History of Autoeroticism

History

Autoeroticism has its origins from observations of public hangings in Europe. Historically, erections, and frequently ejaculations, were frequently observed during public executional hangings in the Europe. In England, brothel owners frequently experimented with the act of hanging as a treatment for impotence in the 1600’s.

In the late 1700’s, a Czechoslovakian musician by the name of Kotzwarra often requested prostitutes to hang him, sometimes for up to five minutes. Eventually this activity lead to his death and thus the coined the future term "Kotzwarizism" as a reference for sexual asphyxia (autoerotic death).

The practice of autoeroticism from of sexual asphyxia has also been observed in different cultures throughout the world. Inuit children have been well-known to play a sexual game where they strangle each other (the reason why remain unknown); it is also said to be a frequent sexual practice among Asians to seize the partner’s throat in a choking/strangling method. The practice has also been described in the Yaghans of South America, the Celts, and the Shoshone-Bannock Indian.