Introduction
Sub-space is a term commonly used in the world of spanking. It refers to the state of mind of a person in the submissive position. While sub-space can occur in all D/s exchanges, including S/M, bondage and fetish play, this article will discuss sub-space as it relates to a spanking role-play.

What is Sub-space?
Sub-space is a very real and very powerful state of mind. It exists on many levels and runs the gamut from a mild mindset to true mental and physical transformation. Sub-space is an amazing thing to witness, but an even more amazing thing to experience.

We have all experienced some type of natural high at some point in our lives. Runner often describe a “runner’s high”. This is a mental and physical rush where the runner no longer feels the pain and fatigue caused from prolonged stress on the body, but rather feels pleasure and euphoria. He or she is able to continue running longer, farther and faster than normal.

Similar reactions can be found in many other experiences. We’ve heard people claim they were “on fire” or “in the zone”. This means they were performing beyond their normal level or experiencing heightened senses.

Musicians know well the rush one can experience when the band clicks just right. You get lost in the moment and become one with the instrument; one with the music. It flows through you. Your mind and body are now on a different plane.

The same is true of sub-space. People outside the scene will often watch one of our movies and wonder how a person getting spanked so hard could be enjoying it so much. The answer is sub-space.

Much like the “runner’s high”, sub-space is a state of mind where the spankee experiences a form of euphoria. The pain is no longer painful. It is now an integral part of the experience. For most people into spanking, this is the ultimate goal.

Why is sub-space important?
Since a spanking fetish is something that develops in childhood, one of the goals of a spanking role-play is to recreate the feelings and emotions one experienced as a child (or wish they experienced as a child) in order to deal with them as an adult.

The reason I mention “wish they experienced” is because there are spanking fetishists who were never spanked as a child. Instead, they were beaten or abused. The spanking fetish is then a reaction to a secret desire to be punished “normally” or “with love”. These elements of the spanking experience are at the core of achieving sub-space. The individual being spanked has a deep desire to be loved and cared for. This is especially true in females into spanking.

The idea that “this spanking is for your own good” or “this hurts me more than it hurts you” holds true for a spanking enthusiast. A person being spanked wants to know that the person spanking them is doing it because they care about them. They are spanking them to improve their behavior because they are genuinely concerned about their wellbeing.

The person who is being spanked wants to be transported into that surreal place where these deep desires are satisfied. They want to be transported into sub-space.

The Importance of Role-play
Role-play can be essential in achieving sub-space. Setting the scene can really help in creating an environment a spanking enthusiast can get lost in. Many spanking enthusiasts have particular fantasies they wish to reenact. These can range from a recreation of an actual event that really occurred to them, to something they saw happen to someone else, to the construction of an entirely contrived scenario. The only limits are the players imaginations and willingness to let go.

Some favorite scenarios include, “Mother/Child”, “Father/Child”, “Teacher/Student”, “Aunt/Teenager”, Boss/Employee”, “Nurse/Patient”, “Nanny-Babysitter/Brat”, and “Husband/Wife”. While different in structure, the one consistent thing all these scenarios share in common is that they all involve a loving, concerned top punishing a deserving bottom.

The Role of a Good Top
A good top is essential in achieving sub-space. The top is basically the captain of the ship that will guide you there. Ultimately, it is the willingness of the bottom that will eventually lead to sub-space, but without a good top, true sub-space is impossible.

As I mentioned above, a bottom needs to know that the top is spanking them with good intentions. They need to know that they have done something wrong that deserves punishment and the top is providing that punishment because they truly care for them.

Regardless of the scenario, the top must play a convincing role in order to guide the bottom into sub-space. The better your acting, the more convincing you are as that character.

A top must be very cognizant of the bottom’s pain threshold. Too much or too little and the bottom will slip out of sub-space. A good top can read the bottom’s reactions and body language. The top knows when to spank and when to rub. They know how hard to spank and for how long. They know what to say and when to say it. They play their partner like a musical instrument. They are experts in the art of finesse.

