Quote Originally Posted by Virulent View Post
There is a great book, available in part through books.google even, called At the Side of Torture Survivors, which makes the argument that torture's only goal is the destruction (or sublimation) of the individual identity, to allow the torturer/dom to imprint a new identity.

I'm quite interested in the description of how this 'new identity' is created; the tormentor obviously can't supply all of the details necessary to form a cogent identity, and in fact one supplies very little, just a kernel. The remainder is supplied by the victim/sub who has to subconsciously guess at what to add; part of the function of terror in torture then, is to make sure that the subby crafts a new identity that you'll like.

Based upon descriptions of sub-space and descriptions of what its like to have your identity disintegrated through torture, I think the two are pretty similar... though I've never been in either position. I can't help but wonder if sub-space is just another way of describing the abrogation of the individual.

"New identity?" That one could be an argument of semantics I could fall on either side of the fence on.

"...another way of describing the abrogation of the individual?" In some cases, perhaps, in my case, not at all. There is an intense focus in the experience for me and it is very affirming of my individuality. The intimacy is in large part to letting my Dom "take part in me."