by Serendipity » Wed Feb 10, 2010 6:35 am
BDSM has gone somewhat mainstream lately, and you would probably be shocked at how many couples engage in it to some degree. The BDSM community has a mantra of "Safe, sane, and consensual." That is the basic tenent. The website alt.com has a pretty active BDSM community all over the world.
That said, one must be VERY careful when venturing out to explore that subculture, especially if it involves any interaction with strangers.
While there may be actual danger in the sense of sadistic psycopaths, the more common danger is that of personality disordered individuals (usually a NPD or ASPD) who prey upon other disordered individuals' weaknesses (frequently co-dependents) and ultimately coerce them into a practice that is not something they would normally do. The victims of this suffer grave consequences when they are ultimately devalued and discarded by a person who only sought to gain gratification via objectification and humiliation.
Within the context of a consensual couple, although it doesn't "float my boat," I see nothing wrong with it. According to what I have read from those who practice it, BDSM is supposed to be the ultimate "trust" that a couple can express in a relationship.
For those of you who enjoy sex only when there is a violent aspect, this is not BDSM...and is actually not even sexual in nature. The stimulation is in the act of torture or subjugation and has deeper psychological connotations.
"Battle not with monsters
lest ye become a monster
and if you gaze into the abyss
the abyss gazes into you."
-Friedrich Nietzsche