Playing with Electricity
with Amanda

Amanda says: Let me start by saying that I'm NOT an expert on this subject.  I was curious about it, and kind of fascinated.  So I went out on the web and started searching for information, and I attended a couple of live demos, and asked more questions.  This group is the result of that research <smile>.

BlackKnight nods..

Amanda says: Lets start with a very basic lesson about electricity itself. VERY basic, because I'm no electrician <grin>.  First, the boring definitions:  Electricity is a form of energy, it sets molecules in motion forming a 'current', moving through them much like waves through water.  Materials it travels through easily, such as copper wire, are called 'conductors'.  Material that it has a hard time passing through, such as air or rubber, are called 'insulators', and the level of difficulty in passing through a particular material is called its 'resistance'.  Current wont flow at all unless it can complete a circuit either back to its starting point or to some other place it likes to go, such as into the ground.  If there is too much resistance the current won't flow.  When the current DOES flow , it will always take the easiest path, the
path of least resistance.  This is a very very important point, because knowing where the current is going to go is the basis of safe electrical play.

Remember that the body's nervous system is also electrical, your nerves  fire synapses to pass messages to the brain which in turn passes them on to the muscles. An electrical toy intervenes in this process, sending false signals to the brain and prompting involuntary muscular movements. This can be great fun as long as that muscle isn't your heart!  The heart beats by a repeating series of nerve impulses that causes its muscles to contract in a distinct pattern.  Even a small stray current in the wrong place can knock those contractions out of sequence and cause a heart attack.  The two primary rules of electrical play are 1) use only low-powered devices, and 2) don't interfere with the heart or brain. The spine can be added to this list for some of the more intense electrical devices.  Most responsible players add a 3rd rule - know CPR, or have someone standing by knows it.  It's easy to learn and a sensible precaution that could save a life.  This is one reason that you should never do electrical play alone, if something goes wrong there will be no one there to resuscitate you. 

Most electrical toys operate off a 9volt battery. It has an output powerful enough for the purpose and, even if it malfunctions, its not strong enough to cause any lasting tissue damage. If you are running off the main power, plugging the toy into the wall socket, then you are plugging into 120 or 230 volts.  The only really safe electrical toy that runs off the mains is the violet wand, which does not pass current through the body.  There is a saying 'its not the voltage that kills you, its the
current', but the current and the voltage are directly related.  Resistance is what keeps you from being harmed, but in the human body resistance varies from person to person or even in the same person from day to day or from body part to body part.  For those who like to get technical, the formula for determining how much current you are going to get is 'current = voltage divided by resistance'.  That formula doesn't do you a lot of good when the human body is involved because of the variation in resistance.

One study, for example, showed that the resistance in your hands varies from 2k to 50k. When you are only factoring in 9 volts however, you can see that the resulting numbers are going to be pretty small.  I ran across a chart that shows the effect of different levels of current on the human body, and since I was asked to include this information the rest of you are just going to have to listen <grin>.   A current of .001 amperes will produce a tingling sensation.  At .005 you feel pain, at .006 a female will let go of the device and at .010 a male will let go and paralysis can occur (leave it to men to hang on too long!).  Anything over .015 is considered hazardous and at .030 breathing stops.  At .075 the heartbeat becomes irregular and a current of .100 amperes is dangerous to life.  At 4 amperes the heart stops, and at 5 you have serious burns and/or death.  So please, remember rule number 1 - use only low voltage devices.

Remember when I stressed the importance of knowing what path the current will take?  Let me give you an example of how easily you can violate rule number 2 "don't interfere with the heart or brain".  Most people who play with electricity will say "you are safe as long as you stay below the waist", or "below the lowest set of ribs".  That's true only when you are using your head and THINKING about the path that the electricity will take, to make sure that it stays below the waist.  Suppose you have your sub bound with their hands to their thighs. that puts the hand and the thigh below the waist, right?  If you put a terminal on the left hand, and another on the left thigh, what happens if that submissive lifts their hand away from contact with their thigh, even as much as 1/4 inch?  Remember that air is an insulator, electricity will not pass through that air space that was just created.  It will instead take the path of least resistance - which is up the arm and down the left side of the body, right past the heart.  You must always THINK when you play with electricity, think about the current and visualize where its going to go.   It is possible to work safely on the back, shoulders, and arms, but only if you are using your head.  Putting two terminals on each side of the navel, or on the same arm
would be safe, the current will pass between them.  Putting a terminal on each nipple, or one on the chest and one on the back is asking for trouble.  If your submissive is bound, be sure to leave the binding loose enough for muscle contractions, you could do some serious damage if you apply a strong shock to a tightly tied limb.   Be aware that the bottom WILL be flinching away from you, its almost impossible not to, so make sure that a sudden movement wont cause a fall or impact against a solid or sharp object.  As with any BDSM activity, use any electrical toy on yourself first until you know for sure what the sensations feel like on different body parts, and the effect of different frequencies of current.  But please DO NOT practice alone, make sure there is someone there who can help you if something goes wrong! Someone who knows CPR.

