(Longer Article)
No Pain, No Gain? Therapeutic and Relational Benefits of Subspace in BDSM Contexts
Journal of Positive Sexuality, Vol. 3, November 2017 © 2017
Center for Positive Sexuality
Abstract
The experiencing of subspace (i.e., an altered
psychological, emotional, and/or physiological state) is somewhat common among
individuals who identify as masochists and submissives within the Bondage and
Domination/Dominance and Submission/Sadism and Masochism (or Sadomasochism)
(BDSM; Connolly, 2006) community. Because the BDSM community has been
historically vilified due to stereotypes reinforced by negative media exposure
and inadequate education (Langdridge, 2006), relatively little is known about
the phenomenon of subspace outside of the BDSM community. The occurrence of
subspace tends to be a highly sought-after experience in BDSM interactions
(known colloquially as “scenes”), therefore it stands to reason that an
exploration of the concept could provide clarity regarding the motivations of
BDSM practitioners and the benefits they might receive through BDSM
interactions. To this end, this article includes a review of social science
literature on BDSM interactions with three goals in mind: 1) to discuss the
overarching commonalities that exist within the widely varying realm of BDSM
interactions and activities; 2) to gain an understanding of the psychological
and cognitive shifts (i.e., subspace) that some submissive BDSM practitioners
experience during BDSM interactions; and 3) to explore the potential benefits
of subspace that may be derived during consensual BDSM interactions. From an
analysis of the literature, I conclude that achieving subspace during
consensual BDSM interactions might result in a reduction of physical and
emotional stress in the submissive partner, as well as heightened intimacy
between participants.
Literature on the subject of the alternative sexual
practices of bondage, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism (referred to
in this text as BDSM; for a broader explanation of these terms see Connolly,
2006) has historically pathologized BDSM practitioners by focusing on
nonconsensual interactions that incorporate elements of sexual sadism or
masochism as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders [(DSM); American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2013; Richters et
al., 2008]. However, over the past two decades, researchers have increasingly
considered BDSM desire and expression as an atypical but healthy variation that
over 10% of the general population incorporates into their sexual repertoire
(Langdridge & Barker, 2007; Masters et al., 1995; Richters et al., 2008),
and that 30 to 60% fantasize about (Joyal, 2015; Joyal, Cossette, &
Lapierre, 2015). BDSM practitioners are now understood as a cross-section of
society with representation across race, age, education attainment, and
socioeconomic status, as well as gender- and sexuality-related identifications
(, 2013).
While many find it stressful and stigmatizing to identify
sexually with a marginalized community (Weinberg, 2006), many BDSM
practitioners experience benefits to embracing their sexual orientation or
preferences (Williams, 2006). The current shift in clinical attitudes toward
BDSM desire and expression may be seen as analogous to the historical
classification of homosexuality as a mental illness, and the evolving
perspective that same-sex desire represents a healthy form of self-expression
(Drescher, 2010; Landridge & Barker, 2007). Recent studies in the realm of
BDSM encourage us to shift our thinking about BDSM as a “recreational leisure”
activity (Wismeijer & van Assen, 2013, p. 2). Research has explored aspects
of the practice, such as motivations (Barker, 2007), demographics (Richters et
al., 2008), and variations of experience (Weinberg, 2006), though little
attention to date has been paid to specific therapeutic benefits of BDSM
interactions. Researchers have suggested that BDSM interactions are motivated
by a desire to explore and expand sexual experience (Newmahr, 2008), to release
feelings of pressure or guilt (Weinberg, 2006), or to achieve the highly
sought-after transcendental state of subspace (Rinella, 2013). Though entering
subspace is an aspect of BDSM expression that is regarded as desirable by many
BDSM practitioners, it has received little attention in the literature
(Newmahr, 2008; Rinella, 2013; Williams, 2006). Through an interpretive
phenomenological analysis (IPA ) of the literature, I will offer a definition
of the phenomenon of subspace, and I will explore the varying means of
achieving subspace, as well as the associated benefits of this type of altered
state of consciousness.
Subspace Defined