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ORIGINAL: nephandi

Greetings

To me Spiritual and functional are the same. When I sub for someone it is a Spiritual act, pain play lead to different states of consciousness which leads to a closer connection with the Spiritual. However it is my mindset which makes BDSM Spiritual, just that when I cook that is a Spiritual act to, and then to it is my own mind who makes a mundane act Spiritual. I see the blending of the foods as alchemy, the rising fumes as a way to communicate with the Gods. Our minds can make anything Spiritual. I think it is closer to say that when you are a Spiritual person, everything you do, every practical thing you do becomes a ritual and becomes Spiritual.

The off course one have BDSM done for the sole purpose of Spirituality. One can have a relationship where the Master is the priest and communicate with the Divine, and the sub or slave when serving the priest, serves God or the Gods or whatever is being worshiped through Their priest. One can have a relationship where the sub or slave is a magickal tool for the Dom, his or her body becomes the altar, their Energy, their skill with the occult becomes tools for the Master to use. Or one can have a relationship where the sub is an assistant or apprentice in the practice of the Dom, learning and expressing their Spirituality through service to their Master or teacher.

Or the act of BDSM can itself be Spiritual, whippings and pain play can be a wonderful tool in magick, sex magick can be practiced with a BDSM flair. Or one can just see the whole thing, the act of surrendering or the act of dominating as a way to express one self in Spirit. There is so many ways one can use BDSM as a Spiritual discipline that I really understand those who call BDSM a Spiritual practice.

I wish all well

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ORIGINAL: Jeffff

I didn't mean that people can , or should not be spiritual. Too much naval gazing can get in the way.

There is stuff to do and life to be lived.


LaoJeff

Um, well, spirituality goes waaaaaay beyond "naval gazing," and certainly doesn't exclude doing and living.

Like other posters, I feel strongly spirituality and functionality co-exist quite nicely. One of the things I find so alluring about my sibmissive love is that she's able to think beyond the obvious and immediate.

Just my .02 zlotys....

Purveyor of Fine, Handcrafted Kink

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ORIGINAL: NihilusZero

Not spiritual. Functional and emotional.

I think there is a tendency for some people to conflate emotion with spirituality (because the latter is such an ambiguous term).

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ORIGINAL: NihilusZero

Not spiritual. Functional and emotional.

I think there is a tendency for some people to conflate emotion with spirituality (because the latter is such an ambiguous term).

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ORIGINAL: Lockit

I believe there can be spirituality in just about anything... and in how someone views things. What I find disturbing is when someone puts a spiritual content to things that cause them to go into a place where they believe that somehow the spiritual kingdom, whatever it is... karma... whatever.. brought them together and they were meant to be and without good sense, rush into some spiritual utopia that really isn't. Then when it falls apart, they are excusing this once meant to be as... we were only for a time and our walk was on different paths continuing a sort of personal spiritual fantasy.

Can these things happen... maybe... but the spiritual rose colored glasses are firmly in place and in some cases, shouldn't be in my opinion. I don't mean to make less of any spirituality... but less of those who are in a spiritual dreamland and think they are in a higher place of understanding than most and therefore everything has more meaning that the masses just simply cannot understand.

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ORIGINAL: UniqueRaven

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ORIGINAL: Prinsexx

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ORIGINAL: UniqueRaven

So overall, where do you fit on the range? Do you see D/s as more "functional" or "spiritual"? Can you relate or be engaged with a partner who is on the other end of the range as you? And i'm particularly interested if it is the general trend that s-types are more spiritual, and the D-types are more functional, or if i'm just putting too much of my own interpretation on things.

Why does there have to be a dichotomy?
Do unto others as one would be done by is pretty functional in my book. And it seems to form the basis of most spiritual course books too.
In D/s terms serve thy Master as he would want to be served. Easy peasy lemon squeezy n'est-ce que pas?

Whoops, i should have added a question to say if you see it as "both" - both spiritual and functional, or even one level plain with no distinctions between the two. i started out by defining myself that way and then didn't ask if anyone else was the same. My mistake - consider that officially added! :)

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ORIGINAL: UniqueRaven

Oooooh, but emotion and spirituality can definitely be combined in very positive energetic ways. Try kundalini yoga.

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ORIGINAL: UniqueRaven

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ORIGINAL: Lockit

I believe there can be spirituality in just about anything... and in how someone views things. What I find disturbing is when someone puts a spiritual content to things that cause them to go into a place where they believe that somehow the spiritual kingdom, whatever it is... karma... whatever.. brought them together and they were meant to be and without good sense, rush into some spiritual utopia that really isn't. Then when it falls apart, they are excusing this once meant to be as... we were only for a time and our walk was on different paths continuing a sort of personal spiritual fantasy.

Can these things happen... maybe... but the spiritual rose colored glasses are firmly in place and in some cases, shouldn't be in my opinion. I don't mean to make less of any spirituality... but less of those who are in a spiritual dreamland and think they are in a higher place of understanding than most and therefore everything has more meaning that the masses just simply cannot understand.

i agree, absolutely. i've had that said to me that someone believes that "fate" or karma or whatever brought them to me, and really all i can think about is how they are projecting on to me, not trying to understand who i really am. The spiritual has to be based in the human condition in which we exist, not the other way around.

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ORIGINAL: Lockit

Yes, but using some spirituality, whatever it is to push one's self on another or manipulate them isn't spritual in my opinon... just someone trying to get something they otherwise could not. lol

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ORIGINAL: UniqueRaven

i tend to believe that if it is a Spiritual connection between two people, it is fundamentally felt as a "directive" by both parties. If i don't feel that spiritual directive, and i feel more that he's just seeing that i'm a spiritual woman and he's trying to find an "in" with me somehow, i don't necessarily identify that as a spiritual connection.