Erotic Asphyxiation
From Wikipedia (quit smirking, this is a good overview).
Erotic asphyxiation (variously called asphyxiophilia, hypoxyphilia or breath control play) is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for the purposes of sexual arousal. The term autoerotic asphyxiation is used when the act is done by a person to themselves. Colloquially, a person engaging in the activity is sometimes called a gasper.[1]
The erotic interest in asphyxiation is classified as a paraphilia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. Erotic asphyxiation can lead to accidental death due to asphyxia.
Physiology
Author John Curra wrote, “The carotid arteries (on either side of the neck) carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain. When these are compressed, as in strangulation or hanging, the sudden loss of oxygen to the brain and the accumulation of carbon dioxide can increase feelings of giddiness, lightheadedness, and pleasure, all of which will heighten masturbatory sensations.”[2]
Author George Shuman describes the effect as such, “When the brain is deprived of oxygen, it induces a lucid, semi-hallucinogenic state called hypoxia. Combined with orgasm, the rush is said to be no less powerful than cocaine, and highly addictive.”[3]
Concerning hallucinogenic states brought about by chronic hypoxia, Dr. E L Lloyd notes that they may be similar to the hallucinations experienced by climbers at altitude. He further notes that no such state occurs in hypoxia brought about by sudden aircraft decompression at altitude. These findings suggest to him that they do not arrive purely from a lack of oxygen. Upon examining the studies on hypoxia he found that “abnormalities in the cerebral neurochemistry involving one or more of the interconnected neurotransmitters, dopamine, serotonin, and beta-endorphin had been reported in all the conditions associated with hallucinations.”[4]
History
Historically, the practice of autoerotic asphyxiation has been documented since the early 17th century. It was first used as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.[5] The idea for this most likely came from subjects who were executed by hanging. Observers at public hangings noted that male victims developed an erection, sometimes remaining after death (a death erection), and occasionally ejaculated when being hanged. However, post-mortem ejaculation occurs in hanging victims after death because of disseminated muscle relaxation; this is a different mechanism from that sought by autoerotic asphyxiation practitioners.
Practice
Various methods are used to achieve the level of oxygen depletion needed, such as a hanging, suffocation with a plastic bag over the head, self-strangulation such as with a ligature, gas or volatile solvents, chest compression, or some combination of these.[6] Sometimes, complicated devices are used to produce the desired effects.[7] The practice can be dangerous even if performed with care and has resulted in a significant number of accidental deaths. Uva (1995) writes “Estimates of the mortality rate of autoerotic asphyxia range from 250 to 1000 deaths per year in the United States.”[8]Cases have also been reported in Scandinavia[9] and Germany.[10][11] Autoerotic asphyxiation may often be mistaken for suicide, which is a major cause of death in teenagers.[12]
Accidental death
Deaths often occur when the loss of consciousness caused by partial asphyxia leads to loss of control over the means of strangulation, resulting in continued asphyxia and death. While often asphyxiophilia is incorporated into sex with a partner, others enjoy this behaviour by themselves, making it potentially more difficult to get out of dangerous situations.[13]
In some fatality cases, the body of the asphyxiophilic individual is discovered naked or with genitalia in hand, with pornographic material or sex toys present, or with evidence of having orgasmed prior to death.[10] Bodies found at the scene of an accidental death often show evidence of other paraphilic activities,[14] such as fetishistic cross-dressing and masochism.[6] In cases involving teenagers at home, families may disturb the scene by “sanitizing” it, removing evidence of paraphilic activity. This can have the consequence of making the death appear to be a deliberate suicide, rather than an accident.[15]
The great majority of known erotic asphyxial deaths are male; among all known cases in Ontario and Alberta from 1974 to 1987, only one out of 117 cases was female.[6] Some individual cases of women with erotic asphyxia have been reported.[16][17][18][19] The main age of accidental death is mid-20s,[6][20] but deaths have been reported in adolescents[21][22][23] and in men in their 70s.[10][20]
Autoerotic asphyxiation has at times been incorrectly diagnosed as murder and especially so when a partner is present. Lawyers and insurance companies have brought cases to the attention of clinicians because some life insurance claims are payable in the event of accidental death, but not suicide.[24][25][26]
Famous cases
- Peter Anthony Motteux, English author, playwright, translator, publisher and editor of The Gentleman’s Journal, “the first English magazine”, from 1692 to 1694, died from apparent autoerotic asphyxiation in 1718, which is probably the first recorded case.
- Frantisek Kotzwara, composer, died from erotic asphyxiation in 1791.
