Meat hook craze
 

Link

Ow. Ow. Ow.

Not a new past time. People have been hanging from hooks for a long time

WHY???

My thoughts exactly?

Is there some amount of pleasure to be achieved from this?

I've seen it,and I hear it tickles.
 

Oh Shit that's gotta hurt....

Need a warning on that picture... :(

"Whatcha been doin'?"
"Nuttin'. Just hangin'."


I think that needs a warning tag.

looks like hes hooked

I really have to ask the question... Why? What's the fun in that - I understand accupuncture, and it does help for migraines, however, thats a teeny needle and you aren't being suspended by it -- this is a pretty substantial hook, more than one going thru your skin...

I am feeling so old and out of touch....

I figure it's only a matter of time before they do abdomen puncture, using a sword or whatever.

That looks exactly like a torture scene from "Ichi the Killer". I think that says a lot about how looney these people are. But of course we cannot judge--all hobbies are beautiful and equal.

Where's the boiling water?

You forgot the :) or maybe the :crazy:

Buh, that's pretty nasty.

But my question to everyone is how is this any different from the weird piercings and tattoos we get??

I think the level of pain and tissue damage is a factor. I mean, nobody will think you odd if you like to go for long runs barefoot on the beach, even if it is a little hard on your feet. It is at the point where you start running on shards of glass that people get a little freaked.

Suspensions have been around for hundreds of years. Native American tribes performed complex rituals based around certain types of suspension positions (some of which have been adapted by modern suspension groups).

Although I've never done it myself, I have several friends that suspend, and all of them say that the adrenaline rush in absolutely amazing. I've heard some people say that they've done it as some sort of personal rite of passage and that it was a deeply spiritual thing.

So, in conclusion, it's not really a "wild new thing", but rather something that's stood the test of time, and for most participants is a deeply personal and spiritual event. Plus, I hear it can be a hell of good time.

As for the "why would someone willingly inflict pain upon their bodies" issue, that's really no different than someone that gains pleasure (sexual or otherwise) from BDSM, tattoos, piercings, cutting, or anyother activity involving bodiliy harm.

When you tattoo your skin, you are damaging your skin horribly. Also, piercings leave scars and can get infected- that is hella painful.

I saw this a while ago on the discovery channel, so ummm...they run out of "spiritual" activities to do or something??

I'd rather get my adrenaline rush by strapping a parachute to myself and jumping out of planes, thank you :)
...but to each their own, I guess

Ever sky dive? Ever bungee jump? Ever do anything thats exhillerating?

Now take that... possible...30 second complete rush of adrenaline and make it about 5 minutes long just as intense the entire time.


Anyway, yes it is painful, not as much as you would think. Once you get up the adrenaline pushes the pain out and your just ... there.

Actually I think its impossible to explain but anyway. Don't knock it til ya tried it.

But...doesn't it hurt later on when you take the hooks out?

Looks like the 'normal' people got wind of this activity:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/07/...eut/index.html

I like the comment from the Coast Guard spokesperson - "As long as they weren't creating any kind of ruckus or riot within a crowd they really weren't breaking any laws."

Spoken like a true hedonist that works for the Coast Guard.

Not really. I mean, how do you judge such a thing? It's not detrimental to a person's health by any means- sure, their skin may not be as silky as yours, after a long period of time, but it does not factor into your overall well-being or longevity in any way...

Wasnt bioling water... Deep fry batter...

:hmm:

Well, to each their own. I'll stick to getting my kicks from large explosions.

You people never seen the movie A Man Called Horse?
You should see it. It's a good movie.

My only problem is that they do this stuff outside in public. There are people that would like not having to see this kind of stuff.

This reminds me of an interesting documentary about a guy in India who goes around villages debunking the magic tricks of con men "Gurus" by actually showing regular folks that they too can do "miraculous" things like pull cars along by body hooks.

Basically it boils down to two things:

1. The epidermis is stronger than we think.

2. Have respect for the laws of physics.

If it's done right, I don't think the dude in the picture suffers any permanent physical effect; kinda the same prinicple as the bed of nails.

The pleasure of it is "mind over matter" I guess.

I wonder what type of stress these people are putting themselves through. Is the spiritual side worth it? And what type of long term affects they will see from the rise in hormones (adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol). These types of prolonged stress can have damaging affects on the body over time.

Two words, ADRENALINE and ENDORFINE!
The rush is indescribable, totally different from bungyjumping or other extreme activites.

always funny how the Western cultures find something and think that it's all new when it's been around for such a long long time...

Thaipusam
Hindu devotees express gratitude at their prayers being answered. They then fulfil their vows to Lord Muruga by carrying palkudam (milk pots) or kavadis (heavy metal frames hooked onto the body) in a procession to the temple. The devotees prepare themselves for this ritual by living a life of abstinence for a few weeks prior to Thaipusam.

Because of the information-and-experience-saturated world we live in today, it is very difficult for many people who are bombarded and overloaded with extreme levels of conceptual, sensory, and somatic input to feel anything at all.

This is a response to that. It is an attempt to grasp a sense of the real and the sensations of feeling back from the anesthetized hypnosis of everyday life.

I suppose stuff like that went on in the days of the Roman Empire...perhaps before the fall of it. Circa say 459AD???

HOLY FUCKING CRAP WHY WHY WHY???

well i dont really care what people do in their own homes or private businesses.... but that shouldnt be going on in public.

why you ask? because people are stupid...

PersonallY i'd never do it.. But I can understand the adrenalin rush. I get my in much more normal ways..

ive always been really interested in that kind of stuff... i would definently try it if i had the opportunity...

if you want a little more information/insight about this i suggest this series of articles about it...

http://www.bmezine.com/news/fakir/20031115.html
http://www.bmezine.com/news/fakir/20040115.html
http://www.bmezine.com/news/fakir/20040508.html

the first ones the best... it talks about the origination of the Suspensions.
the second talks about the writers personal experiences
and the third about his expierences guiding others...

To each their own, i mean, somebody out of our culture must be offended by our practice of "opening holes on our little girls earbuds"-

I knew I had heard of something like this before.
Thanks iamnormal, for reminding me where. (A Man Called Horse and Return of a Man Called Horse)

It is called the Sun Dance ritual, and it was (and maybe still is) performed by various Sioux tribes on young men going into manhood.
http://www.bmeworld.com/flesh/images...istnatpic2.jpg

http://www.bmeworld.com/flesh/suspen...orynative.html

I've read about the Sun Dance ritual in a few Western novels and it seems the Army outlawed any practice of it back in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
I don't know if it still is illegal or not.
Does anyone here know?

Damn. That's one fad I won't be partaking in.

I was going to say, that shit is all over bmezine.com. Lots of people do it, and it looks special.