I agree with you. In my case, this session with Mistress Cassandra was only my second one. The first one was a one-hour session with a safe word and I could not take much beating at all. The second session was a 6-hour session. I asked her to only honor my safe word for medical reasons or privacy reasons when in public. She accepted and the session went fine. I was caned. But my screams were loud enough for her to go much easier on me than she would have otherwise, lol. But she did not accept my safe words because there was nothing medical. She even asked me once and I said No, I was just chickening out.

So for me, this no safe word system (with medical and public humiliation privacy exemption) works fine, at least with Mistress Cassandra. I don't session that much so I don't know how it will work with other dommes. I will only go to well-reputed ones though.

Once I was with Mistress Sage St. John and she warned me that she will not have mercy on me, but will give me breaks occasionally between beatings. There was no safe word. But she's a more sensual domme anyway. Her beatings hardly hurt. I uttered nothing more than an occasional soft "ouch". That's it.

I must say that losing consciousness and passing out is dangerous and I would be an idiot to ask for that level if I cannot really take it. I do fantasize extreme, but in reality, have a long way to go to work my way up.

I get my inspiration from web sites such as American Mean Girls, Femdom Empire, ClubDom, Femme Fatale Films, the former OWK, Povhumiliation.com, etc.