Information on Electrical Play

Some notes on electricity in B&D and S&M

Rev 4

Copyright (c) 1988-96 by the author. May not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the express consent of the author. EMAIL to Sparks@thepentagon.com

I BEGIN WITH THE ADMONITION THAT ANYTHING THAT I DESCRIBE OR DISCUSS HERE IS FOR BACKGROUND INFORMATION ONLY. APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY IN ANY FORM TO A HUMAN BODY SHOULD ONLY BE PERFORMED BY OR UNDER THE DIRECTION OF AN APPROPRIATELY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, A TITLE TO WHICH I MAKE NO CLAIM!

I REALIZE THAT MANY OF MY WARNINGS MAY BE VIEWED BY EXPERIENCED PLAYERS AS OVERLY CAUTIOUS. THIS IS INTENTIONAL! I PREFER TO SEE BEGINNERS LIVE TO BECOME EXPERIENCED PLAYERS.

Let's start with the most basic question; why would anyone WANT to have electricity applied to their body? The answers to that question fall into two areas; psychological and physical.

The psychological reaction to the thought of being part of an electrical circuit is usually quite strong. We are taught as toddlers not to play with electricity, that it is dangerous, and that it can hurt or even kill us. Most of us have at one time or another received an accidental electric shock, and since it usually involves a strong dose of "house current", it tends to be unpleasant enough to re-enforce these warnings! Of course, the mention of the term "electric shock torture" brings to mind a variety of fascinating images ranging from Gestapo or KGB interrogation chambers to field interrogations using the ringer generator on a field telephone connected to someone's "private parts", or possibly the Sheriff or Troopers with their cattle prods. The number and variety of scenes that can be built around various electrical devices is almost limitless. I'll discuss some of my own favorites later.

Physically, electricity can produce a complex variety of sensations, and every Sub who has thought about the subject has their own idea of what it "should" feel like. If your subject enjoys the psychological trip, setting up a scene with all of the trappings of a torture session and applying mild stimulation while letting the subject's mind do the rest can result in a very intense experience. Of course, if you and your subject are into more intense pain, electricity can provide more pain than most subs can tolerate, without leaving marks, scars, or (if done carefully) damage.

Aside from the pain and fear aspects, direct mild electrical stimulation of the genitiles can, under some circumstances, produce intensely sensual sensations, even to the point of orgasm.

Before we get into specific electropleasure techniques, we should start with a couple of basic safety rules;

• NEVER set up contacts such that a current path can be completed through the heart or brain! The safest way to be certain of this is to avoid any contact above the lowest set of ribs. It IS possible to work safely on the back, shoulders, neck and arms and I make some references to it later, but unless you are certain of your equipment, your knowledge and skill, and your subject's health, keep the contacts below the lowest set of ribs.
• Don't tie your subject too tightly, allow some room for muscle contractions. It is possible to do some significant damage if you apply a strong shock to a tightly-tied limb. Also, make certain that your subject is bound or positioned such that a sudden movement won't cause a fall, impact against a solid or sharp object, or other unintended injury.
• Make certain that your electrodes make good contact. Poor contact will often cause burns. Electrical burns tend to be deep and slow to heal. They also tend to have more damage beneath the surface than is immediately obvious.
• I strongly suggest that when you try a new setup, you test it on yourself to the extent possible. This will give you some insight as to what the sensations are and what constitutes a tolerable level of current. This leads to a WARNING: NEVER EXPERIMENT WITH ELECTRICITY ON YOURSELF UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMEONE PRESENT WHO KNOWS HOW (AND WHEN) TO SHUT OFF THE CURRENT!
• Know your equipment!
• ALWAYS HAVE A SAFE-WORD *AND* a signal which can be used if your sub can't speak. Make sure that you are always alert to it.
• Finally, LEARN CPR!!!!!!! It could make the difference between a bad fright and a fatality (with resulting homicide charge). Remember, however, that CPR is successful in only about 1 cardiac arrest in 3!

