Will Henry: The Passionate Prisoners

Likewise, Dale's bondage techniques are quite typical in that they stress torment and discomfort, but fall far short of inflicting real pain or torture upon the victim. Similarly, sexual torment is employed for the purpose of causing sexual arousal and not simply for the purpose of humiliating the victim. The typical modern bondage session has as one of its objectives sexual excitement for the victim as well as the aggressor. Most bondage fans strongly object to the use of the word "sadism" in connection with their activities, and rightly so. Modern bondage emphasizes restraint for the purpose of sexual arousal and gratification, and not for the purpose of inflicting pain or torture upon the victim. Of course, there are exceptions.

Dale's regular weekend sessions are also quite typical in the sense that most bondage fans strongly prefer to conduct sessions on a regular, planned basis rather than on an infrequent or casual basis. Many couples like to hold at least one bondage session a week, and some even conduct them more frequently. Like Dale and Judy, there are other couples who like to devote their weekends to bondage activities. Others arrange their vacations so as to be able to devote the maximum amount of time to their bondage activities.

In the following chapters, we will review other examples of modern bondage practices.

Bondage fans are not alike in their preferences and can be divided into various groups and subgroups. For example, as far as costume preferences are concerned, there appear to be three principal groups: those who prefer regular clothing worn in an erotic manner, those who prefer leather apparel, and those who prefer items of clothing made of rubber.

The importance of leather and rubber apparel to the bondage fan should not be underestimated; for many devotees of bondage, such items of apparel are essential props for all sessions. Although it might seem curious to the uninitiated, bondage fans rarely show a predilection for completely nude victims. There are exceptions, of course, but most bondage fans seem to think that a certain amount of clothing is essential. However, it should be noted that the clothing worn by the victim may be totally inappropriate as far as individual modesty is concerned. Thus, for example, it is quite a common practice for a female victim to be attired only in garter belt, nylon stockings, and high heels or boots.

Bondage fans may also be grouped according to their preferences for bondage materials. Here again, there appear to be three principal groups: those who prefer ordinary ropes, those who prefer bindings made of leather, and a dedicated minority with a preference for chains or other items made of metal. However, preferences of this type are not often clear-cut with the result that most bondage fans do considerable experimentation with the type of bondage materials they employ.

As far as bondage positions are concerned, bondage devotees appear to fall into two groups. Some bondage fans insist that the victim be bound in the same position and in the same manner each and every session.

Others insist upon a variety of positions, the more the merrier. The latter group is by far the largest, and it may safely be said that most bondage fans prefer to experiment with as many positions as they can dream up. In this regard, bondage fans often show an almost unbelievably fertile imagination.

As far as accessory equipment is concerned, bondage fans fall into two groups. One group is content to use ordinary everyday items such as chairs and beds. Others have a strong predilection for bizarre and often old-fashioned equipment such as stocks, pillories, gibbets, and similar devices. Some bondage fans have large collections of devices of this type, and there are homes where a spare bedroom or basement room doubles as a bondage studio. In one case known to the author, a wealthy couple has the guest house at their estate furnished as a bondage "torture chamber."

As might be expected, most bondage activities take place indoors.

However, some bondage fans have a strong predilection for outdoor scenes and perhaps others would too were it not for such problems as lack of privacy and the vagaries of weather. Among outdoor bondage fans, forests appear to be the favorite setting for their activities. Forests provide an isolated and scenic atmosphere and, in addition, trees serve as a natural prop for bondage activities. Next to forests in popularity are outdoor swimming pools where diving boards, ladders, and poolside furniture provide excellent bondage props. Since the erotic aspects of dunking are well known, it is not surprising that in such a setting the bondage victim may be subjected to a variation of old-fashioned dunking stool. Similarly, in indoor settings bathtubs and shower stalls are also favorite bondage props.

Thus far, we have examined only the external mechanics of bondage. As far as personalities and emotional requirements are concerned, bondage fans may be roughly divided into three broad groups: dominant, submissive, and those who enjoy playing at both roles. Such a grouping is only roughly accurate, for within each group there are wide ranges of individual desires and preferences. Thus, one person may be highly dominant while another is only mildly dominant. Similarly, one person may be highly submissive while another may be only mildly submissive.

According to the traditional view, the male is dominant while the female is submissive. Today, it must be said that this viewpoint is a naive oversimplification. Whether one is dominant or submissive depends on one's emotional requirements and not upon whether one happens to possess a penis or vagina. Thus, we have dominant men and submissive men, dominant women and submissive women, and men and women who can achieve emotional satisfaction playing either role.

Since one's emotional requirements depend upon that elusive creation known as the human mind and are in no way related to one's physical characteristics, the preferences of bondage fans cannot be determined by their physical appearance. Thus, it is well known that physically well-built and aggressive men often like to play the submissive role and achieve great emotional satisfaction in being put through their paces by an attractive bondage mistress. Similarly, a petite, shapely, and highly feminine woman may be quite dominant.

Although bondage activities most frequently take place within a heterosexual context, bondage activities sometimes have homosexual connotations. This is patently the case where both the aggressor and the victim are of the same sex. It is also subliminally the case in certain situations where, for example, a dominant female who requires a male victim to wear feminine clothing may be satisfying her own unconscious lesbian tendencies.

Most bondage sessions are restricted to two individuals but that is not always the case. Bondage fans frequently make contacts with others who share their interests, sometimes only to exchange correspondence but often to arrange meetings. Such meetings may involve only an inspection of bondage equipment or photographs, but may also involve a bondage demonstration or a "swap bondage" session. Wife-swapping clubs composed only of bondage fans are also known to exist. In addition, couples who are interested in bondage occasionally like to have a third party participate in their sessions. In nearly all cases, the third party is a female. In some cases, the third party serves only as a nonparticipating witness to the bondage session. To the uninitiated, this might seem quite puzzling. However, there is a logical explanation for it. Although most of us are unaware of it, we all possess some exhibitionistic tendencies. For example, an extremely modest woman can manage to wear a transparent blouse or short skirt if persuaded that the dictates of fashion require her to do so, and in so doing she will satisfy her unconscious exhibitionistic tendencies. Persons with masochistic tendencies tend to have stronger exhibitionistic desires than the average person. Thus, the humiliation of being observed in bondage by a third person serves to gratify the victim's unconscious exhibitionistic tendencies. This is confirmed by the fact that it is often the victim who suggests that a third party be present at the session.