/Brenda - TG Video - Ch 28
30. Margarita - Chastity - Ch 29
31. Susan - Manager of risk - Ch 30
32. Andrea - T-strap - Ch 31
33. Nadia - Perch pole - Ch 32
34. Rebecca - Safety - Ch 33
Chapter One
One of the most fascinating events at the meeting
was when a select few of the participants demonstrated
their SB skills live, in real time.
This narrative was from
one of the exhibits.
Demonstration
Considering her predicament, she wasn't struggling much. Only low moans came from behind the gag and her fingers fluttered nervously every now and then. The prospects of escape were apparently very dim. She was extremely well bound and was going to remain so.
The lights were out. It was pitch dark in the large conference room and the attendees sat in comfortable chairs surrounding the center dais, which, because of its special features, was more of a mechanical stage than just a platform. From the center of the circular floor, a round pedestal slowly rose, illuminated by a single pin spot focused precisely on the occupant of a heavy oak armchair bolted to the pedestal. Sitting in the chair was a human figure, obviously female, well secured to the chair by a great deal of rope. As the pedestal rose to floor level, it slowly began to rotate, providing a closer view of the bound figure and more details of the rope bondage.
"This is Lorrie S," the woman narrator's voice said with a neutral tone over the audio system. "You will note on your programs that she has been in practice for eight years. She tells us she is now twenty-seven years old, single, well employed as an attorney, and has never before shown anyone her self-bondage abilities.
"She is, as you can see, well bound to the chair. She has a rather unique inflatable gag in her mouth and wears a specialty punishment hood made for her by Noble Enterprises. She cannot hear what is said here unless I activate the hood's internal ear buds. Before beginning her session, Lorrie told me that for her own pleasure, she decided to place and activate two internal probes in her ass and vagina and that they will continue to operate until she shuts them off with a remote control which is located somewhere on or in her body."
The surrounding group of attendee women was silent, perhaps placing themselves mentally in the same chair, tightly and helplessly bound with many meters of hemp rope. They could not help but note that the woman's breasts were completely flattened and all but invisible except for the taunt, light brown nipples that peeked out through the confining layers of rope. Each nipple bore a large, bright, silver ring and the rings were joined by a short silver chain. Two other chains led upward from the nipples and disappeared into small circular openings in the front of the heavy leather hood.
The multiple layers of rope wrapped around her upper torso also incorporated her upper arms, pulling her elbows close together. Her wrists were secured by a single, wide metal clamp that held her hands together, palm to palm at the base of her spine.
Her legs were tied in a traditional posture with her ankles pulled back on either side and bound to the upper crossbars of the chair, forcing her knees and thighs well apart and exposing her hairless sex with its imbedded probe held in place with a chain that bisected her crotch. This chain was padlocked to another similar chain around her narrow waist. Additional ropes held her thighs to the seat and side arms of the chain.
From the crown of the hood, a long braid of dark brown hair exited upwards and came harshly back and down to where it joined the wrist clamp. This forced her leather-encased head unnaturally back and, if she could see, she would have stared at the ceiling.
Aside from an occasional shudder and low moans from inside the hood, the woman made no indication of even being alive.
"Please mark your ballots accordingly, my friends. As I said before, this is Lorrie S, number four. There will be one additional demo later today at dinner and then we'll review the poll tomorrow before we end the conference. If you have questions about Lorrie's work, make your notes now and she'll be with us in a more communicative posture tonight."
The pedestal made one final rotation while its occupant shivered and shook with some apparent internal stimulation and then the chair and pedestal descended back down into the stage and the lights went out. An audible sigh came from the audience as the house lights came back up and the guests rose to attend to other meetings, seminars and attractions.
Below the stage, two women in jeans and sweaters sat in folding chairs and watched as Lorrie S, now out of the spotlight and still firmly seated in the heavy chair, began to free herself. The attendants were there to assure that no one assisted in the release and that Lorrie was safe and well after her ordeal.
Her first move was to slip one hand free of the single metal clamp that held her wrists. Following the movement of her braided hair, the cuff then rose as she lowered her head to a more comfortable position and her braid pulled the cuff higher on her back. Lorrie wiggled her arms and upper torso, slowly slipping her arms upwards and out of the many loops of rope that held them to her sides and to the chair. As soon as her arms were free, her hands went to the heavy leather hood covering her head and face. She unbuckled the double roller buckles on the wide attached collar, did the same with several other roller buckles that held the blindfold and gag in place, then opened the Velcro closure that concealed the center zipper on the hood, pulling the zipper up until it reached the hole where her braid escaped. At that point, she opened the clamshell structure of the hood and slipped it forward and off her head, but left it dangling in front while she deflated the rubber cock in her mouth and pulled the entire thing away easily, the penis gag making a slurping sound as it finally left her mouth.
"Whew," Lorrie said, mostly to herself, as she rubbed her eyes and then her lips. "How was that?"
"Excellent. Beautiful, Lorrie. I don't think I've ever seen anything so complete. All of us would have sworn that there was no way you were getting out of that," babbled blond Mavis, the younger woman attendant.
"Agreed," said the other woman, now standing close to Lorrie, who was still partly fastened to the chair. "You must practice this a lot."
"Oh, practice I do. It's an every day affair for me. How about you?"
"I don't get as much opportunity as I'd like and I am really into leather as a medium, but I certainly admire your work," said the second woman, who looked about twenty or even younger and wore only a few, but very elegant and expensive bits of jewelry and a sweater with a deep V neck.
Lorrie was now untying her legs and feet, flexing her legs once the ropes were off and easing herself up out of the chair that was soaked with sweat and other fluids on the seat. She unlocked the waist chain and, looking at her audience, told them that she was going to remove the dildoes and that if they were not interested in this, they should feel free to leave. Both women stayed and watched. The plugs came out easily and the attendants were visibly surprised at the thickness and length of both.
"My God, Lorrie," said the second woman, speaking with a noticeable French accent. "How in the world do you take anything so big? That thing in your ass is almost a telegraph pole," she said with a short laugh and a wink at the other attendant.
"Planning and practice," Lorrie said seriously, wrapping the twin rubber dongs with a small towel and then putting them into a zip-lock bag, then packing up her ropes and hood.
"May I see your hood?" Mavis asked.
"Of course," said Lorrie, walking over to the blond and handing her the sweat-soaked, black leather, head enclosure.