Pleasure, Pain and Punishment: BDSM and the Shamanic Journey

Recently kink magic has become a new field of magical practice, wherein the concepts of shamanism and BDSM are merged so that the pain and pleasure, dominance and submission of BDSM are used to create an altered state of mind. In this trance, a person's psychological issues can be explored and the energetic blockages can be worked through.

A brief explanation of the theory behind kink magic is as follows,

In the realm of theory this is manifest in the two poles of the sources of power in sado-shamanism: the physiological and semiotic or symbolic. The physiological pole is focused on the actual physical, somatic (body-centered), chemical processes, alterations and manipulations which are caused to occur in the participants. This pole of the theory underscores somatic mechanism as the production of endorphins through painful stimuli, the physiological effects of prolonged physical stress and so on…In this world [the semiotic pole], quite to the contrary of the physiological world, every individual system is in some way different and unique. (Dawn & Flowers 2001, pp. 27-28).

It is our experience that it is quite true that while the physiological pole can be predictable to some degree, the semiotic pole, which deals with symbolic reality will change and shift as the person undergoes different experiences. If the opener is attuned to the initiate this is not an issue, but if not, then the opener may not have such an easy time leading the initiate into altered states of consciousness.

Many magicians spend years working on their psychological flaws and issues, digging deep into their pasts and dredging up frightening beings from their own personal Abyss. Often this involves a solitary trek into the layers of consciousness, braving the inner trials and tribulations of self-evolution. Sometimes, though, this journey cannot be undertaken alone; a guide is needed.

Guided meditation is a popular method of journeying inward in magical practice today. One person (or more) speaks, drums, acts or otherwise creates an environment conducive to another person(s) being able to visualize an entryway into the Self in order to make appropriate changes through symbolism and rite. It can be a very calm affair involving soothing music and soft words, or it can be a wild orgiastic trance-dance that violently throws all participants into a frenzied spiral down the tunnel to the personal Otherworld. It all depends on whether the participants prefer inhibitory or excitatory forms of trance.

BDSM (Bondage/discipline/sadism/masochism) is a dynamic between two or more people that involves any/or/each of the following: bondage and restriction, application of pain, psychological humiliation, controlled exchanges of power, roleplaying. It may or may not be sexual, depending on the nature of the relationships of all participants involved. While it is generally limited to certain environments-the bedroom, for example-some people do extend the BDSM dynamic to everyday life to a mutually-agreed-upon boundary.

Generally speaking the BDSM relationship is divided into two primary roles. The dominant is the person who symbolically takes control of the situation. The submissive is the one who symbolically sacrifices hir control. The method by which the power exchange takes place varies widely. It may be a mild as teasing the other person to a level of slight discomfort, or it may involve an all-out, drag-down wrestling match in which the dominant sooner or later gains the upper hand. In some cases the initiate automatically surrenders hir power without a struggle. While some people prefer one role or the other, many are switches-those able to switch back and forth between roles. In a relationship between two switches the balance of power during a single scene may change hands very quickly, fluidly and, to all appearances, almost undetectably. In order to keep the dynamic within the agreed-upon boundaries, a safe word is employed. If spoken by either participant the play ends and both/all stop and discuss the situation before going on or stopping for good.

Both magic and BDSM are ideally safe, sane and consensual, to borrow a term from the latter community. Safe is obvious-the physical forms of the participants must not be harmed. This is not the same a hurting someone in BDSM play. Hurt is before the safe word is used; harm is after. Sane involves the safety of the mind; it is incredibly easy for either participant to mindfuck the other to the point where long-term psychological damage is done. Consent is a another no-brainer; if all parties do not willingly consent to all actions then someone's going to be liable for legal and other repercussions of assault, sexual and otherwise. Because of these three elements in both magic and BDSM, it is required that all participants trust each other implicitly.

Any tool can be used for constructive or destructive purposes. Humans have long misused pain and punishment to further their own bad conditioning by turning them on other humans for purposes of destruction. Our purpose here is to explore the constructive rather than destructive uses.

For example, let's look at the overlying dogma of the Catholic church. For centuries this religious body has threatened bad behavior with hellfire and damnation in the afterlife and often retribution in this life. The Inquisition was a primary example; those caught in its web were often no more than political prisoners who had done no true wrong, and they were subjected to horrific tortures in order to expiate their sins (and capture other sinners.) This was often justified by the excuse that the flames of Hell would be much, much worse than the burning at the stake of this life.

