9 Levels of submission
Within S/M, different people use the words "submissive", "bottom" and "slave" to mean different things. When a person says, "I want to be your slave," sometimes they only mean that they want to be tied up and spanked. Many ProDom(me)s routinely refer to their (usually not genuinely submissive) clients as "slaves". At the other extreme, there are people who want to be full-time personal servants, and who truly want to exist solely for their Dom(me)'s use, pleasure and convenience. And as many definitions as there are, there are just as many shades in between these two extremes.
For an alpha slave, the definition of "number 8" is what I looked
for .
The following is intended as a loose classification. It was written by Diane
Vera and published in Lesbian S/M Safety Manual, from Alyson Press, Copyright
1984 and 1988.
1. THE OUTRIGHT NON-SUBMISSIVE MASOCHIST
or KINKY SENSUALIST.
Not into servitude, humiliation or giving up control; just pain and/or spiced-up
sensuality, on the masochist's own terms and for the masochist's own direct pleasure
(i.e. turned on solely/mainly by one's own bodily sensations rather than by being
"used" to gratify one's partner's sadism).
2. PSEUDO-SUBMISSIVE NON-SLAVE.
Not into even playing "slave," but into other "submissive" role-playing, e.g.
schoolteacher scenes, infantilism, "forced" transvestitism. Usually into humiliation,
but NOT into servitude, even in play. Dictates the scene to a large degree.
3. PSEUDO-SUBMISSIVE PLAY SLAVE.
Likes to play at being a slave; likes to feel subservient; may in some cases
like to feel one is being "used" to gratify partner's sadism; may even really
serve the dominant in some ways, but only on the "slave's" own terms. Dictates
the scene to a large degree; often fetishistic (e.g. foot worshippers).
4. TRUE SUBMISSIVE NON-SLAVE.
Really gives up control (only temporarily and within agreed-upon limits), but
gets her/his main satisfaction from aspects of submission other than serving or
being used by the dominant. Usually turned on by suspense, vulnerability, and/or
giving up reasonability. Doesn't dictate the scene except in very general terms,
but still seek mainly her/his own direct/pleasure (rather than getting one's pleasure
mainly from pleasing the dominant).
5. TRUE SUBMISSIVE PLAY SLAVE.
Really gives up control (though only temporarily; only during brief "scenes"
and within limits) and gets main satisfaction from serving/being used by dominant-but
only for FUN purposes, usually erotic. May/may not be into pain. If so, is turned
on by pain indirectly, i.e. enjoys being the object of one's partner's sadism,
on which the submissive places very few requirements or restrictions.
6. UNCOMMITTED SHORT-TERM BUT MORE THAN PLAY SEMI-SLAVE.
Really gives up control (usually within limits); wants to serve and be used
by the dominant; wants to provide practical/non erotic as well as fun/erotic
services; but only when the "slave" is in the mood. May even act as a full-time
slave for, say, several days at a time, but is free to quit at any time (or
at the end of the agreed upon several days). May or may not have long-term relationship
with one's Mistress, but, either way, the "slave" has the final say over when
she will serve.
7. PART-TIME CONSENSUAL-BUT REAL SLAVE.
Has an ongoing commitment to an owner/slave relationship and regards oneself
as the dominant's property at all times. Wants to obey and please Dom(me) in
all aspects of life-practical/non erotic and fun/erotic. Devotes most of time
to other commitments (e.g. job) but Dom(me) has first pick of the slave's free
time.
8. FULL-TIME LIVE IN CONSENSUAL SLAVE.
Within no more than a few broad limits/requirements, the slave regards herself/himself
as existing solely for the Dom(me)'s pleasure/well being. Slave in turn expects
to be regarded as a prized possession. Not much different from the situation
of the traditional housewife, except that within the S/M world the slave's position
is more likely to be fully consensual, especially if the slave is male. Within
the S/M world, a full time "slave" arrangement is entered into with an explicit
awareness of the magnitude carefully, with more awareness of the magnitude of
power that is being given up, and hence is usually entered into much more carefully,
with more awareness of the possible dangers, and with much clearer and more
specific agreements than usually precede the traditional marriage.
9. CONSENSUAL TOTAL SLAVE WITH NO LIMITS.
A common fantasy ideal which probably doesn't exist in real life (except in
authoritarian religious cults and other situations where the "consent" is induced
by brainwashing and/or social or economic pressures, and hence isn't fully consensual).
A few S/M purists will insist that you aren't really a slave unless you're willing
to do absolutely anything for your Dom(me), with no limits at all. I've met
a few people who claimed to be no-limit slaves, but in all cases I have reason
to doubt the claim.
Related items and other interesting links can be found at Beginning
Training, 8 Levels of Domination, Negotiations
and slave contract.