Sensation play

Erotic activities meant to impart physical sensations

Sensation play, also known as sensual play or sensory play, is an act where senses are engaged in various ways to heighten erotic pleasure and induce sensuality. As an activity, it is meant to impart pleasurable and arousing sensations upon a partner, usually during an intimate interaction. As opposed to mental forms of erotic play such as power exchange or sexual roleplaying, a sensual play is generally pleasing and light, that deliberately engages the five senses to explore pleasure, thereby leading to intense sexual arousal or orgasm. Sensation play can be an umbrella term, with the harsher "pain play" and gentler "general sensory play" being subtypes, where an individual may prefer one or the other.

Sensation play in BDSM can also involve sadomasochistic play or "pain play", involving the application of carefully controlled stimuli to the human body so that it reacts as if it were actually hurt. While this can involve the infliction of actual pain, it is usually done in order to release pleasurable endorphins, creating a sensation somewhat like runner's high or the afterglow of orgasm. In BDSM play, the top (or dominant) introduces and controls the sensation to the bottom (or submissive). Note that safety and consent are of paramount importance in the practice of more intense forms of sensation play. People engaging in such activities should adhere to the principles of "safe, sane and consensual" or of "risk aware consensual kink".

The Motion Picture Association film rating system uses the descriptor "sensuality" for films that exhibit some erotically suggestive images or scenes. The usage of "sensuality" has been met with some criticism because audiences confuse it with "sexuality", another common descriptor in movie ratings.