Quote Originally Posted by Veronika View Post
As a person who has struggled with an illness for a long time and have waited to be fully alive again - I cannot understand people who play with their life voluntarily. It's as if you don't understand how precious life is and how fragile and short it can be. But maybe it's different for people who never had to face death. I just know that I want to live as long as I can.
It's not the threat of death or injury that is exciting about it. Yes, it's exciting to be that totally submissive to someone, but there is more. If you want to go into the physical aspect of breath play, we can. Oxygen, we need it, or we die. However, mild hyperventilation is a way for your body to react to certain circumstances that may occur. Oxygen deprivation releases endorphins and adrenalin which heightens all physical sensation and raises blood pressure. When your blood pressure is up, you are able to be more physically aroused. Many of us in BDSM sexual styles are aroused by adrenaline. For whatever reason that may be. Some see it as a mental illness, though apparently not in Sweden anymore.

I'm not explaining this well, I haven't had enough coffee. But breath play isn't about the threat of death. And while yes it's dangerous... if we look into it medically.. what actually causes death when oxygen deprivation is involved? Heart Failure! Not lack of oxygen. Why does your heart stop? Because it couldn't take the sudden burst of adrenaline. Because you aren't used to it.

Most articles filed by people involved in a breath play accident or death report it was the first time they did it, and/or they had only done it a few times, and were generally 'vanilla'. Not that they say the word vanilla, but they make it a point to stress that they don't normally do anything else like that. Not saying only vanilla people will get hurt... what I am saying is... the oxygen deprevation isn't what is going to hurt someone. It's the heart failure that generally occurs 20 after the event, when your body begins to relax again.

If raised adrenaline is a part of your sex on a regular basis, I'd think you'd be at a much lower risk for harm. And if you follow all the guidelines to protect yourself.

I'm sorry to hear you had a physical issue that brought you that close to death. I'm sure you aren't the only one, actually I'm certain of it. I don't understand a lot of fetishes people have. But, what I do understand is that we are all different and have the right to indulge in any activity we wish so long as it's consensual.