Choose your tops wisely. Many people honestly believe they are a good top, but in fact, are not. We’ve all been to a Karaoke Bar and seen someone up there singing like they’re the world greatest. They have no idea how bad they are. Tone deaf, off key and off rhythm. They truly believe they have talent and just don’t know any better. They same is true for spanking tops.

I have run across dozens of tops who honestly believe they know what they are doing, when in fact are some of the worst spankers ever. Remember the agony and discomfort the lousy Karaoke singer made you feel. Well multiply that times ten and that’s how you’ll feel over the knee of an unskilled spanker.

Remember it takes years of practice and education to become a great musician or artist. The same is true with spanking. To be a good top, you need to learn, practice, be attentive, open to feedback and humble. Good tops spank to give pleasure, not to satisfy their own ego.

The Role of a Good Bottom
The bottom ultimately has final say whether subspace will be achieved. No matter how good the top is, if the bottom isn’t willing to go there, it’s not going to happen.

A good bottom knows how to choose their tops wisely. They understand what kind of spanking scenario works for them and are not afraid to give detailed descriptions of the spanking they would like to receive. The more communication, the better the interaction.

Bottom and Top should talk way before starting the scene. In that way, both players can focus on the spanking at hand without any real interruption. Discuss medical and physical conditions that might impact the play. Don’t forget to mention any medication you are taking, physical ailments, back problems, and/or long term conditions like diabetes.

It’s also important to express any emotional issues that could trigger a negative reaction. For example, if a lady has just experienced the loss of her dad, there’s a good chance a father/daughter type scenario would be a mood killer. Same thing goes with verbiage. Certain words or references can trigger angry memories. Anger will take you right out of sub-space. Remember no one is a mind reader. It’s your job as a bottom to speak up.

Stay present in the moment with your spanking partner. Don’t think about what you did an hour ago or what you need to do tomorrow. Just imagine you are that person you are role playing or get in touch with your own inner naughty boy or girl. How does it feel to be getting a spanking? Are you ashamed? Embarrassed? Feeling sorry? Use the same tools of an actor: dig deep inside and use your sense memories to imagine times when you were actually being punished or chastised. Feel the sensations and emotions evoked. Let yourself go and get lost in the scenario.

Relax your body and give yourself over to the punishment at hand. Don’t try and make anything happen. You need to just go with the flow and let your body take over. As you give up control, you will notice certain sensations happening all over your body. Stay there and don’t go into your head. Allow yourself to experience all the emotions that come from getting spanked ranging from argumentative to compliant to true remorse and acceptance.

A spanking should feel like a complete experience. Though no one initially wants the spanking, at the end there is a feeling of relief. With the relief, comes true catharsis.

Degrees of Sub-space
Sub-space can occur on many levels. Some people can go very deep into sub-space. So deep that they are able to cry for real, age regress or even have a complete personality transformation. I’ve seen it all. It is truly amazing and can be quite beautiful.

Not everyone can go that deep into sub-space and may never achieve that deep a level. But that doesn’t mean they don’t go into sub-space. Like I said, sub-space can occur on many levels.

Level One: For anyone who has ever attended a spanking party, you have witnessed first hand the first degree of sub-space. This is where the bottom merely relinquishes themselves to another person for a spanking. They are simply saying “It’s OK to spank me.” While the spanking may be light and playful, the bottom has conceded to it.

There is a definite mind set for this level of exchange. Ask any ordinary person on the street if you can spank them and see what they say. The average person will not concede to let this happen to them. They do not have the capability for the sub-space mindset.

Top-only players are the same way. Most likely the degree of embarrassment or loss of power position is stronger than their need for the sub-space experience. They, instead, receive satisfaction from a completely different point of view. But that’s a topic for a different article.

Level One sub-space occurs in a fun playful spanking setting. A birthday spanking is a good example. Even a person who is not into spanking may allow you to give them a birthday spanking. While they derive no sexual or emotional gratification from this exchange, they do, in fact have to adapt a mind set that allows them to let themselves submit to a spanking. Unfortunately, this is where their ability ends. Only a true spanking enthusiast will be able to move on to the next level of sub-space.

