inviting thoughts and experiences with suspension.
-chris

erm ..

..*does not have a comment for this*..

sorry, should i have posted this in another forum?

....ouch.....
I know the Aztecs did something of that nature as an initiation rite, and it sometimes involved large amounts of skin being flayed from the back.
I can see (theoretically) the value of suspension in meditation and magic, but IMO there are less painful ways of getting the job done....

My new years resolution it to experience suspension amoung other things

No this is the perfect forum for that topic... Yes, there are certainly a good number of indigenous tribal civilizations that used physical endurance as a means to reach altered states in Spirit. The Native Americans did, specifically the Sioux Nation, who did the Sun Dance... which was a three day suspension where the suspended was hooked through his chest muscles and left to hang from them for three days. It was a whole ritual leading up to that... Preparation which included fasting, meditation and a Vision Quest.

As for todays suspensions, I fear for the majority of the time it's merely a fad, but I believe there are some serious participants. Amazingly, when the body is in a state of discomfort the Spirit is free to soar (*note, not saying this is a rule, just pointing out that this does occur) like when one has a fever, the Dreaming is experienced in a far more intense manner than normal. Monks have long used self-inflicted pain as a means of entering higher states of awareness. It's personal and selective, and more importantly, each to his own.

Theres such gruesome stuff done in india too. Incredibly they don't bleed after doing stuff like pulling a ton of bricks by having huge hooks pierced through their backs etc..

But I think theres too much emphasis on the physical body in exercises like these. Theres too much risk.. and I don't see how this can be any better than other forms of spiritual gain.

It seems to me that people aren't after spiritual gain when they do stuff like this. Its more about how 'kewl' it looks.

If thats your new years resolution.. then attaining enough spiritual mind over matter control in that short of a time period for an untrained individual is almost impossible. Since you have set a time limit then that shows your impatience in getting to this point.

If you want to be hung by hooks from a ceiling then be my guest.. I won't tell you to stop. I'm sure you'll have lots of pictures taken... Have fun.

While you're at it.. try these too

I was a bit shocked .. yeah.

sorry for my rather rude intervertion.

I have seen a few of this .. and one guy died during a malpratice of this ritual. and that happened in a gothcon in PR .. and since then they outlawed that. those pics brought some rather unpleasing memories.

..*is such a wuss*..

and to think I've seen blood and all that .. and got scared by this..

Great post and radical images! Good one...

If testing ones physical capabilities applies toward any sort of spritual growth what tests would you suggest?

i dispise having my picture taken, and i'm fairly well trained, just never got my chance to go through with it, hence the impatience.

i prefer your native american pics, where'd you find them.

Those are not "Native American".. They're Indian... Different Continent.

very good whered you find them