As the car stopped, her heart raced. she tried to focus…and listen. The goggles she wore to conceal her blindfold from others during the drive seemed heavier now. she could hear the driver’s side door opening. she felt a rush of air as He left the car. she smelled…was that jasmine? The car door closed. Noises from the car settling. A soft knock on her window. she realized that she was gripping onto the door handle very tightly. she let go and flexed her hand to relax the tensed muscles. The door opened. she smelled HIM. Then the Jasmine again. she heard a car driving off. Distant voices. A man and a woman, maybe. “I’ve got you. Pull your hood up, baby.” After she did as she was told, then swung her legs out carefully and felt Him reach for her. His hand was on her thigh, palm up. she took His hand and felt her racing heartbeat ease a little. He helped her out of the car. As she carefully stepped forward, her hand in His, she felt and heard Him sit the car door behind her. Beeper of the alarm. she felt Him beside her now. “This is important. Hold on to my hand and when I squeeze once, walk normally. When I squeeze twice, stop. I won’t let you fall, baby.” she felt her goggles being removed, replaced by headphones. Ahhh…”Clare De Lune.” Orchestral. He squeezed once. she started counting steps. she made it to 24 before He squeezed twice and she stopped like He told her to. she heard a noise behind her. Footsteps? she smelled cologne. Not HIS…something different. And then…she felt a whoosh of air across her chest. her clothes being slid down her arms. HOW DID HE…? Then she felt the sharpness against her shoulder blades. He sliced them off. her heart was pounding. And then…she felt His hand…on her chest…across her heart. He took her right hand and pressed it against HIS chest. she felt His slow, steady heartbeat. Almost the same rhythm as the music. Ahhhh. she focused on His heartbeat, the warmth of His hand on her skin, the music in her ears, His cologne, the heat coming off His body. It soothed her. He’s got her.
Okay, y’all…let’s get into this. Sensory Deprivation is used often in BDSM and makes U/us focus on other senses while being deprived of one or more senses. So let’s talk about a few ways to do it. And trust…there are MANY more. This is just an overview.
*SMELL. The sense of smell can be blocked simply by plugging the nose. This will affect taste to a certain extent as well. Clothespins make this happen easily. Doing this intensifies both the good and the bad. Introducing an incredibly strong scent upon removing the clothespin will be like a shock to the system. There may be increased anxiousness and/or excitement which will heighten the experience. Be safe of course and monitor breathing.
*SIGHT. Restricting the sense of sight is the usual preference because W/we rely on sight more than the others. Blindfolds are the number one way to remove sight from the action. W/we can also get rid of peripheral vision, like a horse wearing blinders. Using a mask reduces the scope of vision to what is in front of U/us. Hoods are also common in BDSM.
*TASTE. W/we can’t really take this one away but overloading it is just as effective. Foods with extremely intense flavors like peppers and sour candy will do the trick. Mouthwash will mask the tastes detected in your mouth and some can even numb the tongue. Adding Pixie Stick powder to the sides of the tongue can be so overwhelming that some folks have actually been brought to tears. Make sure you monitor to avoid the possibility of choking.
*HEARING. Headphones to cancel out noise as well as loud music will do the trick. This one is especially effective against those who are auditory. Loud, pulsating electronic music also causes confusion in addition to restriction of hearing. This is very helpful during Interrogation by causing the submissive to be confused while redirecting their attention to other senses.
*TOUCH. Restricting the sense of touch is a bit different compared to the other senses because skin is the largest organ in the human body. The only way to effectively disturb O/our sense of touch is to either create a barrier (liquid latex, plastic wrap), or through a topical anesthetic that numbs the skin. Applying cold or even ice in certain areas works sometimes with numbing, too. W/we must be aware of latex allergies, seizure disorders, skin/extremity reactions, etc. before tackling this one.
REMEMBER that W/we must monitor T/them carefully through ALL of these for safety, please.
Time for The Pillars, Y/yall.
•COMMUNICATION. Sensory Deprivation helps U/us with discovering other ways to Communicate with each other. It can build intimacy by being laser focused on the moment and in each other. Exploring Sensory Deprivation always begins with a conversation. Preferably a long one lol.
•HONESTY. Speaking out about and addressing questions, concerns, issues, etc during Vetting, negotiations and follow ups is critical because it keeps U/us safe and satisfied. So tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth regarding our thoughts and feelings about Sensory Deprivation.
•RESPECT. Let’s focus on Self Respect this time. Sensory Deprivation places U/us in a space of vulnerability and that leads to opportunities for growth. So let’s honor and value O/ourselves and respect the gift of O/our senses, Y/y’all.
•TRUST. Well….if W/we don’t trust T/them, why would W/we allow T/them to deprive U/us of O/our senses? Vetting, Negotiation, Consent…all of these build trust. Avoiding any of these lessens trust. And instead of Sensory Deprivation being a transformative experience, it becomes a stressful uncomfortable one.
Listen…There’s nothing worse than someone literally ripping off the blindfold thinking, “I’m NOT doing this again!” And unfortunately, that is almost as common as the folks who enjoy T/their experience. So W/we must be willing to put in the work to avoid that. After all…Who wouldn’t rather smile, blush or even salivate when merely thinking about O/our Sensory Deprivation experience(s)?
Thanks for reading, Y/y’all.
~His Duchess 🧎🏾♀️
