I got a very interesting question from profoundlife in response to my brain versus no brain post from last week. The post was about two different categories of play, one where the submissive could simply relax and go along for the ride (no brain) and the other where submissive was kept off balance and was regularly forced to interact and respond to the dominant (brain). The question posed was a simple one, but I don’t really know the answer.
Do you think sub space only happens really happens with no brain play?
That’s certainly true for me, but I’m not sure I can say it’s generally true for everyone. If I’m in subspace it’s almost impossible for me to interact intelligently and verbally with the dominant, or maintain any kind of complicated physical position. Being pulled into the present moment involves getting my higher level brain functions firing, and my internal mental dialog running, and that’s pretty much the end of subspace. But is that true for everyone?
Do people into verbal humiliation, public scenes or performing complex tasks for the dominant, get into subspace? Or a variation of subspace? I can imagine that being micromanaged by a domme and having to perform a lot of repetitive tasks in a very focused way might result in subspace, but that also seems like a way to turn a ‘brain’ type task into a ‘no brain’ one. The point of something like predicament bondage is to stop the submissive zoning out, but maybe some people can be so focused it turns into a type of subspace? Anyone out there have any thoughts or personal experiences?
Not sure of the original source here, but this looks like a scene from the Folsom Fair. I found it in this Femdom Destiny post. It’d think it’d be tough to get into subspace when you’re naked, leashed and on the streets of San Francisco.
Many years ago I described the trance-like experience of a beating to a therapist. And the therapist said that it was dissociation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociation_(psychology)
That’s really interesting, and led me to click around a bunch and dig into it further. I get why the therapist thought that, but I’m not sure my subspace aligns with it. Then again, I’m a long way from an expert on psychology. I feel this deserves a follow-up post!
-paltego
When you are in subspace, you are experiencing trance.
Trance experiences are as unique as fingerprints. They may be alike, but ultimately unique.
It is possible to perform a lot of “brain” tasks without the conscious present. Yes, some people can turn “brain” task into a “no brain” one.
I can understand why it’d be difficult to be in subspace publicly naked, but I can also imagine there are people who are so skilled in getting into subspace (trance) that they have no trouble at all.
How would you define trance? I’m curious, as I’m not sure I’d describe my subspace as feeling like a ‘trance’, but that’s using the definition of a trance that I have in my mind. That’s not necessarily the definition you’re using here!
-paltego
Trance is a naturally occurring state. We all drift in and out of it several times a day. Most people just don’t recognize the feeling.
When you go to a movie and are really engaged in the movie, you are in a trance. It’s not that you are not aware of the people around you, you just don’t pay attention to them, so they kind of “disappear” from your mind.
That’s one of the most common trance. You selectively focus on certain things and pay less attention to everything else.
Just how intensely one needs to focus on something for it to be called in a trance? There is no agreed definition. There is no objective way of measuring “depth” of a trance to a number. Hypnotists go with focusing “deep enough” to get the desired result.
While it’s hard to measure trance, it is observable. And certain psychological phenomena can only occur when a person is in a trance. So psychologists go through the trouble distinguishing trance state vs. the state of general awareness.
I don’t think I’ve ever truly entered subspace despite having spent nearly forty years being beaten, branded, tied up and humiliated by some lovely Mistresses. I certainly enjoy the various experiences (most of them at least) but I’ve never entered a trance like state and I think I’m quite happy about that. After all concentrating on the pain and humiliation and feeling each and every stroke is an intense experience and drifting away surely changes the whole dynamic (having never been there I cannot judge the intensity of a subspace experience).
It’s a tricky topic to talk about, because I’m not sure anyone experiences subspace the same. As I mentioned in my reply above, I’m not sure I would describe my subspace as a trance, but then I’m not sure I know what an agreed definition of that is :). I know I’ve described it as ‘floating away’, but in some ways that doesn’t feel right now either. I feel maybe another post on this topic coming on!
As subboyjoy points out, there’s no ‘right’ path to fulfillment. Much like there’s no right way to do BDSM. Although enjoying intense experiences sounds like a pretty good way to do it 🙂
-paltego
I think it’s worth noting that subspace is not the only path to fulfillment in submission.
But it depends upon how real you want to make your submission, i.e. if the exchange of power is erotic for you, then embracing and living that exchange and being fully conscious about it (using your brain) can be very fulfilling. Think of it as conscious subspace, in which your whole space is submissive.
Absolutely agree with that. The path to fulfillment will always be a very personal one. There’s no standardized testing on the right way to do D/s!
-paltego