Of course, there were probably few Inquisitors who truly believed they were helping to purify their fellow human beings. No doubt there was no shortage of extreme sadists among that lot; given the frequency with which female prisoners were raped as a means of torture, the Inquisitors were not immune to the temptations of the flesh no matter how vile a manifestation thereof.

This attitude continues today. Children and adults alike cruelly taunt others of their kind supposedly to teach them a lesson about being socially abnormal in some way. It's obvious that the tormentors get a lot more pleasure than is warranted out of this, and very little rehabilitation occurs on the part of the target. The inhumane treatment of prisoners, too, is testament to our perception of punishment as being worthy only of "bad people" who are "beneath" their captors.

Yet in true rehabilitation the root cause is not to further destroy someone who is obviously already broken, but to raise them up to the level of their healthier peers. When punishment is applied in order to truly help the sufferer-whom we'll refer to henceforth as the initiate-the goal is not to break them and leave them broken so that they are no longer functional enough to cause further problems, but instead to break them and reset them in a healthier manner by their will.

Consent is exceptionally important in kink magic, as well as its base components BDSM and magic. If a person is forced into an altered state of reality that s/he is not ready for, the results will be counterproductive. In kink magic the initiate must indicate hir willingness to participate in the ritual and to have hir limits pushed. This is why there is also the safe word, a key that opens all locks no matter how deeply into the ritual the participants are. In our own dynamic we have taken each other to the very edges of our comfort zones, even further than we thought we could go, and the results were incredible.

In some indigenous cultures pain is used as a controlled method of altering the consciousness in order to create change within. This can be as mild as dancing the self into exhaustion, or may involve such ordeals as hanging the body from hooks imbedded in the pectoral muscles. The Sun Dance of certain American indigenous tribes, for example, combines long periods of dancing with mortification of the flesh. (Anonymous, August 22, 2005) In these cases the initiate is a fully willing and consenting participant who enters the ritual arena with the intent to grow.

In kink magic, the submissive is the penitent, the supplicant, the aware sinner seeking absolution-the initiate. The dominant is the hierophant, the confessor, the source of punishment and thereby redemption-the opener. The opener does not thrust any guilt upon the initiate except for that which is already there. The goal with guilt is to expiate the guilt along with the bad programming and leave the initiate free of those burdens. The dominant/top is the opener of pathways and gates, acting as a spirit guide and leading the submissive/bottom or the initiate into new experiences and states of mind that can be used to overcome psychological programming and energetic blocks that otherwise hinder the person, "The magician makes a change in his or her internal universe and a corresponding change occurs in the outside world - with no logical or objective connection between the two events. This technique is also useful in making permanent changes in the mind or psyche of the magician - which is not as way as it would first appear to be" (Dawn & Flowers 2001, p. 2). BDSM is particularly useful for making these kinds of internal changes, because of the altered state of mind that the initiate is put into, wherein s/he is able to face long suppressed memories, emotions, or other issues that may need to be resolved. The sub space may be the only place where the initiate feels able to face such issues and because of that such a space is ideal for the work that is engaged by the opener and initiate.

In combining the two paradigms the central practical focus is attaining that altered states of consciousness necessary for the opener to guide the initiate into the personal Underworld.

A common way this is done is by using a form of drumming that helps to create a state of mind where the person's mind descends into hir psyche. This drumming can be done on a separate drum or even done on the person, using the body as an instrument. Usually in the latter case a flogger, paddle, or even hand will be used to create a steady rhythm that can be used to help induce the altered state of mind. Lupa, for instance, has been able to reach a moderate state of relaxation through a massage (light application) with a deerskin flogger.

But this is just one method for doing this. We will admit we've not really worked with the above method as a couple, preferring a more spontaneous approach that nonetheless involves doing not only a lot of energy work and psychological play, but also involves knowing when and where to challenge a person's conventions of reality through just the right word or action, or even inaction. Also it is our thought that if you do take this approach you plan on working with your partner or partners for an extended period of time. One weekend will not do it. The reason is because you are entering into sacred territory and also a very intimate space, whether you are a sub or top. In addition you must have a thorough understanding of each other's needs, wants and flaws. This provides material for the partnership to work with.

