The following article is by Lock The Cock
Chastity enthusiasts love finding new ways to punish their penises with restriction, ruined orgasms, slaps and whips, or even spikes. But a new contender has been growing in popularity in recent years, giving these slaves a new kind of punishment to try and endure.
This fetish is electrostimulation, and it’s one of the more interesting BDSM practices to explore.
What is Electrostimulation?
Just as the name implies, electrostimulation is the use of electrical impulses to stimulate specific parts of the body. Often this is used in forms of muscle therapy to treat pain or help heal injured muscles. For BDSM fans though, electrostimulation can be used for pleasure or pain play.
Zapping your own penis might sound like a bit of a nightmare, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. The shocks used in electrostimulation play are quite tame, and often described as tingly, which can be quite pleasurable. If you’re into pain play, the intensity might go up, but it will never be enough to cause serious pain. At worst it might feel like a short, sharp jolt, which should teach any slave a lesson when they misbehave.
Bringing Estim Into Chastity
It’s incredibly simple to start exploring estim: all you need is an estim cage! These devices are just like regular chastity cages, but they usually include small metal plates on the inner surface to deliver the shocks. Some models will require wires and a TENS unit to function, but newer devices such as the Sevanda Nautilus are designed to be an all in one solution that makes electro play simple.
Debunking Estim Myths
While electrostimulation has become more popular in recent years, like many fetishes it is surrounded by myths and misinformation that can push people away from the practice. Let’s dispel some of these.
The biggest misconception most people have with this kind of play is the pain element. It’s not uncommon for people to even refuse to try, purely because they worry it isn’t safe.
Like all BDSM play, electrostimulation needs to be approached carefully. Always make your play safe, sane and consensual, and if you push your limits you should do it gradually. Don’t go from a small tingle to 50V, or yes, you will hurt yourself. With the right attitude though, this kind of play shouldn’t ever hurt unless you want it to, and even if you are a pain-seeker, it should never be dangerous.
Another common misconception is that electrostimulation isn’t a fetish. This is very similar to many of the more unusual fetishes, where more “vanilla” people simply won’t believe that someone can enjoy or take pleasure from the practice. But we can definitely assure you that people do enjoy electrostimulation, and if you ever need to convince your friends or partner, then point them to this page.
Finally, let’s talk about orgasms. The myth of a hands-free orgasm is a bit like a holy grail for men. All of the pleasure with none of the effort, who wouldn’t want it?
So is it possible to orgasm from electrostimulation alone? Well, kind of.
We’ll be honest with you. Finding real evidence of someone having an estim orgasm is difficult. There’s porn, but we all know that can be staged. There’s descriptions and instructions throughout the internet, but there’s also plenty of people who tried and failed. Similarly to prostate orgasms, you’ll have to experiment and probably shouldn’t make it your main goal, but enjoy it if you get lucky.
For those who do claim to have experienced the elusive estim orgasm, it isn’t exactly what you’d expect. The electrical currents stimulate your nerves and create reactions in your body. So when you orgasm from this stimulation, it isn’t because it feels good on your penis, but because you’ve sent the right signal to your brain to experience pleasure. Kind of a brain orgasm.
Understanding Types of Electrostimulation
If you’re interested in this kind of play, then it might seem a little overwhelming at first to start exploring the kinds of estim devices you can use. Even within the umbrella of electrostimulation itself, there are several different kinds of devices that can deliver different kinds of stimulation.
We won’t cover all of them in detail, because they’re mainly used for medical purposes, but you may see the following:
- EMS – Electrical Muscle Stimulation
- NMES – Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
- IFC – Interferential Current Electrical Stimulation
- FES – Functional Electrical Stimulation
Essentially each of these provides electrical shocks to your body in different ways, and they treat different kinds of illnesses. For the purposes of pleasure, though, there’s only one we’re interested in: TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation).
TENS units are, generally, the least powerful and least functional of this kind of unit. But we’re not medical professionals giving treatment, we’re using them for pleasure, so this is exactly what we want.
The type of electrostimulation isn’t the only factor you’ll need to consider. You’ll also need to think about the kinds of shocks you’re providing (or receiving). Now we’re going to keep this brief, because most of you will find it quite boring, but you need to consider three elements of the shocks:
- Frequency – How often the shocks are delivered.
