Long-play with Dr Avgi Saketopoulou: Sexuality Beyond Consent

Sexuality and trauma are deeply intertwined, requiring a shift from the "traumatophobic" goal of healing to an understanding of what individuals do with their trauma. Infantile sexuality functions as a persistent, expansive force that underwrites human experience, manifesting in both destructive and creative ways. Traditional affirmative consent models often fail because they assume a transparent subject capable of predicting desires, whereas "limit consent" acknowledges the opacity of the psyche and the necessity of risk for erotic transformation. By engaging with challenging topics like race play and sadism, this perspective reveals that trauma can be a site of profound intimacy and "erotic astonishment." Rather than pathologizing these intense states, society should recognize the ethical responsibility inherent in navigating the unpredictable, often overwhelming nature of human desire and the potential for growth within the friction of the erotic.