CRUCIFIXION: Bondage or Torture?An essay/blog on a serious and intense subject.
First of all, why did I make this page? I made it because I have been contacted by many subs from all over the globe who were fascinated by crucifixion fuelled by videos all over the internet. Many had tried it only having to abort after just 5-7 minutes. Some even reported tingling, numbness, and temporary nerve damage to their wrists and hands. In short, it was a bad experience, yet they so want to try it again and this time, be more successful at it to fulfill their fantasy. Even a few Masters contacted me saying they tried to do it to their slave, but it ended very quickly and sometimes badly. For them, and those of you who are new to this, I made this page. In my 35 years as a bdsm/kink practitioner, I've seen lots of new things evolve over time: leather/Levi was the first, then came rubber, and now neoprene. There was the cattle prod which morphed into remote control shock collars, tens units, violet wands, e-stimm, and now remote shock control via Blue Tooth. There was puppy play, ponyboy with cart pulling, human furniture and yes, I have been a part, even part of the vanguard of those activities. The saran wrap and duct tape mummy became the leather, then rubber, then neoprene sleep sack, and sleep sacks were adapted to include suspension and floatation. I watched, learned, and participated at many a Hellfire Inferno, Renegades Run, Delta, or Brotherhood Of Pain event, and they were all wonderful learning and growing experiences. But I digress. Let's get to the subject of this page, and a more recent fascination with many: CRUCIFIXION. Crucifixion was invented by the Persians somewhere between 300 - 400 BCE as a means of execution. The Romans later perfected it to include the maximum amount of pain possible before you died, thus making it not only an execution, but also deterrent against others thinking of committing crimes against the state. It certainly isn't the only form of execution that's made it into the world of kink sex. Hanging, choaking, garroting, and suffocation have been around for a long time. It's only recently that they have been lumped into psychiatry as "auto erotic asphyxiation." The electric chair became the violet wand, a tens unit, or an adapted taser. So, why shouldn't crucifixion be added as another form of sexual pleasure? It's certainly intense, but it does carry some dangers like nerve, joint, or other bodily damage, even a remote possibility of death if you don't know what you're doing. Facts, myths, dangers, and bullshit.
I have seen some web sites and videos dealing with crucifixion and I find it an erotic image, however, it's far more erotic when the subject is hanging right before me rather than on a TV screen or computer monitor, since in real life, *I* am the one who decides when and how soon the subject comes down and what additional torments I can inflict while he's up there! However, when I read, or hear that someone was crucified for 8 hours, I have to say "bullshit." Crucify someone for 8 hours and you could end up with a trip to the hospital. The maximum amount of time I have witnessed (or been reliably informed of) was 2 hours, and that was with a subject in phenominal shape and well practised in pain! According to medical studies I have read (and observations by me in person), once you put a person into full hanging, that is support by the wrists only and no other support points, they are likely to start feeling some tingling in their wrists and hands after only 10 to 20 minutes. This will start morphing into actual pain and numbness between 20 to 30 minutes. At this point tingling or partial numbness of hands lasting 1 - 2 hours after crucifixion can be expected. Keep going and breathing rate will gradually increase as the rib cage starts to contract slightly from being pulled upwards by the arm and shoulder muscles. Further nerve damage is being done to the wrists and hands as well as the arms and will result in partial temporary paralysis for several hours. Beyond 1 hour, damage starts happening more catastrophically: Breathing gets harder and harder so heart rate increases to compensate, but that in itself creates a higher demand for oxygen, setting up a viscious cycle. Nerve damage in arms, wrists and hands becomes more and more extensive and possibly permanent. The arm and shoulder muscles start to break down and fail and even a dislocated shoulder is remotely possible in those not in tip-top shape. The diaphragm can start to become constricted thus making oxygen intake more difficult. If the subject hasn't passed out by now, he soon might, and that's the sign it's time to stop!. All of the above is somewhat relative to the size, weight, and fitness of the crucifixion subject. The more weight you carry, the faster things above will happen. If the subject is very flexible and has strong muscle tone, you can get more time in suspension but not all that much. Why? Because the points of anchorage (the wrists and hands) are pretty much the same no matter the size and fitness of the subject. Now that I've ruined your fantasy, is there any fun left in crucifixion at all?
