The Pleasure Principle
The pursuit of pleasure takes the human soul down inscrutable paths, fueled by lust, and shrouded in darkness.
The energy that powers this chase stems from the id, that elusive and impulsive side of our psyche that drives our sexual instinct.
According to Sigmund Freud, the id operates on the pleasure principle, i.e., the idea that every wishful impulse should be satisfied immediately, regardless of the consequences. The id is not affected by the reality around us, nor by the logic or the everyday world. This primitive and primordial creature resides deep within the psyche, immune and ignorant of common things. Instead, it seeks immediate and total satisfaction.
If that fulfillment is attained, the id rests. Conversely, if the sought satisfaction is denied, tension and anxiety rise to the surface. The id demands attention.
The pleasure drive within the soul is strong, and we can find a clear correlation between sexual fulfillment and a state of calm, or happiness.
It is the primordial nature of the id that drives this lust. As stated previously, it cannot be denied. The id will not allow us to rest until its desires have been sated. The nascent need originates deep within our minds, but soon, it is our body that requires complete satisfaction. Therefore, it can be inferred that the deliverance of the id is paramount. The it seeks, wants, and needs to be put at peace.
There are many ways in which this satisfaction can be achieved, but at a basic level, humans pursue sexual gratification on a continuous basis. It is one of the supporting pillars of existence, both for the male and female sides of the spectrum.
The pursuit of sexual pleasure drives us on, and in a way, it is our guiding light. The sexual impulse grows organically and exponentially with every passing minute. If left unchecked and unsatisfied for too long, it will taker over our organism, thus creating a physical manifestation of the id’s basic instincts. The source of this anxiety is the id’s retribution for being ignored. And if left unchecked still, the sexual impulse will keep growing, swallowing all reasoning and blinding the subject with a thick mist of desire.
The Ropes of Willful Imprisonment
When the mind is in a constant of desire as a result of the id’s being forsaken, several chambers are created within the human psyche. Each of these chambers plays host to a different fantasy, a virtual extrapolation of the unfulfilled desire. The content of these fantasies range from the innocuous to the extremely violent, depending on many factors. Entire tomes could be written about the nuances and texture of human sexual fantasies, but in the context of this piece, we will focus on the Shibari chamber.
The art of Shibari takes its inspiration from prisoner-restraining techniques developed in feudal Japan. Hemp ropes with elaborate knots would be used to hold and restrain prisoners. Over time, this entered civilian life and evolved into an art form in which ropes are used to braid and restrain both males and females.
Shibari is exquisitely complicated to pull off, as some of the knots require great skill and complexity to accomplish. Nevertheless, the end result is a beautiful combination of fetishism and unconventional sensuality.
Yet the ropes wrap and braid more than skin and flesh. It is the id’s hungry desire that’s been subdued. The most intimate sexual desire of man or woman is manifested on those ropes, via the id. The need for submission, to relinquish control to another human being, is a clear manifestation of the id’s craving.
The rigger’s craft depends on the willingness of the subject to offer his or her body to be bound, and if such willingness exists, a sensual bond is established.
The ropes that crawl in a serpentine motion around the human curves, muscles, and cavities draw the id’s nectar out, pleasing it, placating it with a clear and unequivocal intent. The knots decorate the human canvas, and as they do, they enslave the id, subduing it and taking it to its rightful place of solace and sexual rapture.
TempleOfPleasure 