Erotic electrical stimulation
Erotic electrical stimulation (also known as e-stim or electrosex ) is a sexual practice that uses direct current or low-frequency alternating currents for sexual stimulation. It developed from medical electrical stimulation technology. Specially developed devices (such as TENS or Violet Wands ) are mostly used to apply the currents .
In the past, erotic electrical stimulation was mostly associated with BDSM .
history
The development of erotic electrical stimulation can be traced back at least to the 1950s. At that time, a device called the Relaxacisor was launched in the United States . The device was advertised as a "passive training device" and was used to stimulate muscles using electrical currents. Similar devices are still used today under the name EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) or the also common name MENS devices (Microamperage Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulator).
As an alternative application, the electrodes were also attached to or near the genital organs . Since the 1970s, TENS devices (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) have also increasingly been used for the purpose of erotic electrical stimulation. However, neither MENS nor TENS devices are well suited for the new forms of application. In the 1980s, a first generation of devices was created that was specially developed for this field of application.
Device types
Medical equipment
Medical TENS devices (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) were originally used for desensitization. Their construction is geared towards reducing the transmission of stimuli by the nerves as part of pain treatment. They are also often used for erotic electrical stimulation.
Medical MENS devices (Microamperage Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulator) were originally used for "passive training". The devices were designed with the aim of inducing muscle contractions. They are therefore only suitable to a very limited extent for applications in an erotic context.
Medical interference current therapy devices combine several electrical circuits and create a massage-like effect in the muscle tissue. Your body-sensory therapy communities are also often used in connection with electro-sensory biofeedback in the treatment and rehabilitation of nerve trauma.
"Body Toning" devices
Since the beginning of the 1990s, an increasing number of devices have been sold to end users, which were advertised under keywords such as "body toner" or "electric massage" and were mostly intended for body shaping in the fitness sector. Like the devices from the medical line, these models were not designed as erotic toys. They differ considerably in their processing quality and model-specific options. Most of the time, the electric current they supply is not strong enough for erotic applications.
In-house constructions
Some followers of the method try to design their own devices or to build constructions based on corresponding plans, such as the numerous building instructions available on the Internet, or to convert devices that were never intended for erotic applications on the human body. These improvised, self-constructed devices pose a great danger.
Since the technology used is at the intersection between electrical engineering , biology and medicine , the interrelationships are complex and in some cases still unexplored, the associated dangers and risks cannot always be assessed, even for experts from the individual specialist areas. In addition, there are aspects of device safety that are hardly considered by laypeople. There have even been deaths in the past.
Special devices
Special devices for erotic electrical stimulation are specially designed and manufactured for erotic use.
The first analog models were designed in the 1980s, and digital devices have been on the market since the 1990s . As a rule, both basic designs allow individual control of the frequencies and currents used. Digital models usually allow different operating states to be smoothly merged, to save some of them or to modify them according to your own wishes in order to deliver stimuli that are optimally adapted to individual wishes.
In addition to stationary models, there are also compact mobile devices with rechargeable batteries or batteries. Some mobile devices also have radio remote controls with a range of several hundred meters or can be controlled by internal microphones or the signals from external music sources. There are significant price differences depending on the quality, features and performance of the individual model. The price ranges from around 100 euros to well over 500 euros.
Electrodes
There are many different electrodes for erotic electrical stimulation. In addition to the classic medical disposable and reusable electrodes, there are now a large number of models specially developed for this purpose. In addition to conductive butt plugs, there are, for example , electrodes adapted to the anatomy of the vulva . In addition to models specially adapted to the female anatomy, there are also models designed for men. Overall, there is a large selection of available electrode models.
The use of electrodes is usually associated with the use of electrically conductive contact or lubricant gel. While silicone- based lubricating gels are not suitable for such applications due to their low conductivity, water-based gels are used here (often after the addition of small amounts of common salt).
The feeling of stimulation is blatantly dependent on the geometry and surface of the electrode. The larger the electrodes, the more and deeper the current can penetrate the body, and the stronger the stimulation can be without stabbing or burning / numb surface pain. In many cases, a large area counter electrode using a single unipolar genital electrode is advantageous. The use of unipolar and bipolar variants and their interconnection can be quite complicated for the inexperienced.
The contact means used are mostly selected depending on their compatibility with the material of the electrodes used and the desired properties with regard to their conductivity. They have a significant influence on the strength and quality of the signal used and the best possible "contact" with the body is crucial in order to conduct the signal sufficiently well into the body. More on this under dangers .
Application forms
A fundamental difference between mobile and stationary devices is the increased flexibility of the devices in relation to the application environment. In connection with remote controls, which are also available, the range of possible applications expands enormously.
Devices with two or more electrodes
Due to the generally higher price segment of stationary devices, they usually have more options with regard to the design of the signal and its characteristics (intensity, duration and frequency of the pulse).
The majority of the devices used have two separate, individually controllable channels. Some simple devices only have a single channel, many stationary devices have more than two channels.