If this scares you, GOOD! Playing with electricity (like mountain climbing, flying, scuba diving, and numerous other hobbies) is not inherently dangerous, but it is terribly unforgiving of carelessness!

TYPES OF ELECTRICITY

People who play with electricity have been arguing the safety risks of DC vs. AC for a long time, and I won't get caught up in the arguement here. I am of the "AC is safer" school, and generally avoid DC for play. AC, particularly frequencies in the range 1,000 cycles per second to 10,000 cycles per second (1 KHz to 10 KHz), is less dangerous and, in my opinion, provides more interesting sensations. As for current, it doesn't take much. Five to fifteen milliamperes (.015 amp, or about 1/1000th of the current that a normal wall-outlet will provide before blowing fuses!) is generally as much as most people want to feel.

Before we get into equipment for applying electric current, let's look at the safest electrical appliance in the S&M world. Instead of continuous current, This device makes use of STATIC ELECTRICITY. We have all walked across the wool rug and touched a light switch or appliance, and felt the spark jump out to meet our hand. The voltages involved here are extremely high (frequently on the order of millions of volts!). However, length of time that it lasts is so short and current so low that the total amount of electricity flowing is minuscule. Think of it as popping a small balloon. You have a little bit of air under a lot of pressure. When it is suddenly released, the pressure causes a loud bang, but does little else.

The result of this is a strong, biting shock that causes no damage and isn't dangerous, but really gets your attention. Since making your sub shuffle around on a wool rug all day is somewhat boring, we have a device called a VIOLET WAND.

THE VIOLET WAND

This gadget uses a high-frequency circuit similar to a Tesla coil to build up a static charge in a gas-filled glass tube. If you hold the tube near your sub's body, Each time the charge builds up enough to jump the gap, a spark jumps from the tube to your sub's skin. Unlike shuffling across the rug, though, the Wand can spark many times a second. You can adjust the intensity and rate of sparks depending on your purpose. The nature of the body's response to this type of charge is such that you can use the wand anywhere on the body except for the eyes.

One of the best scenes I've seen with the wand involved a male sub who had never experienced it before. After the top made it clear that he was dissatisfied with the sub 's performance, that it was time for an exceptionally severe punishment, he was tied to a cross spread-eagled in a standing position. naked except for a leather cock and ball harness. He was gagged but not blindfolded. The only light in the room was a small blue nightlight. The Top brought out the Wand and selected a small straight tube. When it was switched on, the nightlight was eclipsed by the purple glow from the tube and a sputtering, crackling sound came from the power unit. With the tube a few inches from a metal wall plate the slave got to watch the bright, blue sparks jump from the tube to the plate for a few moments while the top made some adjustments to the power unit (which comes with simply an on-off switch and a power control, so a couple of knobs and dials were added to make it more sinister). The slave was left alone to contemplate the glowing tube for a few minutes.

When the top returned, the slave was sweating and seemed rather pale in the purple glow. After stroking his erect cock a few times (he was terrified, but loving every second), the top suddenly gripped his cock firmly in one hand and started bringing the wand slowly closer to the bead of cum on the very tip of his cock. When the tip of the wand was about 1/2" from the tip of his cock, a stream of sparks began to jump the gap. His screams were audible around the gag as he began to writhe and strain against his bonds. The wand was pulled away before he could realize that it didn't hurt nearly as much as he thought it did. He spent the next few minutes receiving brief zaps to random places, especially on the tip of his cock, the spot right at the base of the glans, his nipples, navel, and ear lobes. Each zap brought a renewed writhing, although the screams had dropped off to whimpers, and his cock was hard and his breathing heavy.

Finally tired of this game, the top began alternating tongue and wand on the end of his cock. Of course, the wetness from the top's mouth made the zaps sting more, and the rapid changes between the caressing tongue and the sting of the wand left him not knowing what to expect next.

