Norsk
Dansk
English
Nederlands
Suomi
Deutsch
Français
ItalianoThe Alchemy of Absence: Devotional Denial and Erotic Transcendence
| Excerpt from keynote address delivered at the 2024 International Conference on Power Exchange Dynamics (ICPED), Melbourne. Panel 3B: "Alternative Libidinal Economies in Contemporary BDSM." Prof. Margaret Vollen, Department of Sexuality Studies, University of Amsterdam. == Devotional Denial represents a specific subset of power exchange relationships characterized by permanent orgasm restriction combined with systematic reframing of genital function. Drawing on three years of ethnographic research with twelve long-term practitioner dyads, I propose that this practice constitutes what I term "libidinal redirection"; the channeling of sexual energy away from genital release toward cognitive and emotional attachment mechanisms. The practice operates through two primary vectors. First, systematic denial of orgasmic release creates sustained physiological arousal that practitioners report redirects focus toward dominance-submission dynamics rather than sexual satisfaction as traditionally conceived. Second, ritualized verbal and behavioral protocols frame male genitalia as decorative rather than functional, disrupting conventional masculine identity markers and creating dependency on the dominant partner for validation. My data suggests that practitioners experience this dynamic as paradoxically both intensely hedonistic and ascetic. Submissive participants consistently described heightened sensory awareness, increased emotional availability, and what several termed "worship states"; altered consciousness characterized by singular focus on the dominant partner's desires. The dominant role requires careful calibration between restriction and care. Interview data indicates that successful long-term practice depends on the dominant partner's ability to maintain the submissive's psychological safety while simultaneously enforcing the denial framework. This parallels findings in Newmahr's (2011) work on edgeplay, where participants navigate extreme experiences through carefully maintained trust structures. Theoretically, Devotional Denial challenges conventional models of sexual satisfaction by demonstrating that sustained arousal without release can constitute a viable erotic framework. This has implications for how we understand desire, pleasure, and the relationship between physiological and psychological dimensions of sexuality. [Methodology and further case studies follow in full paper] References: Newmahr, S. (2011). Playing on the Edge: Sadomasochism, Risk, and Intimacy. Indiana University Press. https://open.spotify.com/track/36jHzg3f6e3WZdSfAlpKPP |
Tillagd 7 nov 00:06 Noveller #Kvinna som top #Man som bottom #Vår kultur #Relationer/kärlek #TPE #Kyskhetslekar
Du kan inte se eller skriva kommentarer eftersom du inte är inloggad.