In ancient times, only those in the upper levels of society – shaman and the like – were allowed to alter their physical bodies. It signified a specialness. Branching a holy link to the spirit world. Whereas many cultures revere those who are different, in western culture, physical differences (especially when they are purposely induced) seem to frighten most people.
Not too long ago, the only place you ever saw large piercings and ornate body art was in the pages of National Geographic. Morbid curiosity led us to thumb through its pages, where we lived vicariously in the extreme and exotic : native peoples ritualistically cutting, scarring, branding, or tattooing their skin. Whether you want to admit it or not, it is fascinating. Transcending mind-over-matter is something we secretly admire, especially when we cannot bring ourselves to do the same things to our own bodies.
We may deny it, but we still cling to our own rituals, which could appear equally strange to outsiders. Consider the Hebrew bris, where the male child is circumcised at eight days of age. A proud celebration, to be sure, despite the fact that a piece of flesh was permanently altered in – yes – ritual. Human beings are peculiar. They will think nothing of altering their pet’s bodies (such as neutering a male animal, or cropping a dog’s ears so as to ensure “show quality” perfection), but to go so far as to embed ink in their skin, or place barbell piercings in their nipples . . . ! An aberration, right? Wrong. What we so-called “civilized” westerners think of as scary and strange is an everyday occurence or rite of passage for many people elsewhere on the globe. And increasingly, for your next-door neighbor, too.
Long considered an underground movement, or a sign of adherence to the S/M lifestyle, acceptance of altering the flesh has broken out into the mainstream. Now we see media icons proudly sporting ever-changing piercings and tattoos. But let’s not limit ourselves to tattoos or piercings. Body modification and manipulation comes in many other forms, which include but are not limited to : CORSETRY – Redefining the physical by constriction around the waist (which is an effective form of bondage as well), SENSORY DEPRIVATION – Including being encased in full-body rubber, plastic or isolation in a box or cage, SUSPENSION – Hanging from flesh-piercing hooks, or suspended by arms/legs/wrists, ADORNMENTS – Body piercing jewelry, tattoos, scarifications, cutting, branding, chains, bracelets, earrings, even makeup or haircoloring, BODYBUILDING – Yes, bodybuilding might be the ultimate form of body modification. Everybody has a personal point of view regarding this latter-day return to primitive awareness, and for our model Ann Walsh, she has taken it to her own unique individual plateau. “For me, piercing and tattooing is both a spiritual life-quest as well as an adrenaline-induced thrill,” she says. “I’m a modern savage!”
Ann Walsh : Body Worship : The Body, Mind and Spirit.
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