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and in some parts of the world, they do temporay percings, with over 100 rods sticking out of there body, creating a type of "cage" around themselves, then dance for hours, and as the pain increases, they go into a trance like state.

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This is called Thaipusam...it is a ritual of 'thanksgiving' that involves wearing the Kavadi..or the 'cage with rods/spears you speak of'

It is an intese ritual that does indeed cause the worshiper to go into a deep trance....the pain becomes non-existant. The Kavadis are carried up 272 steps to the Batu Caves in Selangor. This si a very important pilgrimage to some Hindus and  I hope to travel to Kuala Lampur one day myself to observe ..at least Not many females undertake the ritual...but a few do

As for suspensions... my piercer once told me it was as if he had his moment with his god inthat experience. Nothing seemed the same for him afterward. I will someday , myself, experience a frontal coma suspension.
Piercing for me is INDEED a VERY spiritual thing...the closer you can come to your Divine Spirit in ANY way ....is a valuable tool in spiritual growth. I have a set of 7 piercings(1 migrated..losin the second ) that are in a corset form. They are each 10 guage and went in 10 guage..no gettin em in small and stretchin them. This is the single most painful thing i have experienced as of yet. I have increasingly pierced myself in more painful areas and ways to attain a "feeling" of connectedness. It is indeed as temporary as the use of any drug in terms of the adreneline and the actual pain.  BUT... what i am left with is a reminder of what i am willing to do to attian that connection... My corset to me represents the lacing of my trinity. The Body, Mind and Spirit are now together...as well as my many energy bodies seem more 'connected' to one another. The aesthetics of body adormnet is just ONE of the many reasons people do this. I love my adornments and will continue to get things that are of some signifigance to me...I WILL NEVER..nor HAVE NEVER gotten a tattoo or piercing because it was "cool".  People soemtimes do things to 'fit in' with a specific crowd or to be accepted. It's teh way of the youth...it will always be soemthing for thenm...some fad.


I personally feel if  a young person is going to get pierced or inked...they should have to learn some of the history of the tribalistic traditions they are stealing from  Also maybe make their first tattoo in a tradiotional manner such as the Japanese art of  Horimono otr even the Polynesian or Samoan methods which puncture and permanently tint the skin, traditional tattooists use tools made from ironwood, turtle shell, or the sharpened teeth of pigs or sharks to insert ink made from dissolved soot into the skin. That is about as natural as it gets   So there is maybe your answer on that Snuffelz .

One of my favorite pieces of tattoo knowledge is of the tribes that used to tattoo spirals on their faces. This was use so that at the time of ones death the soul could not be stolen by demons before it reached "god" as the evil ones would easily be lost in the spiral

hehe amazing how we  find so much  in a small bit of mythology.  It used to be that while tattoos on the women were a sign of great beauty, on the men they symbolized virility and fierceness. I look now at men and still find them a bit of a gauge. You can tell a lot by the art someone chooses to adorn their body with.

This is my canvas... i shall do with it as i wish

~K~