- Sada Abe killed her lover, Kichizo Ishida through strangulation while he was sleeping, after having experimented with erotic asphyxiation, in 1936, proceeding to cut off his penis and testicles and carry them around with her in her handbag for a number of days. The case caused a sensation in 1930s Japan and has remained one of the most famous Japanese murder cases of all time.
- Albert Dekker, stage and screen actor, was found dead in his bathroom in 1968 with his body graffitied and a noose around his neck.
- Nigel Tetley (c. 1924 – 2 February 1972) was a British sailor who was the first person to circumnavigate the world solo in a trimaran. His body was found hanging from a tree in woods near Dover, England. At the coroner’s inquest, it was revealed that the body had been discovered clothed in lingerie and the hands were bound behind the back. The opinion offered by a pathologist suggested masochistic sexual activity.
- Vaughn Bodé, artist, died from this cause in 1975.
- Diane Herceg sued Hustler magazine in 1983, accusing it of causing the death of her 14-year-old son, Troy D., who had experimented with autoerotic asphyxia after reading about it in that publication.[27]
- Stephen Milligan, a British politician and Conservative MP for Eastleigh, died from autoerotic asphyxiation combined with self-bondage in 1994.[28]
- Kevin Gilbert, a musician and songwriter, died of apparent autoerotic asphyxiation in 1996.[29]
- David Carradine died on June 4, 2009 from accidental asphyxiation, according to the medical examiner who performed a private autopsy on the actor.[30][31] His body was found hanging by a rope in a closet in his hotel room in Thailand,[32][33] and there was evidence of a recent orgasm;[34] two autopsies were conducted and concluded that his death was not suicide, and the Thai forensic pathologist who examined the body stated that his death may have been due to autoerotic asphyxiation.[35][36] Two of Carradine’s ex-wives, Gail Jensen[37][38] and Marina Anderson,[39][40] stated publicly that his sexual interests included the practice of self-bondage.
The sensational nature of autoerotic asphyxiation often makes it the subject of urban legends. It has also been mentioned specifically in a number of works of fiction.
- In the Marquis de Sade’s famous novel Justine, or The Misfortunes of the Virtue, Justine is subjected to this by one of her captors. She survives the encounter.
- In the Guts short story in Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Haunted, one the characters discusses parents who discover the accidental deaths of their sons to autoerotic asphyxiation. They are said to cover up the deaths before police or coroners arrive to save the family from shame.
- In the novel (and later movie adaptation) Rising Sun, death as a result of this type of sexual arousal is explained when it is offered as a possible cause for a murder victim’s death.
- In the film World’s Greatest Dad, the protagonist’s teenage son accidentally kills himself with asphyxiation whilst sexually aroused. The protagonist then stages his son’s death as a suicide, which gives him the opportunity to rise to infamy via a literary hoax.
- In the film Ken Park a character named Tate practices autoerotic asphyxia.
- Autoerotic asphyxiation occurs in the cold open of Six Feet Under episode Back to the Garden.
- Kenny from South Park dies from suffocating while wearing a Batman costume and practicing autoerotic asphyxia in the episode “Sexual Healing”.
- In the season four episode of Californication, titled “Monkey Business”, the character Zig Semetauer is found dead in his bathroom by Hank, Charlie and Stu after suffocating due to autoerotic asphyxia, to which Hank quips “I’m not averse to the occasional choke-n’-stroke, but this is a prime example of why one must always use a buddy system.”
- A character in the film Knocked Up offers to be a “spotter” for a friend if he intends on performing autoerotic asphyxiation.
- Bruce Robertson, the main character in the 1998 Irvine Welsh novel, Filth engages in the practice. This is also depicted in the 2013 film adaptation.
- In the sixth episode, season two of Bojack Horseman, autoerotic asphyxiation and celebrity deaths are recurrent discussions.
References
- Roberts, Chris (30 January 2012). Lost English: Words And Phrases That Have Vanished From Our Language. Michael O’Mara Books. p. 66. ISBN 978-1843172789.
- John Curra (2000). The Relativity of Deviance. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-7619-0778-7.
- George D. Shuman (2007). Last Breath: A Sherry Moore Novel. Simon & Schuster. p. 80. ISBN 978-1-4165-3491-4.
- Dr. E L Lloyd (29 March 1986). “Points: Hallucinations, hypoxia, and neurotransmitters”. British Medical Journal Volume 292: 903.
- “Erotic Asphyxiation”. Lust Magazine. 1997. Archived from the original on 2006-08-31. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
- Blanchard, R.; Hucker, S. J. (1991). “Age, transvestism, bondage, and concurrent paraphilic activities in 117 fatal cases of autoerotic asphyxia”. British Journal of Psychiatry. 159 (3): 371–377. doi:10.1192/bjp.159.3.371. PMID 1958948.
