Are virtual sessions just as good?
What makes a good cuddle session, is it the conversation, human contact or just simply having someone there? The same can be done with virtual sessions, they can be longer and cheaper, what are your thoughts?
I'm sure they can be really good for some people who primarily want a listening, non-judgmental ear. Couldn't imagine it for myself though, as I require physical touch
I think they are fine if they meet the client's needs. I could see doing something like that if there was a pro I really wanted to interact with who was too far away to meet in person.
No.
I can understand how talking to someone on the computer could be pleasant, fun, and maybe therapeutic for people who enjoy the Virtual.
I'm sure, for example, that virtual therapy sessions have helped a lot of people.
As for me, I'm an in-person type of gal. I did an online Masters and I hated all of the virtual classes and seminars. I pined for the offline experience of college, which I enjoyed, as an undergraduate.
No
There is an excellent thread with a lot of information about virtual session on the Professional Cuddling board: it's a sticky. Everything there is to know about virtual cuddling is there.
https://www.cuddlecomfort.com/forum/discussion/13533/virtual-cuddling/p1
Negative comments or posts about virtual sessions should always be taken with extreme caution. It's vanishingly rare that the commenter has actually had a virtual session, and if they did it was a genuinely bad experience with a bad actor. I've never seen a negative comment from somebody who has had an actual proper session. In addition to the negative vibe merchants, there is a cohort of society who are unable distinguish between "it doesn't exist/work" and "I haven't done it".
Note that the term 'virtual session' can encompass many different things. The ones most relevant to CC are 'virtual cuddle' and 'online companionship' which are as different as 'virtual interview' and 'online family get-together'.
Virtual session is a great way to communicate and get to know any future cuddle prospects.
It's a no for me.
No hate to those who dig them. To me, cuddle means something specific. That specific thing cannot be achieved remotely.
@natickben I agree. I've no objection to calling it a "virtual session," but "virtual cuddle" it is not and cannot be, since cuddling involves actual physical touch—holding someone close.
For those who have had a positive experience with virtual cuddling, can you describe how the experience compares to the in person version?
"virtual cuddle" it is not and cannot be, since cuddling involves actual physical touch—holding someone close.
This is incorrect, and is a common mistake made by people who have not seriously considered the question.
Cuddling is essentially an emotional experience, not a physical one.
@1_teddybear it is astonishly similar. I was sceptical the first time, and found it extraordinary how similar my feelings afterwards were to those after a physical cuddle. This was with an experienced professional, and we explicitly attempted to replicate the experience of a physical cuddle. (Details of the way in which you can do this can be found from the thread I've linked to above.) It wasn't quite as good because it was missing the touch of another, but a very, very acceptable alternative. Subsequent sessions with other people - not professionals - proved the point.
Particularly powerful during lockdown, for people who live in areas with few or no other cuddlers, and those on tight budgets.
Cuddling is, to me, very much a physical experience. The physical part is essential and cannot be separated from the act.
The virtual world can make things easier. But I think I need the physical contact, you know? And not just when I'm being thrown from a moving vehicle.
I agree with @natickben a virtual session is just not for me. I recommend anyone that’s paying for a virtual session look at other websites where you can get the same thing at a much lower rate. You can go on rent-a-friend which is a site that discourages physical touch so they have a much lower price. You can get a virtual friend on there for a fraction of what your paying on this site.
I really like them for people that are far away that I may not have an opportunity to meet in person. I enjoy phone chats, video chats, and virtual cuddling. After chatting a bit on here with a person, I do want to meet them another way, even if not in person. In person cuddles are awesome, but I can’t meet everyone in person that I chat with.
I am on video calls 9+ hours a day for work.
Virtual anything is work.
Physical Cuddles help me reconnect with humanity.
Virtual cuddles are a “no”.
@CuddleDuncan – Sorry, old chap, but I have to disagree with you. Cuddling is a physical act. Here’s Merriam-Webster’s definition of cuddle and cuddling: transitive verb: to hold close for warmth or comfort or in affection; intransitive verb: to lie close or snug; noun: a close embrace.
Thus, I can’t agree with your statement, “Cuddling is essentially an emotional experience, not a physical one.” Not so. Cuddling is an action; it’s something you do physically; the emotional gratification comes from the action—the cuddle—but is not the cuddle itself.
That’s not to say, of course, that people can’t have satisfying virtual sessions, but those sessions are not cuddling.
I fully support all forms of companionship.
I signed up for in person cuddling, but the demand is there for virtual items, so I fulfill it; I see nothing wrong with that.
Everything from texting to video calls.
I'm flexible.
@BJC I agree with you and the dictionary.
Virtual cuddles can provide me with a massive high, when it's with someone I love (i.e. describing actions back and forth, like pulls you close and rubs your back in slow circles), and calls feel comforting and close.
But I must agree that "cuddling" is intrinsically an in-person physical activity. You can substitute virtual, auditory, or visual alternatives that may feel great in their own way, but they are not cuddling.
It's the difference between looking at a painting with your own eyes, and having someone describe a painting to you. One is a first-hand experience. The other is intangible, even if it causes emotion. It's just not "the real thing".
Most people join this site due to a lack of human touch. Imagine if you were in solitary confinement for a year. Describing touch back and forth with the person in the cell beside you is unquestionably not the same as having someone wrap you in their arms and hold you while you cry.
~ Sunset Snuggles
🦄 Enthusiast 🏞 Travel Fiend 🐘 Animal Lover