Pendal’s 3D BDSM model: mapping kink across sensation, headspace, and aggression

John Pendal’s 3D model offers a clear way to talk about BDSM interests without collapsing everything into “top” and “bottom”. It maps play across three axes: the X axis reflects preference for physical sensation, the Y axis reflects altered headspace or role immersion, and the Z axis reflects a preference for aggressive versus passive dynamics. Pendal introduced the model publicly in 2007 and keeps an accessible description online, including everyday analogies that link each axis to familiar neurobiological states like endorphin and adrenaline responses.

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The axes

X: Physical sensation. 

High X scenes centre tangible stimuli such as impact, pressure, stretch, or strenuous restraint. Pendal notes that sustained physical input can tip players into an endorphin rich “natural high”, much like the euphoria some people report after intensive exercise.

Contemporary studies complement this: biological work with BDSM practitioners shows shifts in reward and stress mediators, including beta-endorphins and endocannabinoids, following play. PubMedScienceDirect

Y: Altered headspace.

High Y scenes prioritise psychological immersion, role, ritual, and identity play. Pendal likens this to meditation or flotation-tank calm, where attention narrows and time perception can shift. Research on BDSM and altered states suggests that consensual scenes can facilitate role specific changes in affect and focus, consistent with the “flow” style experiences many players describe. ResearchGateTIME

Z: Aggressive–passive preference. 

High Z scenes seek confrontational or fear-flavoured energy such as takedowns, interrogation, or consensual fear play, while low Z scenes prefer calm submission or domestic service. Pendal frames this with the everyday analogue of an adrenaline rush, similar to roller coasters or horror films.

A useful feature of the model is that it invites nuance. A player is not a single fixed point. The same person can shift across the space depending on partner, mood, stress load, or the arc of a scene itself. Pendal explicitly notes that positions can change within one scene as bodies and minds adapt.

Examples

Flogging in a paced, endorphin-building scene.

Placement:

High X, moderate Y, low-to-moderate Z.

Why here:

The core of a classic flogging scene is rhythmic physical input and carefully titrated sensation, which drives the X axis high.

Ritual elements such as negotiated roles, music, or eye contact can raise Y into the mid-range without requiring deep character work. If the energy is nurturing and steady rather than combative, Z sits low to mid.

Biological data support the emphasis on sensation and physiology, with post-scene shifts observed in reward and stress markers among participants. PubMedScienceDirect

Service submission in a domestic dynamic.

Placement:

Low X, moderate Y, low Z.

Why here:

Polishing boots, preparing tea, or administrative service involves minimal physical stimulation, so X is low. The meaning arises from role and ritual, so Y is mid to high depending on formality.

The emotional tone is cooperative rather than confrontational, keeping Z low.

Broader psychological research finds that many BDSM practitioners score high on conscientiousness and emotional regulation, traits that often underpin satisfying service dynamics. PubMedEurope PMC

Puppy play with scene immersion.

Placement:

Low-to-moderate X, high Y, low Z.

Why here:

The draw is headspace and identity shift. Physical sensation is incidental, so X sits low to mid. The role immersion is the point, so Y is high. Most puppy play emphasises playful, affectionate connection rather than conflict, so Z tends to be low.

Preliminary work on BDSM altered states aligns with players’ reports of focused, present-centred absorption in role. ResearchGate

Interrogation or fear play with clear limits.

Placement:

Low-to-moderate X, moderate Y, high Z.

Why here:

The emphasis is the consensual experience of fear, struggle, or psychological pressure, so Z is high. Headspace can be significant if roles are theatrical, placing Y in the mid-range. Physical sensation might be present but is not necessary to achieve the effect, leaving X in the low to mid band.

Pendal links this high Z preference with adrenaline-type arousal. Systematic reviews also note that BDSM can modulate pain thresholds and affective states, which helps explain why such scenes can feel compelling for some and not for others.

Why a three-axis model helps

First, it combats stereotypes by decoupling labels from experience. A submissive who likes to wrestle can be high Z and high X without being a “bad sub”. Pendal even writes about “pushy bottoms” to illustrate that passivity is not an essential feature of submission. John's Guide to Leather & Bear London Second, the model gives partners a shared language for negotiation. Instead of “I am into impact”, someone can say “I am high X, low Z, and medium Y tonight”, which immediately conveys the felt flavour of the session. Third, it has educational value outside kink. Pendal uses analogies to runners’ highs, meditation, and thrill seeking that map cleanly to mainstream psychobiology, for example the mood effects of acute exercise and the role of endorphins in stress and pain modulation. PMCCleveland Clinic

Finally, placing play in 3D space complements consent work. Because the axes can change over time, partners must recheck assumptions each scene, and the model becomes a prompt for pre-scene questions about headspace, intensity, and tone. Recent consent scholarship highlights how norms and communication barriers shift with context, which is exactly what a flexible map like this is designed to capture. PMC+1PMC+1

Pendal’s model is not a personality test. It is a conversation starter that treats BDSM as a varied set of sensations, headspaces, and energies that combine in particular ways. Plotting flogging, service, puppy play, or fear play shows how differently scenes can feel even when the same two people are involved. Used well, the map can reduce stigma, sharpen negotiation, and nudge us toward scenes that match the bodies and minds we have today, not the ones we had last month. That is good kink practice and good relationship practice, grounded as much in evidence as in experience.