- O’Halloran, R. L.; Dietz, P. E. (1993). “Autoerotic fatalities with power hydraulics”. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 38 (2): 359–364. doi:10.1520/JFS13416J.
- Uva, J. L. (1995). “Review: Autoerotic asphyxiation in the United States”. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 40 (4): 574–581. doi:10.1520/JFS13828J. PMID 7595293.
- Innala, S. M.; Ernulf, K. F. (1989). “Asphyxiophilia in Scandinavia”. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 18 (3): 181–189. doi:10.1007/BF01543193. PMID 2787626.
- Janssen, W.; Koops, E.; Anders, S.; Kuhn, S.; Püschel, K. (2005). “Forensic aspects of 40 accidental autoerotic death in Northern Germany”. Forensic Science International. 147S: S61–S64. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.09.093. PMID 15694733.
- Koops, E.; Janssen, W.; Anders, S.; Püschel, K. (2005). “Unusual phenomenology of autoerotic fatalities”. Forensic Science International.147S: S65–S67. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.09.095. PMID 15694734.
- Downs, Martin (January 1, 2005). “The Highest Price For Pleasure: A Deadly Turn-On”. WebMD. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
- Autoerotic Asphyxiophilia on ‘Sexinfo’ website, University of Santa Barbara, Ca.
- Bogliolo, L. R.; Taff, M. L.; Stephens, P. J.; Money, J. (1991). “A case of autoerotic asphyxia associated with multiplex paraphilia”. American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 12 (1): 64–73. doi:10.1097/00000433-199103000-00012. PMID 2063821.
- Downs, Martin. The Highest Price for Pleasure, featured by WebMD
- Danto, B. (1980). “A case of female autoerotic death”. American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 1 (2): 117–121. doi:10.1097/00000433-198006000-00004. PMID 7246503.
- Behrendt, N.; Buhl, N.; Seidl, S. (2002). “The lethal paraphilic syndrome: Accidental autoerotic deaths in four women and a review of the literature”. International Journal of Legal Medicine. 116 (3): 148–152. doi:10.1007/s00414-001-0271-x. PMID 12111317.
- Martz, D. (2003). “Behavioral treatment for a female engaging in autoerotic asphyxiation” (PDF). Clinical Case Studies. 2 (3): 236–242. doi:10.1177/1534650103002003006.
- Sass, F. (1975). “Sexual asphyxia in the female”. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2: 181–185.
- Burgess, A. W.; Hazelwood, R. R. (1983). “Autoerotic deaths and social network response”. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 53 (1): 166–170. doi:10.1111/j.1939-0025.1983.tb03361.x. PMID 6829721.
- Shankel, L. W.; Carr, A. C. (1956). “Transvestism and hanging episodes in a male adolescent”. Psychiatric Quarterly. 30 (3): 478–493. doi:10.1007/BF01564363. PMID 13359556.
- Sheehan, W.; Garfinkel, B. D. (1987). “Adolescent autoerotic deaths”. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 27 (3): 367–370. doi:10.1097/00004583-198805000-00017. PMID 3379021.
- Edmondson, J. S. (1972). “A case of sexual asphyxis without fatal termination”. British Journal of Psychiatry. 121 (563): 437–438. doi:10.1192/bjp.121.4.437. PMID 5077101.
- Cooper, A. J. (1995). “”Auto-erotic asphyxial death: Analysis of nineteen fatalities in Alberta”: Comment”. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 40 (6): 363–364. doi:10.1177/070674379504000626. PMID 7585413.
- Cooper, A. J. (1996). “Auto-erotic asphyxiation: Three case reports”. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy. 22 (1): 47–53. doi:10.1080/00926239608405305. PMID 8699497.
- Garza-Leal, J. A.; Landrom, F. J. (1991). “Autoerotic death initially misinterpreted as suicide and a review of the literature”. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 36 (6): 1753–1759. doi:10.1520/JFS13200J. PMID 1770343.
- John W. Williams (1990). “Can the media kill? A syndrome, a case study and the law”. Archived from the original on 2009-06-09. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
- “Police probe MP’s suspicious death”. BBC News, 8 February 1994
- Joel Selvin (September 16, 1996). “More Than ‘The Piano Player'”. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
- Orloff, Brian. “David Carradine Died of Accidental Asphyxiation”. People, July 2, 2009.
