I liked this short article on BDSM as a form of meditation. It doesn’t go into a lot of detail, but it captures some of my feelings on certain types of BDSM play. I’m by no means an expert on the topic, but the mindful meditation it describes does remind me of subspace.
Some activities seem to lend themselves more than others to this kind of mental state. Personally I’ve found that needle play (particularly when decorative), heavy bondage and very formalized corporal punishment are particularly good for it. Moments of stillness combined with ritual and rhythm definitely help. In contrast things like predicament bondage, electrical play and energetic fucking really don’t work. They’re fun, but tend to constantly pull your mind out of the zone and into the moment.
Here’s a nice shot of someone enjoying a moment with Cybill Troy. I wonder if he’s feeling particularly meditative?