You may have probably heard this term mentioned several times before, but it’s really important to understand it fully if you are going to have a BDSM relationship, or even just a BDSM related experience.
Sadly, a lot of people tend to overlook the subspace just because it’s something more mental than physical. And I mean, let’s face it: when I say BDSM the first things that comes to mind are probably things like whips, collars, gags or ropes, not mental experiences or the like. But the mental part is just as important as the physical part here.
Psychologically speaking, the subspace is a state of mind. This state of mind occurs when a person is playing the submissive role in a scene or in a play session. Basically, the subspace involves all the reactions someone experiences when they are being the bottom to a dominant. Generally speaking, it can be hard to describe because, well, everyone is different. Just
as everyone is different, the reactions to entering the subspace are quite varied. And just because someone behaved in a particular way one time, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will act the same next time they play.
Having said that, most people can agree subspace is very much like a trance in a hypnotic session. And why do they compare it to that? Well, in a way is like getting sucked in that and nothing else. For instance, do you know when you are doing something and concentrating on it, like reading a book, and everything else disappears? You are not really paying attention to the outside world, you are so focused you just get completely immersed on it.
In a sense, the subspace is like that. Your mind will be completely blank except for what is happening in the now. And you don’t have to focus to hard to get there, most of the time just focusing on the physical sensations you are experiencing will be enough to get you there. Like an orgasm, for example wink*
And I’m not just talking gibberish; science can back me up on this! The truth is, the powerful physical sensations during a BDSM session, like extreme pain and extreme pleasure, actually make your body release a bunch of hormones like endorphins aka the happy hormones. These hormones create a state in your body similar to a “feel good drug”; they will make the person tolerate higher levels of pain they are used to and they will also make the person feel ecstatic or overjoyed. If you’ve ever done something like running a marathon, climbed/hiked a mountain, or participated in an intense work out, you can probably tell what I’m talking about. And this sensation can last some time; from some hours afterwards to days after the session has ended.
That is why when someone enters the subspace they forget about the rest of the world. The mind will forget all problems, let go of any worries and thoughts. Some people have even reported to being so deep into it, they have lost all sensations of pain. They can even become unintelligible and won’t be able to say the safeword out loud. See? It is like some spooky hypnosis.
And that is why it can be so dangerous. Sometimes when someone enters subspace, they won’t be able to think rationally. The dominant’s job is to closely monitor their sub in order for them to be safe, both mentally and physically. A common threat is when a sub is not able to distinguish when pain has gone too far and can be injured as a result. That is why is so important for the dominant to understand subspace; knowledge is power.