- “David Carradine’s Official Cause of Death was Asphyxiation”. Inquisitr.com. 2009-07-02. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- Goldman, Russell (2009-06-04). “Police: Carradine Found Naked, Hanged in Closet”. ABC News. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
- “Actor David Carradine Found Dead”. CNN. 2009-06-04. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
- “Forensic Scientist Says Carradine Death May Be Linked to Auto-Erotic Asphyxiation”. Fox News. 2009-06-05.
- “Carradine Death ‘Erotic Asphyxiation'”. Bangkok Post. 2009-06-06. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- Drummond, Andrew (2009-06-05). “Kung Fu Star David Carradine Died ‘When Auto Erotic Sex Game Went Wrong'”. Daily Record. Archived from the originalon 2009-06-12. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- James, Susan Donaldson (June 9, 2009). “Ex-Wife Reveals David Carradine’s ‘Kinky’ Habits”. ABC News. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- “David Carradine Branded ‘Strange’ by Ex”. Contactmusic.com. June 9, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- McShane, Larry (June 5, 2009). “David Carradine a Fan of ‘Potentially Deadly’ Deviant Sex Acts, Ex-Wife Said in Court Papers”. New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- Darwar, Anil (June 8, 2009). “Carradine Loved Deadly Sex Games, Says Ex-Wife”. Daily Express. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
Research on Erotic Asphyxiation
Sexual asphyxia causing blunt carotid artery injury and Horner’s syndrome
A Muddaiah, A Banigo, F Galli and M A Latif
Volume 126, Issue 12, December 2012 , pp. 1292-1295
Abstract
Objective: To highlight a rare cause of Horner’s syndrome, and to review the management of blunt carotid artery injury.
Method: Literature search via PubMed for related articles.
Results: Horner’s syndrome and blunt carotid artery injury are rare phenomena; sexual asphyxia as a cause has not previously been reported. This case is also the first of its kind to have radiological evidence of injury to the external carotid artery but not the internal carotid artery. In Horner’s syndrome, additional symptoms of ipsilateral headache or neck pain, tinnitus, or any cerebral ischaemic symptoms should raise suspicion of blunt carotid injury.
Conclusion: Blunt carotid artery injury is a potentially fatal condition and can present without radiological evidence. Early recognition and management with anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs is crucial to prevent mortality and morbidity.
Hypoxyphilia
Stephen J. Hucker.
Archives of Sexual Behavior. December 2011, Volume 40, Issue 6, pp 1323–1326|
Abstract
This is the Advisor’s report on Hypoxyphilia, as it is currently called in DSM-IV, submitted at the request of the DSM-5 Paraphilias Subworkgroup of the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Workgroup. The background literature is reviewed together with information from the author’s recent and as yet unpublished research derived from an internet survey of more than 100 living practitioners of this paraphilic activity. It is recommended that the term “asphyiophilia,” already used in the literature, is preferable as there is little to indicate that the effects of oxygen deprivation per se are the primary motive for the behavior; rather, it is sexual arousal to restriction of breathing. It is properly regarded as a severe and potentially dangerous manifestation of Sexual Masochism which can result in physical harm or death and therefore should be identified as such, perhaps as a specifier. However, there is no good reason to identify it as a separate paraphilia though it should be named in the DSM-5 text as it is a well-recognized and unusual mode of death. Less severe forms of Sexual Masochism which do not threaten life or otherwise cause serious physical harm should not be regarded as mental disorders.
Unintentional strangulation deaths from the “Choking Game” among youths aged 6-19 years – United States, 1995—2007
Eke N. Erotic Deaths. Anil Aggrawal’s Internet Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 2002; Vol. 3, No. 1 (January – June 2002).
Abstract:
The “choking game” is defined as self-strangulation or strangulation by another person with the hands or a noose to achieve a brief euphoric state caused by cerebral hypoxia. Participants in this activity typically are youths (Andrew & Fallon, 2007). Serious neurologic injury or death can result from engaging in this activity. Recent news media reports have described numerous deaths among youths attributed to the choking game. Because no traditional public health dataset collects data on this practice, CDC used news media reports to estimate the incidence of deaths from the choking game. This report describes the results of that analysis, which identified 82 probable choking-game deaths among youths aged 6-19 years during 1995-2007. Seventy-one (86.6%) of the decedents were male, and the mean age was 13.3 years. Parents, educators, and health-care providers should become familiar with warning signs that youths are playing the choking game (Urkin & Merrick, 2006). Impact of industry: By learning about the risk factors for and warning signs of the choking game, parents, educators, and health-care providers may be able to identify youth at risk for playing the game and prevent future deaths.