Next, the top gripped the end of the wand tightly in one hand. You might expect this to be uncomfortable, but actually the charge at that point builds up without "motion" in both the wand and the holder's body. This means that the top could reach out and draw sparks between a fingertip and the slave's writhing body! Of course, the Top felt the sparks too, but the Top knew what to expect, and a finger is a lot less sensitive than the points on the slave's body where the sparks were striking! This phase of his "torture" ended by being ungagged and kissed, drawing sparks between probing tongues. The top finished the evening by switching the small tube on the wand for a flat disk about 1" in diameter, which he used to apply a shower of sparks to the sensitive (and recently shaved) area between the back of the slave's balls and his anus, while sucking him to climax.

CAUTION: Note that at no point did the top insert the tube into any body orifice. Remember that the tube is GLASS! Inserting it into the anus (or vagina, in the case of a female submissive) would be hazardous, and since there is very little sensation when there is no air gap between the tube and the body, it really isn't worth it. It IS possible to obtain a piece of metal tubing slightly larger than the glass tube and place it over the end of the glass tube. This metal tip can then be inserted as seems appropriate (keeping in mind sharp edges, and all of the other rules that apply when you stick things into places where they weren't designed to go).

Although this particular exercise involved a male subject, I have also seen the same general techniques on females with similar success. In that case, excellent targets include the clitoris and surrounding area, as well as along the moist inner edges of her cunt lips. One particularly interesting variation involves a piece of plastic pipe, about 3/4" outside diameter and 3" long, with all edges chamfered and smoothed. Insert the end of the pipe slightly into her cunt, then, using the wand with the metal extension described above, insert it into the tube. Experiment with varying amounts of penetration for both the tubing and the wand. The same technique would work for anal penetration, and would provide a very intense reaction on a male subject if concentrated on his prostate.

By now you're probably curious as to where to get one of these toys, and why they sell them in the first place. Actually, they were originally sold as "cure-alls" and were the center of many charitans' "medical" practice. Currently, they are sold mainly as a curiosity. The unit that I have is called the "Master High Frequency Unit". They are sold through beauty supply houses as a skin stimulator or some such, so that's one possible source. They are also available from a company called The Stockroom (AKA JT Toys)

The units that I have came with three different tubes. If you should get one, the best bet is to simply play with it to see what tubes produce the most interesting effect on what body parts, although the above should give you a few ideas. The model that The Stockroom carries is available with an attachment consisting of a metal beaded chain, which can be used as a very interesting electric whip. I haven't tried it, but it sounds quite neat, and I'd like to hear from someone who has used it.

If you are interested in applying current as opposed to static jolts, the selection of a power supply requires some care. Although I built my first unit back when I was in high school, I strongly advise against the do-it-yourself route unless you are particularly skilled in electronics (in retrospect, I consider myself lucky that none of my early designs ever landed anyone in a hospital or worse!). I've seen frequent references to "TENS" (Trancutaneous Electro-Neural Stimulation) units, which is the medical term for a device frequently used by chiropractors and other medical professionals. These are powerful units, and are quite capable of causing serious injury or death. They are also generally sold only to medical practitioners, and are very expensive. They are, however, quite well made and are very safe if properly used. You will sometimes find them for sale in the "Health Equipment" classifieds for under $200.

If you don't happen to have a chiropractor who will order a TENS unit for you and instruct you in its safe use, I'd suggest buying one of the Electro-Muscle Stimulation (EMS) exercisers that you see advertised in any of the bodybuilding magazines These are less costly (and usually less powerful and elaborate) versions of the TENS units, and are intended to provide the effects of exercise by forcing muscle contractions electrically. I'll leave the question of whether they help build impressive biceps to others, but as electro-pleasure and electro-torture devices, they are excellent. They provide from 2 to a dozen separate circuits, each with adjustable current. Depending on the unit, you may also be able to vary frequency, waveform, and surge characteristics for each circuit. The units are powered by batteries, which eliminates any worry about a ground loop or component failure placing the full resources of your local power company in contact with a sensitive portion of your partner's anatomy. Also, the individual circuits are isolated from each other, so you don't have to worry about current flowing between electrodes of two different circuits and setting up a path that you hadn't planned on.

