i believe there are some kinksters who may experience a sense of freedom living in chains and restraints. Although i do not have much experience in prolonged restraint, i can imagine how restraints, bondage and imprisonment could bring a sense of inner-freedom and inner-peace. That’s really what i wanted to write about today… bridging the understanding of kink practices and that possibility of freedom through imprisonment.

In our everyday life, there are endless chores, work and stresses, and that sense that time keeps moving so fast and that even our breathing sometimes can’t keep up with it. Although we are free human agents, seemingly allowed to engage in whatever activities we desire, it’s become common to hear people talk about how being trapped in this giant society can be overwhelming. The underlying societal restraint often is intangible – economic ties, repetitive media consumption, endless advertisements – and we are somewhat trapped in a society that we can’t articulate. We can’t explain that sense of intangible entrapment.

BDSM practices; particularly restraint and imprisonment, have the capability to hijack the constant high speed of time. Through physical encasement the Dominant has the power to slowly switch off the velocity of time, letting the submissive enjoy a sense of time that is static, and quiet – similar to meditation.

The interpersonal connection between the Dominant and submissive is also rolling under the hijacked sense of time. The power exchange influx that goes back and forth between Dominant and submissive includes allowing both parties to walk down an imaginary illuminated path that we can call Domspace and subspace. The process of jamming the sense of time is not as simple as switching off the light. It takes time to put on restraint equipment, be it ropes, leather, metal, sand or wood. It takes time to deal with the sensory and mental challenges. It is like a journey that both the Dominant and submissive walk, down into an alley of timelessness and back out again afterwards to re-enter the world.

So, i think there’s something in it for both parties. A kind of active meditation of sorts. Zen. There are a lot of reasons why we do the things we do. i think a sense of internal freedom and spiritual experience is a good reason.