Asking for it: Erotic Asphyxiation and the Limitations of Sexual Consent
Ingrid Olson*
JIndal Global law revIew 171 volume 4, Issue 1, auGust 2012
Abstract
The contentious practices of the sadomasochism (S/m) community provide a template for investigating consensual sexual practices that are often deemed excessive. A recent Supreme Court of Canada (SCOC) decision convicted the defendant in an assault case regarding sexual activity performed during a sex partner’s brief loss of consciousness due to consensual erotic asphyxiation. The SCOC cited law that requires continual consciousness for sexual consent and rejected the defendant’s argument of prior consent. That is, despite prior consent for sexual activities the SCOC ruled on the legal parameters of sexual autonomy. Several contemporary court decisions regarding S/m practices in England and Canada have placed legal limitations on the permissible level of sexual consent, and subsequently, one’s sexual autonomy. Legal parameters on sexual practices often conflict with the contemporary community standards of sexuality. This article argues that the autonomy to consent to the sexual practices one desires should not be limited by consciousness. There is a new sexual movement underway, fuelled by the discourses of feminist, sexuality, and queer theorists that seek to shift anti-porn and sexual assault dialogues to a positive project of sexual empowerment and queer sexualities. It is a call for sexual agency, the autonomy to negotiate sexual boundaries and pursue one’s sexual desires. This sexual liberation movement desires a revaluation of sexual values, and the right to say ‘yes’. Sexual autonomy, borne from negotiation and enthusiastic consent, is a re-imagination of the term ‘asking for it’.
“Unorthodox Rules”: The Instructive Potential of BDSM Consent for Law
Theodore Bennett
2018/3. Journal of Positive Sexuality, vol 4, issue 1, p.40-11
Description
In the case of Doe v George Mason University (2016) a Virginia District Court recently held that BDSM activities were not protected by the right to sexual liberty provided by the Constitution’s due process clause. This was because BDSM activities were said to involve “inherent risks to personal safety not present in more traditional types of sexual activity”, and therefore states can restrict such activities because they have an “interest in the protection of vulnerable persons”(Doe v George Mason University, 2016, p. 45). This case’s emphasis on the potential “dangerousness” of BDSM embodies sex-negative reasoning in that it frames BDSM “sexuality and sexual practices primarily as risky” and “difficult to manage”(Williams et al, 2015, p. 6). This type of reasoning is not unique to this case but instead reflects the sex-negativity of the broader legal approach to BDSM (Kaplan, 2014). Law has historically treated BDSM as a type of dangerous “violence” rather than sex (Hanna, 2000-2001) and has criminalized injurious BDSM activities despite the consent of participants (Ridinger, 2006; Kaplan, 2014; Haley, 2015). That consent typically makes other “violent” injurious activities lawful, such as body modification and contact sports (Weinberg, 2016), reveals that BDSM is nevertheless treated differently due to a negative evaluation of its perceived sexual “immorality” (Egan, 2007) and “deviance”(Kaplan, 2014, pp. 137-138). This paper seeks to break with the current legal approach and follows Kaplan’s (2014) lead by instead adopting a sex-positive legal approach to BDSM. One aspect of a sexpositive approach to BDSM is the recognition of the “unique …
The Role of Consent in the Context of BDSM
Cara R. Dunkley and Lori A. Brotto
Sexual abuse : a journal of research and treatment. April 2019.
Abstract
Consent represents a central focus in the controversial realm of BDSM—an overlapping acronym referring to the practices of Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, and Sadism and Masochism. Many authors have argued that the hallmark feature that distinguishes BDSM activity from abuse and psychopathology is the presence of mutual informed consent of all those involved. This review examines the relevant literature on consent in BDSM, including discussions on safety precautions, consent violations, North American laws pertaining to BDSM practice, and the role of the BDSM community with respect to education and etiquette surrounding consent. Practical information relevant to professionals who work toward the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse is provided. The explicit approach to consent practiced by those in the BDSM community is proposed as a model for discussions around consent in clinical and educational contexts. Criteria for distinguishing abuse from BDSM and identifying abuse within BDSM relationships are outlined. It is our hope to demystify the consent process and add to the growing body of literature that destigmatizes consensual BDSM practices.
Consensual Sadomasochistic Sex (BDSM): The Roots, the Risks, and the Distinctions Between BDSM and Violence
Eva Jozifkova
Curr Psychiatry Rep (2013) 15:392
Abstract
When practiced consensually, sadomasochistic sex is being increasingly accepted as an alternative sexuality. Here I suggest the possible evolutionary roots of the preferences, draw distinctions between violent, abusive and “healthy” practitioners’ partnership, provide clear behavioural markers of the respective situations, and underline some specific problems connected to this sexual preference. Some of the problems are well-known in the community of its practitioners, although they have not yet been described in medical nor scientific sources.