The Stockroom also sells a couple of different types of power supplies for the purpose. I've also seen a small 2-circuit EMS unit advertised recently on Home Shopping Club and one in the "Damark" bargain catalogue.

Exactly what path you want the current to take through your subject's body and how you connect the current is dependent on what effect you are looking to obtain. The smaller the electrode, the more strongly the current will be felt as a tingling or stinging at the electrode site. Therefore, with a small electrode, the sensation at the contact point is likely to reach your subject's tolerance limit before much is felt in the area between the contacts. A large electrode will produce little sensation at the contact point, and more in the area between contacts. Bearing in mind that we NEVER select a current path through the chest or head, let's take a look at some paths and the types of electrodes suitable for connecting them.

The number of different types of electrodes that you can make or buy is limited only by the kinkyness of your imagination. Remember though that a poor electrode-to-skin contact can cause painful, slow-healing burns. Most people do not consider this enjoyable, so make sure that your electrodes make good contact, and adjust them if your subject complains of burning.

LEG TO LEG

This is a good "first try". Because of the size and strength of the muscles, legs respond well to electroshock. Initially, the best way to connect to the legs is through ankle cuffs. Make up a "sandwich" consisting of a layer of plastic (i.e. a Baggie), a layer of metal window screen (copper, brass, or aluminum) to which you've attached a length of wire (a piece of Aluminum foil will work in a pinch, and a layer of gauze (such as first aid pads). Wet the gauze with a solution of 1 tbsp of salt in 1 qt of warm water. Wrap one around each ankle, and secure them tightly in place using your regular leather ankle restraints or an Ace bandage.

This makes an excellent contact and will provide minimal sensation at the contact point, so your subject can concentrate on the sensation in thigh and calf muscles. Unfortunately, this method doesn't provide much sensation in the genital area (more sensation in women than men, though).

Of course, this technique would also work on wrist cuffs. You shouldn't even consider applying current from wrist to wrist since this is a direct path through the heart and lungs. You CAN, however, wrap one cuff around the wrist and the other near the shoulder of the SAME ARM. If your power supply has multiple circuits, you can do this to both arms, provided the circuits are well isolated from each other. If you have a 3-circuit power supply, you can effectively "bind" your subject without ropes by setting up a circuit leg-to-leg and one on each arm, then increasing the current to the point where your subject can no longer move her/his limbs. This takes surprisingly little current, and an otherwise unbound subject struggling and straining to move his/her limbs against invisible bonds can be most erotic both to watch and experience.

It is also interesting to apply current between sections of the body which cannot be wrapped, such as the buttocks, lower back, and stomach. For this purpose, you can either use the conductive rubber electrodes sold for use with TENS or EMS units (they're made of rubber with a high carbon content, making them conductive) or flat plastic-screen-gauze pads such as described above. These can, of course, be made in whatever shape and size you wish. I've also recently tried the anti-static plastic that computer boards come in with good results.

Application of current to the buttocks via large pad electrodes is an interesting sensation, with the tingling often extending into the genitals, and in any case being quite erotic.

If the scene that you are playing includes pain, it is probably best to concentrate the current with small electrodes. Applying enough current across a large area to be more than mildly painful entails a high risk of pulled muscles, torn ligaments, and the like. A short current path between two small electrodes can, on the other hand, produce a concentrated sensation variable from a mild tingling to intense pain at the turn of a knob. You can also concentrate the sensation even further by using one large electrode (on the buttocks or lower back, for example) and a small electrode at the point where you want concentrated pain. Small electrodes can be made by soldering a wire to a coin. For better contact, glue a piece of gauze or towel to the contact side of the coin and wet it with salt water.

