We try our best to understand subspace and topspace, but what are these spaces that we are talking about?

Many people talk about them in terms of neurochemicals. The pain induced during a scene triggers the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in releasing epinephrine from adrenal glands, and the flushing of endorphins into the blood system. This is the same biological response as a primal state of “flight or fight”, preparing you to run or have a full force strike against your enemy.

subspace” is a an altered psychological state that is often entered into by the person bottoming in a scene.
– BDSM 101 by Dexter

I want to paint a more abstract picture of subspace and Topspace that goes beyond biology. It won’t resonate with everyone. Every human being is unique and so is their psyche. Some are more emotionally sensitive than others, some are more analytical and mechanical.

How does Topspace or subspace feel? It’s similar to the space of romance. Remember your first kiss? Now change the location to the world’s highest roller coaster and shout your lung out when you drop from the sky. For some, that’s what topspace and subspace feels like.

In modern society, we’re not just one individual, we’re many. We are a son of our parents, employees and bosses, parents and friends. We’re fragmented and we lose the focus on who we are and what we truly want, being molded into part of the giant societal machine.

In subspace and topspace we enter our unconscious. Lashes of pain slowly break apart the social masks. Some call this space cathartic, some call it therapeutic, some feel real in this space.

This is the space where a human is truly naked. Personally, i often see colours. i see my first layer of personality being peeled open. That is the social layer where we use language to communicate and we’re always aware of social etiquette. Later, i see myself existing in a floating space, and this space reflects who i truly am. If you are nothing, then it will reflect that you are nothing, and perhaps you will need to go deeper to find the core.

In other words, my subspace will never be your subspace, because what we meet in that space is our own individual psyche.

If you are a cheerful, firm and steady person, you may feel extraordinary firm and steady in that space. It will let you feel confident. If you are an angry and aggressive person, your space may reveal this part, and Tops may swing their whip even harder, or bottoms may try to get away from their restraint. If you are dark and sad, your space could be empathy. Despite your masks, the space reflects something deeper in you. A person could be very shy in everyday life, but become firm and confident in that space.

In BDSM’s Topspace and subspace we are in a place where we are forced to be honest with ourselves.

FURTHER READING

• Deviance & Desire – What is Subdrop?
• Deviance & Desire – Topspace – Go with the Flow
• FetLife – Sub Space – What it is, How to get there, How it Feels
• FetLife – Sub Space/Sub Drop
• A Submissive’s Initiative – To Subspace, Sub-drop, and beyond!
• A Submissive’s Initiative – To Domspace, Dom-drop, and beyond!
• ChicoMUNCH – Subspace, Aftercare, and Sub-drop (and sometimes Top-drop)