1. In psychoanalytic psychology, the earliest stage in the development of object relationships where the self is the only object recognized and the infant does not differentiate between self and nonself.
2. Spontaneous erotism, self-erotism; sexual gratification aroused or obtained by oneself, i.e. not with another person; masturbation.

The practice of self-strangulation while masturbating, which purportedly increases pleasure due to the decrease of oxygen going to the brain; also written autoerotic asphyxiation, also called autoerotic asphyxia.