Quote Originally Posted by neitsyst2 View Post
I can totally see where you might, if in sub space (though I haven't experienced it) feel the same, or even just simply forget to use your word. I don't plan to be in a place that I would consider sub space until I can trust my dominant to be able to tell the difference both with, and for me. I recognize that everyone is different, and that over time and with practice of a word I may learn it much better and have better control of its use. I just don't intend to rely only on the use of a single word for my safety. I plan to have one, I plan to know it...but I intend to PLAN for safety as well.
*nods* I can't imagine going into play without a safe word, but there are times when, yes, you're going to forget it and times when (and this is the REALLY dangerous part) you simply don't realize you need to use it. "Subspace" is a tricky place to be - extreme things feel deceptively sublime and your Dom better as Hell be watching out for you.

During one session J had me on a collar and leash, and the leash was clipped to a hook somewhere up above my head. It was a GOOD session: I was so into it and so overwhelmed by what I was feeling that I never bothered to notice I was straining against the collar hard enough that I was choking myself out. It NEVER occured to me to use a safeword: I would have leaned into that collar until I passed out, quite frankly, or hurt myself some other way in the process. It felt THAT good. Master, however, was paying attention and picked me up and unclipped the leash and worked me back down from the place I had gone to in my head.

Crisis averted, but in a worst case scanario there's no substitute for a "first aid" safety plan as well.