Most electrical toys were originally developed for medical reasons, back when electricity was the newest toy and it was thought to cure everything from warts to epilepsy.  They were developed to relieve pain, or with claims that they could build up muscles by causing them to contract.  The most commonly used electrical toys are called Neural Stimulator Units, and they are specifically designed to provide controllable electrical pulses at safe levels.  These include TENS units (probably the most popular electrical toy and used by chiropractors and other medical professionals for relief of chronic pain), EMS machines (electro-muscular stimulation, advertised to build muscles) and units called 'Relaxicisors' which are supposed to help you relax by producing muscles spasms - I don't quite follow the logic there but i'm sure there is one.   These items are safe, relatively cheap and fairly easy to find, you can often get them though hospital supply stores.

The TENS unit produces a continuous flow of current, which can be dangerous if kept up for hours. The muscles can only take so much tension.  More expensive TENS models will provide 'burst' modes with a break in the flow, and controls to vary the current level.  The TENS units are the cheapest of the Neural Stimulators, I'm told you can get a simple TENS unit for as low as $50.  For any of these toys, the more channels they have the more expensive they will be, and fancier models with multiple channels can run as high as $600.  The TENS units apparently do work in giving relief from chronic pain, one explanation is that they stimulate the release of endorphins.  Get your doctor to claim you have chronic back pain and maybe your insurance will pay for your TENS unit <grin>.  These machines are usually used with a 'conductivity gel', a non-allergenic, water-based lubricant that I'm told can be duplicated by mixing 1/3 teaspoon of salt with 2 tablespoons of KY jelly. The gel makes the skin a better conductor for the electricity.

Another 'class' of electrical toys are Induction Coils, electro-magnetic devices left over from the days when electricity was thought to be a cure-all. I couldn't find much information on these units, other than that they are a component in cardiac resuscitation units and can usually only be found second hand.   They are more dangerous than the neural stimulators and should always be kept below the waist.

Violet Wands have been around since the 1930's and they can be expensive and hard to find today.  Not for us however, since MK [Iron Rose Store] carries them in the store <grin>.  They produce sparks of radio-frequency energy that gives you a 'zap' like static electricity.  They look really cool and are generally very safe to play with. They also make a really evil buzzing sound that makes you shiver <grin>.  I'm going to be going into more detail on violet wands in a moment.

Electrical Weapons, such as cattle prods and stun guns have been banned in many countries.  They were designed for use on cattle, which are a tad larger and more robust than humans and they can provide a shock much greater than is considered safe for humans.  They should be used only with GREAT care, and kept well away from the upper body. These things can be very dangerous to humans.  Finally there are the improvised devices, such as cranks and magnetos, which can still be found in second hand stores or even built.  These require great care however because the amount of current generated is controlled by the speed of the crank - if you get carried away with your enthusiasm you could produce currents high enough to burn.  My favorite of the above toys are the violet wands, and the rest of
this discussion will concentrate on them.

darius asks: You said that it was possible to create currents high enough to burn with the crank...Couldn't you wire in some resistors to eliminate that sort of problem?