- Intensity – The intensity of the shock.
- Waveform – The “shape” of the shocks. You often see waveforms used to show the pattern a vibrator will use.
If you’re interested in this kind of play, we strongly encourage you to look into these things more, as they are very important to the kind of sensations you can feel while using estim devices. Essentially, though, you’re going to want to experiment with all three to see what you enjoy most, just like you would with any other sex toy.
The Science Behind Electricity and Pleasure
The topic may have been a little dry so far, but we’re finally getting to the good bit: pleasure.
How on earth could an electric shock provide pleasure? Let’s break it down.
Transcutaneous (the T in a TENS unit), means passing through the skin. So the shocks applied move right through the skin to make contact with the nerves inside your body. When the shock touches your nerve, it sends a signal to a specific part of your body or brain. Think about the old-fashioned doctor hitting your knee to see if your leg moves. Estim works like that, but with shocks.
When you figure out how to target the right nerves with shocks, you can produce a specific result. For example, targeting the right nerves in a painful area can desensitize it, reducing the amount of pain you feel. For pleasure, we want to target the nerves that send the correct signals to the brain to make it think we’re having sex. Basically tricking it.
It’s important to remember that electricity can only move through conductive materials. So if you’re wearing a full rubber gimp suit with just your penis uncovered, most of the electricity will be lost as the rubber absorbs it. To get the most out of your estim play, you need to make sure you’re well hydrated. Water is a great conductor and will help the electricity move throughout your body.
Nerve Pathways in the Penis
So which nerves do we need to simulate to have a chance of a hands-free orgasm? If you’ve ever looked at a diagram of the inside of the penis, you’ll see there’s a huge variety of nerves running both along the shaft, into the testicles, and deeper into the pelvic region. For electrostimulation, we only need to focus on two of these: the dorsal nerve and the perineal nerve.
The Dorsal Nerve
The dorsal nerve runs along the top of your penis, from base to tip, and carries messages from the glans (the head or bulbous part of the penis) to the brain. When you masturbate or have sex, the friction between your penis and the hand or a partner’s body parts are felt by this nerve, sending the messages of pleasure to the brain.
If you use electrical shocks to stimulate this nerve, the feeling will be mostly focused in the glans of the penis.
The Perineal Nerve
There are actually two perineal nerves in the pelvic region: the deep perineal nerve and the superficial perineal nerve. The deep nerve runs from the inside of the pelvic region to the inner end of the penis. Here it splits into both the dorsal nerve, and the superficial perineal nerve.
The superficial perineal nerve runs behind your scrotum, from your perineum (hence the name), and into the scrotum. If you’ve ever stroked your perineum, then you can easily imagine how estim could feel nice on this nerve.
Depending on the type of estim product you use, you may have small pads, which you can arrange to stimulate these nerves, or a cock ring, which you can place around both your scrotum and testicles to cross both nerves. If you’re using an estim chastity device, though, you won’t need to worry about this as the plates that provide the shocks are built into the cage.
Prioritizing Safety in Estim Play
As we touched on earlier, safety is of paramount importance when trying this kind of play. There are some simple rules you should always follow:
- Always discuss everything you plan to do with your partner before starting any play.
- Make sure your play is safe, sane and consensual.
- Take your time when exploring electrical stimulation. Never rapidly increase the intensity of the shocks, but go up in steps.
- Never place electrodes above the waist, or attempt estim on a body part above the waist. Putting an electrical current into your chest or brain can be fatal.
- Always be sober when practicing estim.
- Choose a safe word before starting play. This should be a word you aren’t likely to say during play, and if either partner says it, you immediately stop play.
- Only use water-based lubricants while practicing estim. Other kinds have a risk of burning your skin.
- Check your TENS unit for any damage before use.
- Don’t place any electrodes on any injured or damaged skin.
- Don’t exceed the recommended voltage level for your TENS device.
- Only use electrostimulation devices designed for use with the body.
Do not practice estim if:
- You have any medical implants like pacemakers.
- You are pregnant.
