Posted by boBB on May 10, 2000, at 21:21:32
In reply to Re: Rage and Cutting, posted by Mommy to an Angel! on May 10, 2000, at 18:40:34
I prefer burning. I "self-initiated" myself as a 14-year-old by burning the four directions into my skin with a cone of incense. Recently, after being infatuated with someone who was absolutely an untenable partner, but who liked my attention, I ended it by holding a lighter to my arm long enought to cause a half-dollar-sized injury that lasted several weeks. My coworkers asked and I just said "don't worry about it." She never knew I did it. It was not a demonstration. but everytime I thought of her until the injury healed, I had a physical example of the kind of mental pain involved in the relationship.
Body piercing and tattoing both involve voluntary pain. Bobs idea of control is a pretty good take on it, but I don't concur with the hint of pathology that goes with his analysis.
The Lakota and Dakota sundance, which is a very painful, four day food and water fast while dancing all day with eagle talons peircing the skin on the pecs, arms or backs. On the final day, some tear the talons out by pulling back on the thong that holds them to the center pole. Tradition, I've been told, dictates that dancers return for the ceremony four years in a row. Some of the strongest people I know, mentally, sundanced. The canadian dances tend to be more sacred- when you get down into southern minnesota, a lot of city folks join in and the atmosphere is kindof unsettled. Some white folks - new age types - have offended the tribes by adopting the practice for themselves. hell, I am violating protocols by even talking about it here.
The sweat lodge too involves voluntary suffering. In modern times, people are quite specific about the value of enduring suffering. I have known some rage-oriented people who sweat, but who knows how much more out of control their rage would be without the practice in the sweat lodge.
bobs on the right track, but I think we can suffer as a way of learning discipline. Another take is that volunary suffering violates our constructd reality and bridges the gap between fantasy and reality. In fantasy there are plenty of truths to be discovered.
On threats, I watch attorneys and jurys wrestle with that issue. the mood in schools is zero tolerance to threats, but others say threats are just a form of speach.
For my part, I think we could all do with a little less threatening, a little less rage, and a little more self sacrifice.
poster:boBB
thread:32887
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000508/msgs/33120.html