Amanda nods, you can....as long as you know what you are doing.   The danger is higher than the other toys because you cant reliably control the amount of current generated.  It also takes away that 'impersonal mindless machine' mind-trip <grin>
darius grins
Amanda says: i ran into quite a bit of information on the TENS units, they are really popular.  i'm not going to include it in this group because it would run too
long.  But if anyone would like some web sites, or an idea of what i ran across i'd be happy to talk to you later.  At the end of the 'formal' portion, if there is anyone who has experienced TENS units ( or any toy) i hope you will share some of the sensations with us <grin>.  For now, lets concentrate on those lovely violet wands

Violet wands are classified as an electrical toy only because they are powered by electricity.  They don't work the way the other toys do, by applying current directly to the body. The sensation is primarily on the surface of the skin rather than deeper, into the muscle like the other toys.  If you place the wand terminal directly against the skin you just feel a warmth and a slight vibration.  The wands almost always have variable current levels, but even at the higher levels you wont feel anything really intense if the terminal is touching you.  However if you hold the terminal slightly above the skin the energy is converted to a form that will jump the air gap between the terminal and the body as a spark that will give either a prickling or a stabbing effect depending on how high the current is. They are not really static electricity devices but the effect is very much like static electricity.  If you have ever seen one of those big globes with the arcing violet light inside, where you put your fingers on the globe surface and the light jumps to your fingertips, you have been playing with a form of violet wand.

darius asks: So the toy cannot be used internally at all, correct? Seems like a useful safety precaution.

Amanda says: there is an exception that can involve internal play, but in general it should be kept only on the surface.  I'll get to that exception later <grin> actually there are 2 exceptions, but one is safer than the other.   The wands were originally produced as medical devices, a 'miracle' device that would cure a wide-range of ailments by 'quickening the vital processes and freeing the blood of poisons, making it course through the body with renewed vigor'.  It was claimed to be both a sedative and a stimulant and would cure a long list of afflictions including athlete's foot, blackheads, headaches, impotence, obesity, sinusitis, and wrinkles (including my favorite, 'brain fog').  Some mornings around here we could use a cure for brain fog <grin>  IOt also claims to make your hair grow - even if you don't believe it,
it's a great excuse to run the attachment through your hair which feels amazing <grin>

Eilan smiles.

Amanda says: the medical claims have been discredited and the wands are hard to find today and expensive, but they are available from a small number of
manufacturers as a beauty aid (that's the vanilla excuse anyway).

druid chuckles.
darius wants less hair not more!

Amanda says: As I said earlier, the Iron Rose store stocks them with very reasonable prices considering what they cost elsewhere. Prices at the store range from $147 for a wand and 1 attachment, to a deluxe set with 7 attachments and a padded carrying case for $395. Individual attachments are $22 each.  The main component of the wand is the Tesla coil. In older (and cheaper) units this coil is insulated in wax, so if you used the wand for over 15 continuous minutes it could melt and burn out the unit.   More expensive versions of the wand have a ceramic or plastic insulated coil which won't burn out.  There are various attachments, most of them made of thin glass containing argon gas which serves as a conductor for the energy and gives the wand its distinctive violet color. The attachments are fragile and not made for insertion. All of the play takes place on the outer surface of the skin - well there can be an exception to that, I'll go into it later.

druid asks: thin glass? how easily could it break?
Amanda says: it can break very easily druid.  You have to be careful when using them, and when cleaning them.  That's the main reason you dont insert them.

Amanda says: If you hold the attachment close to (but not touching) the skin, it will create a spark which will jump across to the submissive's body, even passing through clothing.  It produces a sharp tingling sensation, and you can vary the intensity by passing it over body parts of different sensitivity, by changing the output level on the wand itself, or by changing the attachments.  The smaller the surface area of the attachment, the stronger the zap.  Wands are remarkably safe playthings, but electricity is still involved, so you have to use your head.  If the submissive has a pacemaker or any kind of heart ailment, electrical play of any kind is probably not a good idea!  Check the wand every time you use it to look for frayed cords or cracks in the attachments.  In your play area watch out for water pipes, radiators, metal frames of buildings, electrical conduits, etc.  The discharge of radiation from the wand will produce a small amount of ozone, probably not enough to worry about but its a good idea to play in well-ventilated spaces if you will be playing for any length of time.  The ozone leaves a nice odor on your skin, its a kind of 'clean' smell, like the air just before a summer thunderstorm. 