Another interesting contact material is the copper tape sold as edging for stained glass. I haven't had much opportunity to play with it, but it's available in widths from 3/16" to 3/8" and is quite conductive.

An interesting variation is connecting one side of a circuit to a large electrode on the lower back and taking a Q-Tip swab, wrapping a couple of turns of copper wire connected to the other side of the circuit around the shaft where it joins the cotton tip. You then can wet the swab with salt water and draw points and lines of tingling or pain on the legs, stomach, back, and genitals. Depending on the current level (this is a good one to try on yourself first) it can feel like a tiny vibrator or like you're flaying the skin with a sharp knife (but leaving no damage, marks or sensation of cuts behind). This can be especially intense for a subject who is blindfolded and doesn't know what's happening - the sensation is quite outside most people's frame of reference and they have no idea what you're doing to them.

This is probably a good time to mention clip leads. If you want very concentrated sensation and your subject is into a lot of pain, alligator clips may be just the thing. Attached to the cunt lips (or cock or balls), a very small amount of current will produce exquisite agony. I recommend the smooth jaw clips since they are more comfortable, and allow the subject to concentrate on the sensation of the current. You can also take a clothespin and insert a thumbtack with a wire connected to it into each side of the clip. This produces a very concentrated sensation, and you can even use this on a nipple provided that the two tacks represent two leads of the same circuit, since the current will be flowing only through the nipple itself.

If your subject enjoys anal stimulation, you can take a butt plug of whatever size your subject enjoys (remember, smaller is better since we want to emphasize the current sensations) and wrap it with bare copper wire. You can get different sensations by wrapping different parts of the plug. On a male subject, if you wrap just the top 1/2" or so, you can usually produce an ejaculation on demand by stimulating the muscles around the prostate gland. This is especially interesting because the resulting ejaculation is quite unsatisfying. It is possible to milk him dry this way while still leaving him horny and begging for an orgasm that just won't happen. My favorite tools for this purpose resembles a latex finger about 6" long and slightly bent. I have wire-wrapped only the very end, which allow me to probe around to get the reaction I desire. I've recently seen a butt plug with electrical contacts already built in advertised in the Stockroom catalogue, but I haven't had a chance to try one.

CAUTION: Anytime you use a wire as a contact, make the bare part at least twice as long as you need and fold it back on itself so that the cut end is not in contact with the body, and ESPECIALLY is not inserted into a body cavity! The cut end can do serious damage in places where the repair work is also likely to be unpleasant.

Applying current to the genitals is one of the most intense aspects of electrotorture, both psychologically and physically. Depending on the effect that you are trying to achieve, there are a variety of possible connection methods. Let's consider the female first;

As I mentioned above, a Q-tip wet with salt water and connected to one side of a circuit is excellent. You can tease the wet insides of her cunt lips and continue up to the sensitive area around the base of her clit, or even up to the tip of the clit itself. It really doesn't matter where you connect the other side of the circuit, but it should be a fairly large contact to concentrate the sensation at the Q-Tip.

Many companies sell chrome or stainless steel dildos, which are excellent as a cunt contact. I even have a chrome (metal, not chromed plastic) vibrator, which provides an intense combination of sensations. If you can't get a metal dildo or vibrator, the same wire-wrapping techniques used on the butt-plug works well. You may also want to try just wire-wrapping the end so that you can probe for the spot that gives the reaction that you want. A circuit connected from a dildo to a butt-plug produces intense sensation in the most sexually-responsive areas. If your power supply is capable of producing a surging current, it can feel almost like being fucked from both ends at once with the electrodes not even moving!

Also, if your subject enjoys more intense pain, a clamp (the chrome ones sold as nipple clamps work well) on each cunt lip can be excruciating (as, of course, can one on her clit with the other side of the circuit on a dildo). Since I mention nipple clamps, I again caution against connecting one side of a circuit to a nipple! One contact on each side of the SAME nipple forming a circuit is safe as long as those contacts are isolated from any other circuits.