Level Two: The next level of sub-space occurs where the bottom is willing to submit to a spanking that pushes their pain threshold. While this type of spanking can still occur in the public arena, it is more common in private play.

In a more intimate setting, with a top you trust, a bottom is free to really allow themselves to sink a little deeper into sub-space. One can let themselves go and have stronger emotions. These can include such mind frames as “the brat”, “the naughty boy or girl” or “the helpless victim”.

In any case the spanking will hurt to a certain point and allow the bottom to feel really punished. Keep in mind that there are many degrees of punishment and it is up to both players to convey and control how far the limits are pushed. Different people require different levels of pain and embarrassment to achieve the second level of sub-space. Too little and it seems ingenuine, too much and the mood is broken.

I suggest you take it easy at first and build slowly. Practice makes perfect. The best spanking experiences are the exchanges between lovers and close friends. The level of trust is high so the level of potential sub-space is high.

It can also be a fun and exciting to experience this level of play in the public arena. To be publicly spanked to the point where you are embarrassed and uncomfortable can be quite intense. Having one’s bare bottom exposed for all to see is difficult enough, but getting scolded and spanked to the point where you are truly uncomfortable requires a significant level of sub-space.

For a spanking enthusiast, a public spanking at this level can be a real rush. But without the right mindset, it could also be a horrible and traumatic experience. So be careful. Don’t let anyone put you in this position unless you are really prepared for it. Even then, have a safe word ready.

Level Three: This level of sub-space wears several faces but has one consistent element. The bottom is pushed to a level where they relinquish total control. Let me emphasize that this level of play is not for everyone and should not be attempted unless both players are very experienced, have known each other for quite some time, are not under the influence and are hopefully in some type of loving relationship with each other.

Level Three sub-space is achieved when a bottom is taken to a place where they secretly desire to go. Level Three is the ultimate spanking experience. It is the orgasm of spanking, so to speak. At Level Three, the bottom is able to completely revert back to the emotions they experienced in childhood. They are no reliving the exact emotional experience they had as a child. This is where the mind can now feel what it felt as a child but deal with it as an adult. The result is cathartic.

Level Three sub-space is a healing process. This is the place where you are able to feel the spanking as something truly loving. You will feel punished but in a caring way. The relief comes in finally getting what you consciously or subconsciously have felt was lacking. There’s a feeling of getting re-parented and being truly nurtured. There’s a true symbiotic experience that occurs with you and your spanker. Together, you achieve a spanking nirvana.

Sub-space in Spanking Movies
I have experienced all types and levels of role-play. Whether it has been personally, as a witness or as a movie maker, I’ve literally seen it all. My goal as a spanking video producer is to capture an authentic spanking as accurately as possible. Like mainstream filmmakers, I try to create imagery that both looks and feels as real as possible.

Sub-space in a spanking movie is far more difficult to achieve than it is in private spanking play. In a private spanking session, the bottom is less exposed and may feel less inhibited. On camera, a bottom is very aware of lights, cameras and crew. Since it can be very embarrassing for a spanking enthusiast to show their vulnerable side, it is practically impossible to capture true sub-space on camera.

However, this doesn’t mean we haven’t done it. In fact, I’m proud to say we’ve captured sub-space, true sub-space, on camera many times. It’s incredible. It requires very special performers. The kind of performers who are really into it and are genuinely committed to the scene.

How To Achieve Perfect Subspace
The mechanics to achieving perfect sub-space will vary for each individual. The most important thing is to cater the process to yourself. Try to focus on what you require to get there. Don’t be afraid of exploring and letting yourself go. While there are no set rules for achieving perfect sub-space, here a few guideline that you will find helpful.

- Begin with a good top.
- Develop a loving and trusting relationship.
- Start slow and build over time.
- Read spanking stories and watch spanking movies.
- Practice role-play.
- Learn spanking verbiage.
- Learn to use implements properly.

Sub-space is a very special and wonderful experience. It is exciting, gratifying and healing. It is the ultimate gift you can give to a spanking enthusiast and to yourself. Play safe, have fun and I’ll see you in sub-space.

- Vinnie Spitliano