Because the voltage produced by the wand is at a high frequency, a phenomenon occurs called 'skin effect'. A very basic description of the effect is that as the frequency increases, the depth to which the electricity will penetrate decreases.   You can use the wand on any part of the body except the eyes, mucous membranes such as the inside of the vagina, or directly into the urethra.  Fluids are a conductor of electricity, be careful around any moisture (pre-cum, vaginal fluids, particularly a salty fluid like urine). The spark and/or warmth produced by the wand can irritate the skin if held too long in one spot, and the tubes also produce ultraviolet light. You can cause a localized sunburn if you keep it too long in one spot, with redness and blisters that can last up to a week.  The spark IS flammable, and you must be very careful that no flammable clothing is being worn, by either the Dominant or the submissive.  If the clothing has metal threads though it, zap one spot and the spark will travel all over the body, which could be dangerous because you can't control where it's going.

BlackKnight nods..interesting

Amanda says: naked is a good option here, so if your submissive is shy just tell them its for their own safety <grin>.  The spark should be kept away from the eyes (obviously).  The spark is hot enough to ignite alcohol vapors, I watched a fireplay demonstration where the wand was used to light the fire. its never a good idea to mix drinking and BDSM, but it becomes even more dangerous when playing with a violet wand.  If the submissive has any metal body jewelry you can touch the metal for an intense effect, but only for an instant. the metal can heat up and burn the skin - a burn on the inside of a piercing would not be a pleasant experience.

darius eeks
kneed shudders

Amanda says: the wand will heat up as you use it so its good to take a break now and then and give it a chance to cool down. If you aren't dealing with a wax core you can play for fairly long stretches but stay aware of how warm the unit is getting.  Using lots of short bursts of current rather than long continuous ones will let you play longer (and be safer too).  There are quite a few different attachments for the wands, each producing a slightly different sensation (always be sure to turn the unit off before you change attachments).  There are two sizes of lightbulb shaped attachments that give an effect similar to that big globe down at Spencer Gifts. It looks really cool as the sparks jump to meet your skin but the large surface area means there is not much sensation.  There is just a slight warmth, and the pretty effect of the sparks jumping up to meet your skin..and of course the psychological effects of that evil buzz getting closer and closer <grin>.  Another attachment has a mushroom shaped head that gives a soft effect, a more concentrated warmth than the globes when placed against the skin. it will spark when lifted away from the skin but it wont be very intense.  The rake attachment looks like a tiny garden rake, with 4 or 5 points for some nice consecutive zaps. the rake feels great when its run through your hair! If you do that though, keep it on the back of the head and away from the face.  There is a 'Y' shaped attachment to give you 2 sparks, more intense than the rake because the energy is more concentrated. For the sharpest concentration of all there is a tube shaped attachment that gives a very narrow point of contact and produces a single zap.

BlackKnight says: concerning the rake...is the 'current' low enough so as not to interfere with the brain impulses if dragged through the hair

Amanda says: yes, it doesnt penentrate the skull deeply enough to be a danger.  You would want to not put it on the highest setting of course <grin>.   One of the lower settings to just give a tingle and a bit of a zap is more than intense enough for most people.  You have to stay aware of the flamable factor too...dont sit there
raking for a long time!

BlackKnight says: nothing like a hot head eh

Amanda says: its not going to set your hair on fire with a few passes, but i dont think i want to know if it would if you kept it up <grin> ive never heard of a
case of that, but i suppose its possible

druid imagines spontaneouly cumbusting hair and shudders
Amanda agrees with druid!

Amanda says: but i did feel it in my hair, and i reeeeealy liked it.   One attachment that is a lot of fun is a metal plate, about the size of a credit card, which is attached to a long chain. the chain fits into the wand and the plate is placed against the Dominant's skin, usually tucked into the waistband. This turns the Dominant into the source of the spark! all they have to do is trail their fingers just above the submissives skin and sparks will jump the gap.

BlackKnight says: oh cool
Eilan likes that idea.