A number of people that I know INSERT electrodes into the urethra (Male or Female). This should be done with the greatest of care (if at all). The wire to be inserted should be doubled back and soldered (preferably with lead-free solder) then the solder should be polished smooth. Remember that the slightest scratch inside the urethra is likely to result in an infection and may well require painful (and embarrassing) surgery. If you must try this, I'd recommend trying to obtain uretheral "sounds" (a probe designed for insertion into the urethra).

The male anatomy offers a diverse selection of options for connection to electrical circuits.

For the balls, there are several possibilities; Do NOT wrap a wire around your subject's balls! The dangers of this should be obvious.

You can use the same salt-water and gauze technique as above with whatever type of ball harness best shows off your subject's equipment. Again, Ace bandage works well to hold the contacts and provides the additional advantage of a pleasant sensation of pressure.

If you can get them, the small adhesive pads used by Paramedics as contacts for electrocardiograms are perfect for the balls. You can set up an interesting sensation by connecting a circuit to one on the bottom of each ball. Shaving the balls first makes this easier, and can be an interesting scene on its own. If you can't get the EKG electrodes, a penny covered with salt water wetted gauze works real well also.

For electro-masturbation, I prefer a ball contact placed in the space between the balls. Attaching copper tape the center strap of a leather ball-divider works quite well.

Good choices for a second contact for any circuit involving the cock and balls include a butt-plug, ankle cuffs, thigh cuffs, or flat electrodes on the buttocks or lower back. You can also use a metal cock ring of the type that fits behind the balls, but I find that they tend to burn, at least on me, unless the entire area is freshly shaved I've also had some good luck with the Parachute type ball-stretcher. Lined with wet gauze and weighted, it makes excellent contact and will handle an excruciating amount of current without burning.

For the cock, a metal (copper is best) cock ring with a wire soldered to it sized to be snug just behind the glans when the cock is erect works well. I heard just recently of someone who is uncut and places the ring such that he can pull the foreskin over it - he says the sensation is terrific. I've also seen an interesting unit based on the "7 gates of hell", which consists of 7 cock rings of decreasing size held together by leather straps. They fit over the cock and become quite snug when the cock is erect. In his case, each side of the circuit is connected to alternating rings. Although none of these make the greatest contact, the amount of current that most men can tolerate through the outer portion of their cocks is well below the point where burning is a problem. . A copper cock ring at the BASE of the cock paired with a butt-plug also makes an excellent combination. If you make up several coin electrodes and glue each one to a strip of Velcro, you can wrap them in place just about anyplace on the cock. A hot-melt glue gun is an excellent tool when making electrodes, since you can also insulate connections with the glue. The LOW TEMP glue gun is also an interesting torture tool by itself. I haven't tried gluing electrodes in place, but it could be interesting. I find personally that a dime electrode on the top of my cock just at the base of the glans, with the other side of the circuit a large contact on buttocks, thigh, or balls will produce an ejaculation without any other contact fairly quickly.

If you prefer less concentrated sensations, a bare wire laid along the cock lengthwise (see caution above about wire electrodes) and Ace-bandaged in place is excellent. You can use any of the options mentions above for the other side of the circuit, or you can lay one wire along the top and one along the bottom to make a circuit. Most men can take quite a bit of current in this orientation, so some salt water may help to insure a good connection. I should note that in most cases, current applied to any part of the cock will produce an immediate erection, sometimes painfully hard. There is also usually a level of current where ejaculation becomes impossible. I will leave the question of how to best take advantage of this situation to the mind of the reader. I should note that I've never had the opportunity to try or observe intercourse when the male is being held "electrically erect", but the possibilities are interesting to say the least (again, reports of your experiences would be interesting and will be included in subsequent versions of this article).

A reader of a previous version of this document says that he has an Oster massager which has a metal heated surface, and using it as one side of a circuit provides an interesting combination of vibration, heat, and electricity when applied to any number of locations.