PLENTY!!! First, you have to decide if your crucifixion session is to be a pain/torture event, or a bondage experience... or somewhere in between. If it is to be total SM, with the subject suspended ONLY by the wrists, then you have to accept beforehand that it'll be a short scene of only 10 - 20 minutes. I'm sure many have seen videos where it is implied that the crucifixion took an hour, or two hours, or even 8 hours, but have you ever seen such suspension last longer than about 10 to 15 minutes before you catch 1 or more video cuts or crossfades? I haven't. If the guy is just hanging there moaning and heavily breathing, 2 cameras shooting from 2 different angles then cutting together in the editing room can turn 10 minutes into 20 or 30 minutes of video quite easily. Even worse is a still shot or freeze frame, which preserves one instant of time for an eternity. Every time you pull up that photo, there's the guy still hanging in crucifixion for your kinky enjoyment. In reality, he was probably up there less than 10 minutes. Enough to take 24 to 36 shots to get the best angles and lighting. Bottom line here? Keep it real, and you can have a very good time. If it is a bondage scene, it can last longer because bondage boys tend to like LOTS of restraining, be it ropes, straps, saran wrap and duct tape, or harnesses. So in a bondage crucifixion session, all these added items can double as additional support and relief points, thus making it easier for the subject (and you!) to make little adjustmants along the way to pushing the crucifixion time to 45 minutes, or up to an hour if the subject is light and in really good shape. Further on I'll be showing you variations on crucifixion bondage as a starting point but, as always, I encourage you to experiment, exchange ideas, and just have fun! OK, let's start with the nuts and bolts.Let's start with one item that is common to both sessions: The wrist restraints. Here is your most vulnerable area and great care must be taken to protect the wrists as they have the least amount of padding and protection. (An evolutionary trade-off for maximum ability to game on your mobile device.) Failure to do so will end your career ambitions as a concert violinist or scrimshaw artist. Rope or a plain leather cuff should be avoided. Both allow the binding point to slide too far down the wrist and constrict the point where your wrist joins your hand and right where a number of sensitive nerves and blood vessels are most exposed. Don't be misled by leather cuffs with a long leather strap and a D ring extending well past the fingers, even if it has fur padding. These are for standing or table spread eagle bondage, not crucifixion! I have found 2 cuff devices that work extremely well and can help extend the length of your session while decreasing the opportunities for damage. The first is a padded one-strap cuff that includes a grip handle so the subject can partially pull the restraint back down the wrist to alleviate pressure or tingling, and thus prolong the experience by another 15 minutes or longer. The second is a well-padded 4 strap device that's sort of a cross between a cuff and a glove as it has one opening for your thumb and another for your 4 remaining fingers. (Somewhat like a mitten with cutouts) So, you still can get a grip on to the top strap to reposition the cuff and prolong the session. Neither is cheap, but it's a great investment for longer and more intense kink play while lowering the risks. I highly recommend them. They are shown below: 
In use. The handle grip adds about 8" to the vertical hight needed to fully clear the floor, so they might not be your first choice for subjects over 6 ft. tall. The strap grips are much more versitle with today's 7 to 8 foot ceilings, but if you have a dedicated space with a 9 foot or higher ceiling, hey, go for it! 
Now that we have the wrist anchor issue taken care of, let's get to the actual crucifixion and how to achieve it. Let's face it, crucifixion is no different from just hanging someone from 2 strong hooks in your ceiling. The cross bar and vertical pole are usefull props to make the visual aspect kinkier, but they also help solve the basic problem: How do you get the body up there? Most of us don't have space and ceiling height for a manual or electric hoist, so you'll need your subject to help you by stepping up on a small step stool, box, or crate. My setup uses a quickly detachable foot rest for this. Also, I have drilled numerous holes through the upright to accommodate a variety of heights. There's a thick and long carriage bolt to secure the cross beam to the upright. I fix the cross beam at shoulder height with the subject standing on the floor, then hook the wrist restraints to the cross beam. Additional supports like rope around the biceps, or saran wrap (with or without duct tape) covering each complete arm can be added. Now I pull the crossbar from the hole and while supporting it, have the subject step up onto the foot platform and I quickly shove the crossbar into the highest hole I can get it into, then quickly tighten a wing nut onto the rear of the cross beam carriage bolt and, voila, the subject is up, and is NOT coming down until you TAKE him down! A feature I add at this point is a "rope saddle" from a support point on the rear of the upright, through the crotch on each leg (make at least 4 passes of rope so it's not to cutting on the prostate) to help take some of the load off the arms and wrists as everything settles in and the subject starts to "sink lower" from the cross bar. There are others who prefer a very small "seat" to which a dildo can be mounted so that as the subject sinks, he impales himself on the dildo. However you want it, that's fine... do it! 
Here, the two types of crucifixion diverge. If it's a torture crucifixion, all you need to do is remove the step stool and you're done! This can be the most "intense" part of the session when the subject is suddenly really hanging and helpless and immediately starts to feel the full weight of his body and the relentless pull of gravity. I highly recommend either a series of eye bolts or hanging a chain behind the upright so that you may attach the (padded!) ankle restraints to the chain. This allows for anchoring the feet at various heights and angles for the subject to pull himself up a bit and relieve the pain and pressure on the arms and wrists. Of course, he can only do this for a few moments before he'll sink back down. (A note: The Romans seemed to think that the legs at a 45 degree angle was the most painful for some reason. My subjects actually found that to make pulling yourself up by the legs a bit easier, thus helping to prolong the session by another 5 to 15 minutes.) It also lets you leave the step stool in position in case quick relief is needed. Just unclip the ankles, let the subect stand and lots of pain & pressure are instantly relieved. You can then decide to take the subject down, or after a few minutes of standing, go back into full hanging. Disclaimer: All the subjects pictured are just regular guys doing a fantasy they wanted to experience, and though the bodies may not all be gym-toned or muscled up, know these are not paid professional models. 
FYI: For the subject above, this was his first crucifixion, and he was 6 ft 4 in tall, so he almost maxxed out my vertical space. Still, with only 2 short standing breaks, some poppers, and a moderate abdominal flogging to divert his attention, he made it 27 minutes, but was in a LOT of pain when he came down. Another newbie to crucifixion who did quite well with free hanging. 
For a bondage crucifixion, let your skills run wild! Criss-cross ropes for more immobility, cover arms, torso, ane legs with saran wrap with or without duct tape to make a crucified mummy, or just get going with a vibrator or some clothes pins, tens unit, violet wand, flogger, single tail, or a milking machine... whatever races your motor and tormants the crucified subject. 
At this point I think I've given you all the basics and a good dose of more advanced information. I leave it to you look at (and hopefully enjoy) my crucifixion gallery to better see how I can manage this scene in the cramped quarters of NYC and get your own ideas as to how you might do this in your own space. Thanks for reading. I will post new photos as I can take them, so check back regularly! |
