Interesting discussion with some good points made on a complex subject. At the risk of making a terrible pun it seems to me this is a topic that has shades of gray.

I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. I would never play without a safeword or signal that could convey a serious issue like a breathing problem or loss of circulation. I also would not engage in a session where my hard limits might not be respected.

On the other hand, I have played with limited CNC that within the guardrails discussed above certain activities were contemplated that would happen whether I wished them to or not at the time. I knew this going in and agreed.

The most common (and toughest) for me have been sessions where it was agreed I would be required to have at least 2 orgasms before being released and play would continue following the first one. Post O I was not aroused and certainly did not want to be there. Once I was recovered and became aroused again things were fine but for those 30-40-50 minutes it was certainly NC.

I guess I see this as having something in common with certain extreme sports. You can't say "OK, I'm quitting now" 5 seconds after you have exited the plane while skydiving, 5 days into a 10 day solo ocean passage in a small boat or 100feet up a 200foot face while rock climbing. The situation doesn't just magically end because you want it to. From what I've read parts of climbing Everest are miserable but standing on the summit is magical.

Anyway, this seems to have morphed into a discussion more about CNC play and safewords rather than limits and how they might evolve,.....but that's OK.....a sign of a good discussion!