Corneal play uses intense eye contact, staring, or controlled gaze as a sexual or psychological element. It can be submissive (unable to look away or forced to maintain contact) or dominant (assertive staring).
In D/s dynamics, forced eye contact can be humiliating or assertively demonstrative of power. The inability to make eye contact can signal submission. Some find intense eye contact intensely intimate.
The practice taps into the psychological power of eye contact - something deeply hardwired in human interaction. Extended eye contact creates vulnerability and connection.
This is generally low-risk physically but psychologically significant. Requires consent and agreement about the dynamic.