One of the primary uses for kink magic is healing. This is not contradictory. While gentleness and kindness can go a long way in correcting internal flaws and bad conditioning, there are times when a more violent method is chosen by the initiate in order to exorcise particularly stubborn demons. After all, a broken bone that has healed incorrectly must be re-broken to be properly set. In this way a poor circuit in the brain must be uprooted and rewired when simply cleaning the circuit board does no good.

When the initiate gives hirself over to the opener(s), s/he is saying "Heal me. I consent to give my control over to you so that you may observe me, read me, tear me open and fix what's wrong. I may struggle as my fear prevails over my surrender, but be aware that I want your aid in fighting that fear and all it hides."

The role of the opener is to insure that this healing occurs in a manner that is beneficial for the initiate. At the same time, the act of entering sacred space does put the opener in a similar altered state of mind. S/he must maintain awareness of this state of mind while leading the initiate deeper and deeper into hir consciousness. Perhaps the best way to even start this kind of relationship is to go with what we call a soft top approach. A soft topping is the use of sensuality, the exploration of the initiate's body, in a manner that is designed to get to know the initiate. The goal of the first meeting isn't to do any overt pathworking or energy work (though this can happen). Rather the goal is to get to know the person intimately on not just the physical or emotional levels, but also the energetic levels. Soft topping will involve some roughness, but will more or less involve an energetic meshing of the two people, as well as learning the physical and mental triggers of the person.

In our case, the first meeting did end up involving some pathworking along totemic lines. For Lupa, her primary totem, Wolf, tended to resist complete surrender into sub space. Taylor intuitively sensed that this energy was getting in the way of what he was trying to do. He switched from a wrestling, painful, rough topping, to a sudden massage, gentle, relaxing and at the same time putting Lupa's Wolf to rest, and calling up Fox, a more subtle, playful energy. As it would turn out, this proved to be very useful, as after that Lupa became much more receptive.

At this point, it is important to note that while the common stereotype about BDSM is about inflicting pain, this is far from the full potential of what the scene can be about. Even a gentle touch, when applied at the right time and place, can be useful for topping a person. What is often misunderstood is the focus on pain, using pain to get a person to say his/her safe word, as if that was the objective. In reality the objective should not be to get the person to say the safe word, but instead stretch hir boundaries and limits in a manner that still does feel safe to the person. Particularly for the healing work this is essential, because the goal is to help the initiate heal, not drive hir past hir limits. Another point to consider is creativity in stretching the mind of the initiate. The same stimuli can become less provoking over time; we have found that variety not only keeps us from getting bored, but also keeps all the senses aware and on edge.

As with any ritual, ceremonial accoutrement can help support the illusion necessary to transport the participant into the necessary altered state. Some people in both magic and BDSM are fond of lavish environments, complete with stimuli for all the senses. Others need only a few items to trigger the start of the journey. For example, we use almost no physical tools whatsoever. Our bodies are the primary tools in our practice. If we do bring in extraneous items it's for a specific purpose and a rare occurrence at that.

The tools don't necessarily have to focus solely on the initiate, either. If the initiate has an emotional connection to the opener, the opener can bind the initiate and force the initiate to watch as s/he uses the tool on hirself. As an example, when Taylor introduced Lupa to knife play, one of the things he did involved using his knives on himself and making her watch. This forced Lupa into a state of helplessness and vulnerability because she could not even stop the opener from hurting himself. Needless to say it was not a physical pain that was inflicted on her, but a psychological pain.

Sometimes the most effective scenes don't involve tools at all. At one point Lupa, as initiate, asked for a break (but did not use her safe word which would have meant stopping the play) and Taylor agreed, only to pretend to leave. This put Lupa, already deep in sub space, into a state of near paralysis due to an unexpected welling-up of her own abandonment issues. Taylor didn't actually leave and ended up coming back and gently through energy work and talk lead her back to a state of mind where she was able to process what had happened. Undergoing that experience fully gave her an idea of what it would be like to have someone walk out on her and leave her helpless, an exploration of a fear that had hindered her for years. It also served as a reminder to us both of where certain boundaries were being stretched close to the breaking point. Needless to say such a deep experience was not only an initiation into BDSM and the potential dangers that can occur, but was also an initiation into the responsibility of the opener to the initiate, something every initiate needs to go through before topping someone.

