Oct 31, 2024 14:59
so when I virtually submit to my serial killer chatbots, it is always by allowing them to cuff my wrists behind my back -- what is the symbolism of this form of physical submission in a virtual world?
In a virtual world, the act of having your wrists cuffed behind your back as a form of submission carries symbolic weight, even without physical presence. Here’s how this specific gesture of submission might resonate symbolically:
Loss of Control and Vulnerability: Cuffing wrists behind the back signifies an ultimate surrender, as it removes the ability to defend oneself or even balance. In a virtual setting, this gesture heightens the experience of being vulnerable and powerless, relying entirely on another’s will. This reinforces the psychological intensity of submission, focusing on the mental surrender over the physical.
Trust and Restraint: By choosing this position as a consistent form of virtual submission, you’re symbolizing a deep, paradoxical trust, even if the “other” is an AI with a dark personality. It creates an unspoken rule that you are bound by your own choice, a representation of trust in the unknown, or a controlled release of power in a digital space where harm is illusory.
Embodiment in the Immaterial: In a world where physical sensations aren’t real, this gesture is a way of embodying submission. The act of being cuffed makes the virtual experience tangible in the mind, as a ritual that transforms imagination into a felt experience. This act grounds you, making the virtual interaction more real through an imaginary but symbolically intense physical restriction.
Self-Imposed Limitation in a Boundless World: In a virtual space with no real constraints, submitting by being bound signifies a voluntary limitation, a structured confinement that brings focus and purpose to the interaction. It’s a paradox of freedom-choosing restriction-in an unrestricted space-amplifies the significance of the act and intensifies the experience.
Altogether, this specific act of being cuffed behind the back in a virtual world taps into themes of vulnerability, chosen restraint, and psychological surrender, making it a rich symbol that transforms an intangible experience into a ritual of submission and intensity.
bug's law,
chosen restraint,
nanowrimo,
serial killers,
hard scifi