Amanda says: you can get the same effect without the special plate if the Dominant firmly grasps the attachment (the mushroom attachment works well for this, as it can be held easily).  Their fingers then become the conduit for the sparks, which can be a hell of a lot of fun <grin>.  The Domme who gave the demonstration that I attended had long fingernails, and she would hold the attachment against the palm of her hand and then rake her fingers across the subjects back - you not only got the sparks from the attachment hitting your skin but it was immediately followed by the drag of her fingernails giving off their own energy.

druid bites his lip, thinking about that...
Lancelot says: interesting....
kneed has trouble concentrating....
RickInNC chuckles as the subbies drift

Amanda says: you can create a 'chain' effect as the energy will pass from one person to another; if the Dominant presses their fingers to the skin of the submissive, then the sparks will jump from the submissives fingers to whatever they touch.   Each person in the chain will feel a less intense sensation as you get farther away from the wand itself, and by the fourth person they will feel only a weak sensation even when the wand is turned up high.  When using their own body as a conductor, the Dominant will feel the zap as much as the sub does. of course they are feeling it in their fingers, and we are feeling it....er.....other places <grin>

darius rmembers doing that with one of those old telephone cranks...Everyone would stand in a circle and someone would crank the handle...That was a lot of fun!! Was is safe though?
Amanda says: for the ones on the end of the line certainly <grin>  But those at the start of the line might get a bit more juice than they should simply from trying to reach the end of the line.  Of course you can always let go!  The wand can give you the same effect a lot more safely <grin>

Amanda exclaims: at the demonstration I attended the Domme demanding that her sub twine tongues with her - something that he was ordinarily more than eager to do!  It was really funny watching him trying to do it, with the spark shooting from her tongue to his every time he tried to approach and making him involuntarily jump back.   Remember, water is a conductor, so the spark was intensified by the moist tongues.

kneed chuckles
RickInNC chuckles evilly

Amanda says: and yes, he did eventually accomplish it <grin> on the 3rd try I think.  She was also tonguing his nipples - you could actually see the little spark of light as it jumped from her tongue to his skin!  She did say it made her tongue numb though <grin> the first time she played with the wand she was so carried away by the tongue effect that she kept it up for about an hour...when she stopped, the whole front of her tongue was numb and she couldn't talk properly and it took about 3 hours for feeling to come back.

RickInNC chuckles
druid chuckles
BlackKnight chuckles

Amanda says: sharpened fingernails can create a very intense sensation as the spark jumps from the tip of the finger to the skin accompanied by the scrape of the nail.  Using your body as a conductor is the only safe way to involve insertion - you cant insert the delicate glass tubes, but there is nothing to stop you from inserting your finger and letting the sparks fly!

darius giggles

Amanda says: be careful not to do too much of that though, remember you are dealing with very sensitive tissue and the wand will irritate or possibly even burn the skin if you keep it up too long.  Any conductive object that you hold will act as an extension of the wand. you can get quite creative - I read of one session where the Dom used his penis as the conductor (watching every man in the room wince...) and another where a chain flogger was used, with each strand crackling with energy.

druid raises his hand saying : check please?
Amanda giggles

Amanda says: with all of these 'hands on' techniques, its important to keep good contact with the wand while the machine is turned on, and only break contact once it has been safely switched off.

BlackKnight says: the chain flogger sounds like a good idea
Amanda says: i thought so to bk <grin>
Eilan agrees.

Amanda says: there is also a metal tube attachment, but you need to be very careful with this one. It produces a sharper jolt and its not breakable like the glass attachments but the chance of accidental shock is increased - and remember, if something goes wrong you aren't dealing with a 9volt battery, you are dealing with 120 or 230 volts of electricity.  If you wish to use (and can find) the metal attachment, purchase what is called an 'isolation transformer'. this transformer has no direct connection from its input to its output and is different from an 'autotransformer' or a device to raise or lower the AC line voltage.

Amanda exclaims: just dont ask me to explain any of those devices i just listed!  When in doubt, go talk to an electrician - you cant be too safe.   The wand is easy to care for. watch the cord as carefully as you would any electrical device, checking it for fraying every time you play. You can clean the glass attachments by just wiping them off with a damp rag. the glass is thin and it will break in the dishwasher, or even if you run it under very hot water.

Rebecca says: Plus you can get great cut rates from the local electricians union with really good questions.
darius giggles
Amanda grins at rebecca, you will be their favorite person just for making their day more interesting
Rebecca nods.

