Text by Rigger Mark - Rope Berry Studio
"Being a rigger and a Dom, I've never got to experience rope space myself, but had induced it in many people, and heard quite a lot of sharing about it, so here is my perspective:
Ropespace, similar to Subspace, is a state of altered conscience, sometimes quite intense, comparable, perhaps, to a "psychedelic trip" by effect, and may leave the person completely "spaced out", incoherent, or in a state of trance.
To my belief, while someone is being bound by rope, they can induce this effect by completely letting go of control, and more importantly- surrendering all responsibility over themselves; putting trust in the rigger, the partner, to be able to control and handle everything. Ultimately this can lead to a state of profound physical and mental relaxation and bliss, sometimes described as "unlike anything previously experienced", or "feeling more free than ever" - especially interesting, while coming from a person who's physical freedom is totally restricted.
In some other cases, people enter rope space when being faced with the fact that they are absolutely and totally helpless, and someone else is in full control of their situation. A friend, professional Shibari model, has shared the memory of her first experience:
In one of the first sessions, the rigger had her in a challenging and painful position, being suspended by one leg in a futumomo. At some point, the pain has became unbearable, and she begged the rigger to bring her down. He started slowly doing so, to the point that she could already feel her hair touching the floor, and then suddenly stopped and said "I've changed my mind".
At that moment, she says, she has went into her first rope space - a sensation more deep and intense than anything she previously experienced, that has set her on the path to get more deeply involved and explore the world of Shibari.
In summary, I can say a deep connection and trust are required between partners as basic ground to be able to ascend Into higher perception levels and altered states of conscience. Safety, of course, is of utmost importance, and any form of action shouldn't be attempted, before all participants are fully aware of their bodily limitations, their boundaries, and their rigging capabilities. Boundaries that were agreed upon before the session, should never be expanded during. Person in ropespace may potentially agree to anything, while being incoherent, that they normally wouldn't. In order for Shibari to work as a therapeutic, mentally healing practice, deep respect, care and awareness need to play an important role in any form of interaction between the model and the rigger."
Rigger Mark is one of the collaborators for our Shibari Montenegro project. He actively promotes the art within the community, often participating in different projects involving Shibari workshops ad retreats.
Credits:
Text: Rigger Mark @rope.berry
Photo: @perfectshot_photo
Model: unknown
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