Basically, the desired effect of the signal generated in the device only sets in when the circuit is closed. The human body serves as the final conductor between the two electrodes, in whose nerves the desired effect is then induced.
Various toys such as electrified butt plugs, probes, Wartenberg bikes or steel gloves can be used instead of traditional electrodes. The possibility of designing the corresponding objects with one or two poles opens up two basic alternatives at this point:
In the single-pole version of the toy and any second electrode, the current tends to be carried over longer distances, while in the two-pole version of the toy it only covers relatively short distances and is therefore more intense.
There are different application variants:
- One variant is direct stimulation of the primary sex organs. Here, electrodes are attached to the vagina , penis , perineum or scrotum and then electrical currents are applied directly.
- Another, similar to muscle training using electrical stimulation, is to attach electrodes close to the sexual organs and to stimulate them indirectly through the flow (e.g. one electrode on the inside of the thighs).
- An electrode can also be inserted into the anus. In men, the electrical stimulation of the prostate is sometimes perceived as particularly pleasurable. This can lead to ejaculation , which is accompanied by an orgasm.
The manipulation of the current strength and the pulse frequency can lead to effects that are subjectively perceived differently. At low strength and high frequency, the stimulus of placing an electrode on the clitoris can be compared to that of a vibrator; high strength at low frequency is reminiscent of a handle on an electric fence . At high frequencies, the sensations range from tickling or tingling to a stinging sensation like from many needles, at low frequencies from a throbbing or pucking to the proverbial electric shock.
Violet Wands
A glass bulb filled with an electric charge causes small electric shocks through contact with any part of the body. This type of game is often used with blindfolds in the BDSM environment. So the passive partner does not know where in his body the next electrical discharge will take place, and the emotional tension is greatly increased. With this technique, the use of glass bulbs that are not very conductive in principle exposes the body to a high voltage (up to a few thousand volts) during the electrical discharges, but the current only flows for short periods of time. So little energy is passed through the body.
Glass probe and housing with Tesla transformer
Glass probe with violet glowing argon
Inner workings of the device with Wagner's hammer
Erotec Violet Wand, circa 2000
Different electrode shapes
Differentiation from electroejaculation
Electroejaculation is a method used in human and veterinary medicine as well as in animal breeding to obtain sperm , if it is not possible to obtain sperm naturally due to special circumstances or diseases, and it differs considerably from that in the way it is carried out and in its mode of action erotic electrical stimulation.
In contrast to erotic electrical stimulation, in which a natural orgasm can be brought about by stimulating the genital organs with low currents , which is experienced as pleasurable, electroejaculation is a medical intervention that is pure due to significantly higher currents by means of direct stimulation of the nerves in the rectum responsible for ejaculation mechanical triggering of the ejaculation reflex without causing a sensation of sexual pleasure. Electroejaculation is extremely painful and is therefore carried out in most cases under general or regional anesthesia.
hazards
If misused, electrical stimulation can cause tissue damage and even death. The greatest risk is an electric shock . The human body is sensitive to electrical currents. Even relatively small voltages (below 40 volts) can lead to fatal injuries under unfavorable conditions (heavy sweat and thus good electrical conductivity). On the one hand, this is due to the fact that the signal conduction of the nerves in the human body is, in simplified form, a form of electrical signals. If the body is now supplied with external electrical signals, the body's own signals can be disturbed and, for example, ventricular fibrillation can occur. It is generally not advisable to use electrodes above the waistline. In particular, making an electrical connection through an electrode on each nipple is considered risky because of its proximity to the heart. Another type of injury caused by electrical currents is internal burns, which can be caused by the energy density of the electrical power (especially through the so-called skin effect with higher-frequency electrical currents). The last type of injury from electrical currents is the possibility of poisoning, which can be caused by dissociated protein molecules or products of electrolysis . This is usually the result of prolonged flow and can lead to death even hours after an electric shock.
The risk of electrical injury increases when using unsuitable electrode material due to poor contact. As a result, the point loading of the contact area is too great. This can be recognized by reddening of the skin, discoloration, blistering or in the case of mucous membranes and transitional epithelial tissue through the formation of aphthae , erosions and ulcers . These injuries are caused by electrolysis and the associated denaturation of proteins, which leads to tissue damage or destruction. In anal practices, for example, this can lead to significant, life-threatening injuries that may only become noticeable late; because the intestine is not sensitive to pain from a certain segment - in contrast to the anus. Thus the risk of unnoticed damage is great.
See also
literature
- “Volker”: Electrostimulation: Safety Breviary Part 32 , in: Schlagzeilen, Vol. 43, Charon-Verlag 1998, pp. 12-13.
Web links
- Electrosex Compendium from GEGSOFT
Individual evidence
- ↑ cf. Arne Hoffmann: The Lexicon of Sadomasochism. The Inside guide to dark eroticism: practices and instruments, people and institutions, literature and film, politics and philosophy. , Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, 2000, ISBN 3-89602-290-3 , p. 100.