- You have any heart defects, epilepsy or experience seizures.
- You use any EKG monitors or alarms.
That’s a lot of rules, but it really is vitally important that you follow them. Practicing estim improperly is dangerous and can cause permanent damage or even death.
Another thing to watch out for is overstimulation. As you begin to apply shocks to your nerves, they will gradually become desensitized. This means you’ll need to increase the intensity of the shocks to maintain the same level of stimulation. If you have a particularly long session of estim, it’s easy to keep upping the voltage and end up with a much higher voltage than you intended to, so you need to keep a close eye on the TENS unit to make sure you don’t overdo it.
Using Your Estim Device
When the time comes to finally indulge in some electrical stimulation, the process is usually quite simple. If you’ve bought your estim device from a reputable vendor, then you should have everything you need to get started. The TENS unit should have several buttons that let you control the intensity and waveform (sometimes just called the shock pattern).
After you first turn on the device, it will usually provide a continuous stream of stimulation at the lowest power level. You normally won’t feel it though, as the intensity is too low, so gradually start increasing the intensity until you start to feel it.
Once you’ve found the lowest level of stimulation that you can actually feel, try out the different waveforms the device can produce so you can get an idea of the capabilities of your device.
If you’ve got the hang of the basics, feel free to start experimenting. Try different intensities and patterns and find what you enjoy. Try switching between different types of stimulation that pushes you closer and further away from the edge.
There’s really no hard and fast advice here. We’re all different so you’ll need to experiment and find out what works for you.
Potential Side Effects and Aftercare
Electrostimulation can carry side effects, so it’s important to pay attention to your own body. If you experience any of the following, stop using your device and take a break. If you regularly experience any of the following, then electrostimulation may not be the best kind of play for you.
Side effects:
- Dizziness.
- Muscle Spasms.
- Headaches.
- Pain.
If you’re already experienced with BDSM, then aftercare should be something you are already familiar with. When playing with estim toys, aftercare is a vitally important part of the process.
Firstly, spending some time discussing what you did with your partner, and going over the bits you enjoyed or disliked, can make the next time even better. It can also help the partner who was subjected to the pain (if you took it that far) have the time they need to decompress and talk through any difficult emotions they felt during the play. Sometimes all it takes is a hug!
Physically, electrostim can be quite draining. It’s a good idea to drink plenty of water and eat or drink things that will restore your electrolytes as they will be depleted by the play. You might feel some ghost tingles in the spots that were stimulated, but this is normal and should clear up in an hour or so. If they don’t go away, or if there’s any residual pain from your play, then you should seek medical attention.
Additional Tips for Estim Enthusiasts
It can be difficult to truly let go and enjoy the sensations of estim as it’s quite an unusual experience. Adding in some of your other sex toys can be a great way to take your mind off the shocks and really start to enjoy yourself.
Another tip we touched on before is not to focus too much on having a hands-free orgasm. While it can happen, it won’t always happen. If you’re focusing too much on having an orgasm, you won’t actually be enjoying the play, so you probably won’t orgasm. A bit of a vicious cycle.
We’ve said it several times, but we’ll repeat it again: take your time! Build up intensity gradually. Start with shorter sessions and gradually make them longer. Don’t jump in at the deep end!
Communication is also vital during your play. You should always be actively talking to your partner while the shocks are being delivered, and regularly checking that they are okay and can handle the stimulation. If at any point they ask you to stop, then you need to stop immediately. Due to this need for good communication, we don’t recommend doing estim play with anyone you don’t know well or trust completely.
Try Estim Now For a Shocking Experience!
We’ve covered a lot of information, but estim is a large and interesting topic. It does come with risks, though, so make sure you read all the information thoroughly and approach your play safely. When you do though, you can experience a range of feelings that no other sex toys can provide!
NOTE: The information above is presented for educational purposes only. If you choose to try electrostimulation, please research the topic thoroughly and ensure you know what you’re doing before starting. We are not medical or electrical experts and accept no responsibility for any harm caused by your electrostimulation play.
Metal would like to thank the folks at Lock The Cock for this article!
We’ve painted a rosy picture, but nothing’s perfect. There must be some kind of catch, right?