Flagellation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Flagellation (or flogging) is the act of beating the human body, typically with implements such as whips, paddles, or canes. There are also other specialised instruments for beating, including rods, switches, and the cat-o-nine-tails.

Flagellation can refer to:

• Corporal punishment by beating (see Spanking).
• The paraphilia of beating the body for erotic purposes.
• A practice of mortification of the flesh for religious purposes; examples include the Christian Flagellant movement of the thirteenth century and members of Opus Dei in the present day.

In the sexual realm of BDSM it refers to beating the submissive. Such floggings are not always delivered with forceful blows, sometimes it is done with very soft blows repeated a great many times so as to make the skin sensitive. When this is done properly, the softest impact can feel very intense.

Also see

• Erotic spanking
• Algolagnia
• BDSM

The original article can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagellation.
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