Of course, one of the most interesting aspects of electrotorture involves structuring the scene for maximum psychological impact. Consider the difference between slowly increasing the current to the point where the subject reaches their limit (NOTE - ALWAYS HAVE A SAFE-WORD WHEN PLAYING WITH ELECTRICITY!) and suddenly applying current (at the same level that you have previously tested with a slow buildup). In the latter case, the subject experiences a sensation of anticipation much like that of waiting for a whip to strike. Of course, there are any number of ways that you can arrange to have shocks applied at random intervals so that you can be doing something else entirely when the shock comes (for example, oral sex becomes so much more interesting when you know that at any time you may get a painful shock to your genitals). Since the Top doesn't know exactly when the current is coming, (s)he can't telegraph it, so the subject is totally unprepared.

Alternatively, you can place the shocks more or less under your subject's "control". For example, how long can your subject hold a push-up position before sinking down to the floor and pressing down on a switch? Or a missing-pulse circuit can be used so that your subject remains shock-free only as long as he/she can continue to do push-ups or pull-ups or work the stair exerciser or whatever at a rate of once every x seconds. This is a great way to get your subject in shape while you play!

Carrying this concept a bit further is a particularly nasty idea for your favorite male submissive:

Place a reasonably large contact for one side of a circuit at most any point on the body (I personally prefer a butt plug). For the other contact, take an insulated wire, Strip about the last 1/4" and put a ball of solder on the end to cover the sharp tip. Cover this with a layer of DRY gauze, and insert it into the very tip of a (non-lubricated) condom. Put the condom on your subject. No current will flow because the gauze insulates the electrode from his cock. Explain to the subject that you will let him come whenever he ASKS to. However, the sensation of orgasm will occur along with a significant current flow through his cock as his highly-conductive cum completes the circuit. Then tease him until his need to come overcomes his fear of the pain. It makes an interesting psychological trip (my favorite kind!) and watching your favorite hunk writhe while trying to decide whether to beg to come or beg not to is the type of sport in which I can indulge for hours at a time. Unfortunately, I haven't yet come up with a comparable technique for a female subject!

NEEDLES

I've seen a couple of interesting scenes using electricity applied via needles inserted into the skin. If you try this, keep in mind all of the normal precautions in dealing with piercing, and also keep in mind that once you pierce the skin, the electrical resistance drops dramatically. It takes a very tiny amount of voltage to produce a large (for our purposes) current flow.

TUCKER TELEPHONE

This term was coined by inmates of a Georgia jail, where Warden Tucker used the ringer magneto of a field telephone to help teach those boys some respect. This comes under the heading of REAL PAIN if you use an unmodified magneto. The magnetos are available from many surplus stores, and consist of a crank geared to an armature which rotates within a group of permanent magnets. If you remove some of the magnets, you can tone down the shock level while keeping the psychological aspects. "Classic" use of this device involves connection between the balls and either the anus or ankles. Even with a couple of magnets removed, a few experiences with this toy will cause your sub to become very cooperative when you reach for the crank.

CATTLE PRODS

There are a variety of cattle prods available from both farming and S&M suppliers. These are self-contained battery powered rods with a pair of contacts on one end. Again, we're talking about REAL PAIN here. As the name implies, these are intended to get a cow's attention. You can tone most units down a bit by replacing one or more batteries with a piece of aluminum. Since the contacts are close together, you generally can't get a really hazardous path unless you apply it to the chest or head, but the shock can be strong enough to tear muscles.

STUN GUNS - WARNING

Just about every magazine includes ads for so-called "stun guns" - very high voltage devices designed to incapacitate an attacker. I have not played with one of these for S&M purposes, but I've read a number of reports concerning serious injuries suffered by people on whom they were used by police or others. Many states have banned them, even for police use. The sparks and sound of one of these devices could be used in an interesting psych scene, but I would personally not actually apply it to my partner.

This should give you a place to start, and I welcome questions, suggestions, or experiences. EMAIL to "Sparks@thepentagon.com"