Altered State of Consciousness (“the subspace”)
One of my earliest encounters with the power of an altered state of consciousness (ASC) was when I heard about the incredible skills and capacities of fakirs. Larbig (1982) described a case of a fakir who was able to pierce his body with swords and daggers after about two hours of intense meditation. He not only reported a complete absence of pain, but also did not bleed as he pierced his face, chest, and abdomen. Meditation - and the mind - had a remarkable physical effect on the body - namely it stopped the natural process of pain and bleeding. Now add the neurotransmitters that repeated impact (pain) naturally triggers, and imagine the capacities that a impact-triggered deep altered state of consciousness has on the body.
Charles Tart, a foundational figure in the psychology of consciousness, defined altered states as “a qualitative alteration in the overall pattern of mental functioning […] that is radically different from the ordinary” (1972). What makes a state "altered" is not simply that it's unusual, but that it reorganizes how sensory input, memory, identity, emotion, and self-awareness are processed and experienced. This can include shifts in time perception (e.g. difficulty tracking how much time has passed), distorted bodily awareness (the body's boundaries may feel expanded or blurred), enhanced suggestibility (the Top’s words and gestures gain heightened significance), and changes in the sense of agency (surrender or reduced control). These characteristics are often comparable to a drug-induced high, but notably, altered states reached through impact play lack many of the pharmacological side effects—offering similar mental shifts without the same physiological toll and longer-lasting beneficial effects on well-being, sleep quality and emotional health.
S. Dalí (1931): The Persistence of Memory
Rythm and predictability
An altered state of consciousness doesn’t always require substances—there are many non-chemical ways to shift our mental state. Some involve stillness and inward focus, like meditation or deep breathing. Others rely on rhythm, repetition, and movement. These include activities such as running, cycling, dancing, sex—and yes, impact play.
Repetition and ritual create a sense of structure and predictability. Paradoxically, this structure allows the mind to “let go” more easily, suspending its usual need for control and analysis. The rhythmic impact of flogging or spanking can shift attention away from verbal thought and into a more embodied, sensory-focused state. Over time, this can deepen into a trance-like experience.
Hyperfocus and meaning
One of the hallmarks of an altered state of consciousness is hyperfocus. Since pain is a powerful evolutionary signal, it naturally demands attention. So our task as Top is to get the person shift their attention off of the pain to enter the altered state of consciousness with as much discomfort as possible. This is especially for those early in their pain-pleasure learning - with time the body actually learns to transform pain to pleasure.
There are many attention hooks that can be used to shift attention off of the pain. Most people incorporate impact play into power exchange (Dom-sub dynamics) which serves another important component of altered state of consciousness: meaning. Pain is always more bearable when it has a meaning - it can serve the trusted Dominant, or be an offering to a personal higher purpose. In equal-power sessions breathwork can also serve a shift in focus — it also has physiological benefits such as reducing anxiety and altering blood gas composition (more about this later). I also like to use music to distract from discomfort: certain frequencies, rhythms, and harmonics can modulate brainwave activity and mood, adding to the overall experience. Additional focal elements may include tactile contrasts (like soft or textured objects that provide nerve stimulation without discomfort), mutual eye contact i.e. with a third person in the session, but even cognitive tasks can be used as a hook. If I want to be particulary mean, I ask my person to count backward by threes – this mental effort can short-circuit normal conscious processing—pushing them into a more trance-like state before they’re even aware it’s happening…
Communication in ASC
Communication is crucial in impact play—not only as a method of induction (as in establishing trust, managing expectations, boundaries, etc.), but also in shaping the experience itself. The power of communication should never be underestimated! The placebo effect is a compelling example of how important belief, expectation, and interpersonal suggestions are: approximately 35% of patients report substantial pain relief after receiving a placebo. That’s half of the effect of morphine, which relieves pain in about 70% of patients!
In altered states, the brain processes communication differently. People typically become less verbal and more receptive to nonverbal cues, tone of voice, and emotional context. Their cognitive bandwidth narrows, making short, direct instructions far more effective than abstract or complex language. Individuals become more open to direction—not in a blindly obedient way, but because the usual critical filters are softened. This makes trust and safety crucial. For example, if a Top accidentally delivers a strike harder than intended, the way they respond can either reinforce safety or break the scene's emotional integrity - much more than outside the scene. A simple acknowledgment—paired with lessening intensity—can maintain trust. In contrast, panicking or overly apologizing may trigger anxiety in the person being flogged, and the flow is broken.
How susceptible are people to altered states?
The extent to which people enter into an altered state of consciousness in impact play is never it is never just a result of our efforts as Top. People differ widely in their capacity to enter and maintain ASC. This variation is influenced by situational factors (e.g., environment, mood, trust - factors that we can control) as well as stable personality traits, some of which have genetic components, and thus externally uncontrollable.
A whirling dervish (sufi dancer).
It’s important to remember that you can never fully control another person's experience during impact play—or any trance-inducing interaction. No matter how carefully the scene is constructed or how skilled the practitioner, each individual brings a unique set of traits to the experience, many of which are influenced by biology and genetics. Some people easily enter deep altered states, while others may stay closer to the surface. When you also consider the genetic variability in pain perception and the complex interplay of individual neural systems, it becomes clear that a significant part of the experience lies beyond your control. The best you can do is create a framework that supports and amplifies what the person naturally brings with them.
What makes an altered state so satisfying?
A good impact play session often feels profoundly rewarding because it suspends the ordinary constraints of consciousness—time slows down, self-awareness shifts, and the usual chaos of the mind quiets or even disappears. In these moments, people often report a sense of deep presence, emotional release, and connection—with themselves, with others, or with something larger. Neurologically, these states are often accompanied by changes in brainwave activity (e.g., increased theta and gamma rhythms), decreased activity in the default mode network (associated with self-referential thought), and increased levels of endorphins and dopamine (more about this later). These effects typically last for hours, even days or weeks after a good impact session.
From a psychological perspective, altered states such as an impact session offer a kind of reset. They allow us to temporarily step outside everyday rituals, relieve physical tension, break down emotional defense. This can bring pleasure, insight, catharsis, or simply the relief of surrender. These states are often described as “freeing,” “healing,” or “spiritual”— because they are personal, meaningful and transformative. When the right conditions are met—safety, communication, skill, and trust—an altered state can become a doorway into embodied depth and self-discovery which lasts well beyond the session.