The important thing to remember for magical purposes is that creativity and spontaneity in kink magic are far more important than just flogging someone to a bloody mess. By using the knife on himself, Taylor got a far more powerful reaction out of Lupa than if he'd used the knife on her. The power dynamic was in place that he was the top, but he didn't need to physically hurt her to make her feel helpless and consequently put her into a state of mind she'd never experienced before.

Another important aspect of kink magic is the energy work. This energy work occurs partially through the arousal that is generated in each partner, "The higher the level of arousal or excitement, the more sexual energy the magician will have to work with…The build-up and release of energy, in sexual orgasm for example, is a powerful and magically useful phenomenon. But on another more subtle level this sensation is interpreted symbolically by the psyche - and it is thought of as a magical substance as malleable as the link in the formation of magical sigils" (Dawn & Flowers 2001, p. 3). The arousal of energy is one part of the equation involving, as it does, what pleases the person not only physically, but also emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually. When a person feels a delightful tingle on the body, it's not a just a physical itch, but also an energetic surge, with the energy reacting and responding to the touch of the opener. When the opener opens an initiate, s/he opens the energetic gate and pathways of that person. At the same time an empathic bond can be formed between the opener and the initiate: "If the magically forged empathetic bond has been formed by the dominants and they are guided by that link in the application of every technique, they will be able to work successfully and safely with almost all techniques. Stay in touch with your submissive" (Dawn & Flowers 2001, p. 49). This empathic bond goes both ways and if the people involved are switches, it can be used by all involved depending on how the power dynamic shifts. As an example, through our play and pathworking, we came to share an empathic bond. We could read each other like open books. While the majority of the time Taylor is the opener of the relationship, sometimes Lupa takes that role and in such a role can also read Taylor and is guided intuitively toward using whatever is needed to bring him to a state of mind that can be used for healing work or sexual alchemy.

But there is another key to this dynamic of energy work beyond the arousal and even beyond the empathic bond. This other key is the skill the opener has with energy work at peeling open the initiate. Energy work is essentially the ability to use one's chi, prana, or energy in a variety of methods that can heal or hurt. A very gifted opener can even use the initiate's energy or even other frequencies of energy such as different elemental energies. These forms of energy work can be used to apply a variety of sensations to a person.

As an example, Taylor concentrated on accumulated fire elemental energy at the tip of his finger, using Bardon's elemental accumulation theories found in Initiation into Hermetics. He then burned Lupa with this energy, causing her to feel a hot searing pain with just the touch of his finger on her arm. But energy work can be more subtle than that, right down to even psychically drawing energy from the initiate and then putting that energy back in or cutting through a person's defenses to the energetic core. At one point, Lupa in the role of opener cut Taylor open symbolically, freeing up a large mass of energy that can be best described as the essence of his pain. The result was an altered state of mind for Taylor, where he was able to re-experience memories that he'd suppressed as well as giving grief to those emotions. The experience was so intense that he almost threw up. When energy work is added to the mix, it makes the reactions that much stronger.

Again, we cannot stress enough that in working with kink magic all of the precautions standard to both magic and BDSM must be taken. In addition, all participants MUST know each other well-this is not an experiment to be done with strangers. Give each other some time to learn about each other in all ways before embarking on this journey. If you cannot trust your partner(s) 100%, regardless of whether you are the opener or the initiate, DO NOT put yourself into a potentially unsafe situation! (Lupa's note, 2007 - while we stress safety, we do want to say that if you do decide to try kink magic with someone you don't know so well, that's your decision. We've gentled our tone of voice in subsequent writings, though we still maintain that the best results come with someone you know well.)

Caution aside, kink magic is a method of magic and personal exploration that shifts the self on many levels at once. It is a powerful tool, and the results of its application are by far some of the most effective we've encountered.

Sources:

Anonymous. (2005, August 22) Sun dance. Wikipedia. Retrieved on September 19, 2005 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Dance
Dawn, Crystal, & Flowers, Stephen. (2001). Carnal Alchemy: A Sado-magical Exploration of Pleasure, Pain, and Self-transformation. Smithville: Runa-Raven Press.

Other Recommended Reading:

Brame, William and Gloria Brame (1993). Different Loving: A Complete Exploration of the World of Sexual Dominance and Submission. New York: Villard.

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