#8 - Dossie Easton: Why We Play Dark Stories

Why are we drawn to dark role play, and how can these games provide lasting healing? Today on the show, Eamon and Madeline sit down with legendary author and therapist Dossie Easton, whose work has broadly shaped kink, ethical non-monogamy, and Western sexuality.

The conversation begins with the roots of kink culture, exploring Dossie’s formative experiences with psychedelics and her journey into early Bay Area BDSM communities. Dossie shares some of her most important personal fantasies, and they discuss how engaging in intense role-play scenarios—especially those involving darker themes—became sources of profound healing and personal evolution.

Dossie Easton is the co-author of influential books including "The Ethical Slut," "The New Topping Book," and "The New Bottoming Book." Since the early 1970s, she has been an essential figure in San Francisco’s leather and polyamory communities, continuously inspiring others through workshops, writings, and her unapologetically adventurous life.

Links:

• Dossie Easton
• The Ethical Slut
• The New Topping Book
• The New Bottoming Book
• Navigating Consent - Dossie Easton
• Shadowplay: Journeys to Our Abandoned Selves

Timestamps:

• (05:14) Psychedelics and Sexuality
• (06:27) Exploring BDSM and Polyamory
• (12:22) Early BDSM Community and Cultural Impact
• (23:10) Role Play and Intimacy
• (39:08) Therapy vs. Kink: A Distinction
• (43:52) Exploring Inner Child and Shadow Work
• (55:11) Kink in Mainstream Culture
• (01:01:19) Navigating Consent and Power Dynamics