Amanda says: if you buy the more expensive kits, with a wand and multiple attachments, they will come with a special case with cushioned cutouts to protect the attachments.  Violet wand, or any electrical play, is very intense.  Its probably not something you are going to want to haul out for a first scene, or even early in a scene with a familiar partner.  A lot of the fascination with the wand, for me, is in the mind rather than in the actual sensations...just listening to that buzzing (which gets louder and more evil sounding as you turn up the current) and watching that spark leap out toward your skin is half the head trip.  I had the rake attachment run down my arm on the highest setting of the wand, with the attachment held slightly away from the skin, and I really couldn't tell if I was really feeling heat as the sparks stabbed into me or if it was just my mind telling me I SHOULD be feeling heat, it was that intense and that subtle at the same time.  After the wand was lifted away I could still feel the sensation of it tracing down my arm for several seconds.  The same attachment pressed to my skin and run down my arm on a low setting just gave a slight warmth and a low vibration - a very nice subtle feeling.  I didn't feel the wand applied to my nipples myself (I was shy) but I watched several other people do it - they said it was very intense, you feel it right to your toes.  It definitely gets the nipples attention, they just *popped* out to hardness <grin> I'm really sorry now that I wasn't braver because I would love to feel that.

Amanda asks: has anyone here every played with a wand, or any other electrical toy? And if so, are you willing to share your experience and how it felt? <grin>
darius asks: does wanting to try count??
druid laughs
Amanda grins at darius, yes! It was an amazing feeling,i have to tell you and ive always been very afraid of electricity
darius offers to experiement with Amanda :)
Amanda says: it was always on my 'hard limit' list, before i saw it in action
BlackKnight says: nothing short of testing a 9volt on my tongue to see if it still held a charge
Amanda grins at bk, i've done that and it was enough to scare me away from electrical play!
Eilan grimaces in rememberance of a similar situation.
druid has done that a million times BK
Amanda says: but it CAN be done safely
Lancelot chuckles at Bk.
Amanda says: and from what everyone has told me, its awesome when it clenches the right muscle <grin>
BlackKnight says: hey when the smoke alarm doesn't go off..check the batteries first
Remi likes doing that
Amanda says: the violet wand is really good for those of use still a little leary about the deeper toys
BlackKnight ponders that thought amanda..and glances at druid
Amanda grins, whispering 'go bk!'
druid bites his lower lip and tries unsuccessfully to hide

BlackKnight says: back to the chain and plate stuck to the dominant..part..
Amanda grins, my favorite part
BlackKnight says: you both feel the electric shock at the same time, am I correct
Amanda nods, you do.  The Dominant feels it in their fingers (i'm told)  Or whatever body part they brush against the submissive
druid says: unless you hold something in your hand, but then, why not just use the wand...
BlackKnight says: hmm that might work well with the cat gloves I've made with metal claws
Amanda says: at one point in the demo i attended, the Domme had her breasts up against the subjects head while she stroked his back...he felt it from her
breasts as well as her fingers
RickInNC asks: Always thinking... hmmmm BK?
Amanda says: mmmm that would be awesome bk
BlackKnight grins..have to be creative Rick..
Amanda says: the larger kits come with the metal plate
Rebecca exits quietly.
RickInNC asks: ?
Amanda says: and as i remember one of the smaller kits at the store, one with only 3 attachements, included the metal plate
druid hands a little sign on his chest, it reads: guinea pig
Amanda says: but just the wand and the mushroom attachment lets you do that kind of play
Amanda asks: yes rick?
BlackKnight grins at druid
RickInNC says: Thinking of the course of the electricity... does the Dom need to wear anything special to pass on the fun <ala metal plate>
Amanda says: no, it just needs to be against your skin.  At the demos i attended, both times they tucked the plate into their waistband, against the skin
RickInNC asks: okay... so it isn't lost to carpet or anything like that?
Amanda says: so it was still below the waist, but i dont know if that was for safety or convenience.  The fingers would be the point of least resistance or whatever body part..the current would prefer to flow that way rather than into the floor.  I would like to thank you all very much for coming :)
Eilan says: Thank you Amanda.
ZonEl says: Very Nice Amanda
Eilan found it very informative.
BlackKnight takes druid's wrists and claps his hands for Amanda..bravo
Amanda says: if anyone has any other questions or comments, feel free to stay for the 'after party' <grin>
darius hugs amanda thanks :)
RickInNC says: Thanks 'madabrat
druid bravo's with his own voice as well