Between laughter and agony

Between laughter and agony

For me, tickling is a very intense form of playing. No other practice has elicited my safe word so often. Yet, or maybe because of that, I’ve come to love what it does to me – active and passive. It’s great to explore each other’s bodies, to find the most ticklish spot and also the particular tickling practice you need to work that spot with. Because not all tickling is the same! It can be poked with fingers, pinched with fingernails or worked with tools: Metal claw, needle wheel or electric toothbrush….there are endless possibilities.

I often wonder what motivates people to let themselves be tickled or to do it as the active part. Maybe it helps us to let go, to laugh freely and to feel connected to our inner child. Active ticklers probably love the powerful reaction it creates in the other person without causing pain to that person, because even though BDSM and pain very often occur together it is not necessarily the case that this always has to be part of a session. Of course, a real fit of laughter can still be just as exhausting as a spanking session. The body sweats and writhes and like so often the limits get explored.

dav

My first drastic experience with tickling was inhuman

Because a bee was to blame. Many years ago, a bee stung me under my foot. The sting was very painful at first and became inflamed. The subsequent healing process was accompanied by extreme itching. Even the lightest touch made me feel like I was going to explode! However, at some point I realized that I could control these reflexes and this was of course very liberating and felt strangely pleasurable at the same time. I then started touching the area under my foot myself and experienced a type of satisfaction previously unknown to me. It was also interesting to observe that my brain did not dampen the sensory sensation, because otherwise what actually happens when you tickle yourself…is purely nothing.

dav

Cathartic Satisfaction

There I again see a parallel to pain or other BDSM practices, like Shibari or breath control. You are passive and at the mercy and struggle with the loss of control. But when control slips away, it is of course allowed and wanted and your counterpart goes for it and catches you…or taunts you some more. Depending on the situation.

After prolonged tickling, the body begins to vibrate in all possible places. It starts in the face, between the nose and mouth and spreads in waves.
Sometimes I also have this sensation during orgasms, especially those that are delayed. In general, there are many similarities between the post-orgasmic feeling and tickling. All the nerves are over-stimulated and the control over one’s own body gets lost. It is difficult to impossible to control the movements, facial expressions or speech. At least that’s how it is for me. But I have also experienced tickling partners who experience tickling less as torture and just laugh heartily and enjoy it. In any case, it is a very special kind of touch that is often underestimated. Especially if some time is taken for it, tickling can create very intense feelings and physical reactions. The entire body is an erogenous zone and it is worth exploring it.