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More on BDSM and Spirituality from B.com

BDSM and Spirituality - 1

by mistress ariachne

Published Jun 06, 2004

1: The Possibility of Spiritual BDSM

For many people in the scene, BDSM is an exciting addition to bedroom play and nothing more. For a few, BDSM is a source of shame and feeling "dirty." But for some, BDSM takes on a different, deeper meaning--one related to transformation, transcendence, and spirituality.

In upcoming columns, I will explore the aspects of BDSM that relate to different spiritual paths, including eastern philosophy (Zen, Taoism, Tantra), pagan and shamanistic paths, ceremonial magic, and even Christian mysticism. But this first column discusses BDSM-related spirituality at the abstract level. Let's take a look at a few ways that something often considered deviant and even "dirty" can be linked to powerful spirituality and the quest for the higher self.

Self Awareness and Improvement

Much like a spiritual path, BDSM provides a framework and an inspiration for self-improvement. Whether we approach BDSM as a sub or a dom, we apply ourselves to improving not only a set of skills and technique, but our own selves as well. Our exploration and study takes us beyond the proper way to throw a flogger and into realms usually touched only by spiritual or moral endeavors.

The most successful tops I know have done a great deal of introspective thinking, examining their motives and their actions towards others. You can tell just from being near a great top that he or she has depths of self-knowledge. Such self-examination is necessary to arrive at the combination of complete confidence without arrogance that marks the best dominants. Tops also have to work out the moral dilemma of hurting the bottom, going against all that society drills into us about not harming another being. The experienced top has explored the angles of this conundrum and come to grips with the paradox that physical pain and even acts of humiliation can be healthy and loving in the right situation. I would compare the presence of an experienced, well-respected top with the presence of a Buddhist or Christian monk. Both are at peace with themselves and confident in their place in the world.

For the submissive, self-improvement is a constant imperative. A good submissive strives always to shape him or herself in the image desired by the master or mistress. I have seen submissives free themselves from addictions, completely change their image for the better, and gain self-confidence and become kinder and gentler--all due to the instruction and inspiration of their masters. I have also seen people who find the right spiritual paths for themselves do likewise. The parallel is striking.

The submissive becomes aware of him or herself under the scrutiny of the dominant, and begins to take notice of his or her own morals, actions, and motivations. Selfish desires are slowly burned away in the drive to submit completely to the desires of the dominant. This echoes many religions, where one is expected to forego the wants of the self and instead align oneself with the mandates of the Infinite. From Buddhism with its admonition to detach oneself from all desires to Christianity with its emphasis on doing God's will, major spiritual paths have long encouraged the same kind of selflessness we find in a true submissive.

Body and Mind Connection

While many major religions advocate a separation of the spirit from the body, there are a great many traditions that embrace the mind-body connection as a path to spiritual enlightenment. Tantra, yoga, Native American shamanism, Eastern martial arts--in some respect, all these use the body as a vehicle to transcend the mundane world and raise the spirit to a higher level. BDSM can do the same when approached in a spiritual context.

Take, for instance, a hard flogging with a long, slow buildup. By the time the flogging is at its peak, it's likely that the bottom is taking more pain than he or she could normally stand in ordinary life. The progression to that point changes the bottom's consciousness so that he or she can push past ordinary limits. Part of the transition to this state probably involves endorphins, but much of it takes place in consciousness alone, as the bottom chooses to brave the pain and opens him or herself up to it. This transition can have a very powerful effect on the mind--and for some, on the spirit. Many bottoms report achieving a trance-like state during intensely painful sessions, where consciousness transcends its ordinary levels and becomes closer to the Infinite, God, the Universe, or however the bottom views a higher power.

Other types of pain or body manipulation can have the same or even stronger effects. Piercing is one such activity that often spurs feeling of ecstatic transcendence--of "breaking through" into another, higher state of being. Mystics like Fakir have dedicated their lives to exploring this connection between body manipulation and enlightenment. I have seen it firsthand in piercing and cutting scenes. Done in a ritual context, these scenes become incredibly powerful spiritual experiences for the bottom.

An Expression of Divine Love

Love is the basis for many of the world's religions--imagine Jesus as the proof of God's love for mankind, or the Buddhist ideals of love through compassion for all beings. At its core, I would argue that BDSM is an expression of love.

Most major organized religions don't count physical acts of eroticism as divine love. But there are plenty of traditions that hold physical affection and sex to be sacred, bringing the energies of the Infinite into being in the love between two people. Tantra and certain other Hindu traditions, as well as paganism and Wicca, follow this path.

It may be hard for the outsider to see a hard whipping as an expression of sacred love. But in many ways, BDSM transcends ordinary affection and sex. It requires a deep level of communication, trust, and openness to one's partner not found in the mundane sex act. To take pain for someone is an act of tremendous giving; to take control of someone else is an act of ultimate caring. For many, the acts of BDSM open both partners up to tremendous love--love that brings them closer to the Infinite.