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 An aspect of the body modification world that is often considered exotic and extreme even by many tattoo and piercing enthusiasts, Suspension is deliciously polarizing as a subject and something that most people are awed by and specifically opinionated about.
To give you an initial idea, if you’re not entirely sure what the term embodies, Suspension is the act of piercing the body, pushing hooks attached to chains into the temporarily opened up skin and then being slowly and surely arranged so that they are hanging from said hook and chains. For the even slightly squeamish person, this is a practice that completely and utterly side steps any logic, sanity or sense, but read on. There’s more to it than the simple physics (even if paradoxically, the physics are everything. I hope you’re keeping up!) First of all, the ironic truth about Suspension practice is that the huge amount of danger and risk involved ultimately means that only the educated, fit and responsible will indulge in the acts. This is not for the enthusiastic amateur to take on! Suspension requires a group of involved people, piercists and subjects, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and physics for the former and a secure awareness of endurance, fitness, flexibility and strength for the latter. There is also the huge difficulty and expense to consider when one researches the tools of the trade. Overall, it’s a very exclusive culture.
Devotees make strong claims for the meditative, calming aspects of undergoing a suspension, which is understandable when you think of the fact that a suspendee must keep their movement to an utter minimum for hours at a time, leaving them with little else but time to analyze their own head space. Wriggle too much during a suspension and you’ll cause yourself emergency room grade damage. Better to sit with your thoughts and do some mental processing! Suspension enthusiasts will also frequently mention the adrenalin rush and high, endorphin stimulation and the privilege of gaining unique new experiences that many people will not.
You can also view Suspension as a much more intense cousin to the extant line of ‘reclamation of the body’ theory that concerns modern tattooing and piercing. People suspend themselves, perhaps, to register complete control of their bodies, transcending the limits and taboos of society and letting go of their fears and disillusion. It’s both a surrender and a challenge to one’s physical limits; an extreme physical education, an escape and a reality simultaneously.
The origins of Suspension as a practice can be found amidst the religious rituals of the Mandan tribe who occupied stretches of land along the Missouri; coupled with the Native American roots is the influence of ‘extreme’ performance artists such as Roland Loomis and Allen Falkner, who founded the first suspension organization.
There’s a number of ways in which to suspend the human body, garnering an array of slang concerning specific patterns of hook-skin insertion and bodily positioning: The ‘Suicide,’ the ‘Coma’ and the ‘Superman’ are all interesting examples.
Paddy Shock of Bodyshock in Dublin was happy to do a ‘Suicide’ suspension as an example for our journalistic investigation and to enlighten all the curious as to the sheer visual spectacle: his choice of suspension is so named for the reason that the subject once suspended (by a series of hooks through the skin of the upper back) resembles a hanged man.
Watch the video and all will be revealed! Some truths are certainly made clear: a suspendee must have the area of skin to be pierced carefully massaged and separated from any underlying muscle before it is opened. Yes, there is blood, but perhaps not quite as much as you would think. Finally, the aftermath marks seem ridiculously tiny once the entire act is over, mere dots on the body that look utterly inconsequent compared to the stretched out skin pulled out by the hooks during the suspension itself. It just goes to show how truly supple, strong and resistant the materials of the human body are…!
Hooks will only ever pierce as deep as skin – a common misperception is that suspension is so extreme it involves muscular-deep piercing, which is wholly inaccurate. Depending upon which parts of the body have been pierced and ‘hooked’ and the physics of each suspension, it’s possible to have suspensions lasting as little as minutes or as long as hours. Generally, you can expect about an hour of ‘hang time.’
Are you perhaps wondering what it feels like? The BME guide to suspension has some helpful quotes and explanations and much much more. A taster:
“On a simplistic level, physically the experience is a feeling of pulling, burning, and pain all jumbled up, but for most people this physical aspect is "tuned out" very quickly. Although individual experiences differ greatly, ultimately the act of suspension can be a euphoric floating sensation. On one end of the spectrum you find people that enter a trance like state, feeling no pain whatsoever, and on the other end you find people that experience extreme pain, nausea and panic attacks. In general, most people enter a shock-induced state of disorientation spiked with moments of pain and euphoria. In laymen's terms, the act of suspension causes the body/mind to enter a state of shock while being physically positioned and restrained in a "floating" state.”
The experience is powerful enough on it’s own and follows the same logic as any other kind of piercing or physical modification, in that drinking or chemically altering yourself is thoroughly discouraged!
Fainting during or after a suspension is an awkward truth about the practice, particularly if the suspendee is new, nervous or somehow emotionally or physically unstable. If this happens, it’s all about fast restoration of blood sugar and dismantling the suspension - although the hook piercings should absolutely not be removed or tampered with until the subject is once more lucid.
In the immediate aftermath of a suspension it is recommended to speedily and safely remove the hooks from the opened skin pocket. The area should be professionally and knowledgeably treated by massaging it down to remove any air pockets, cleansed and dressed.
Sites to check out!
http://www.bmezine.com/ritual/susp-faq.txt
http://www.suspension.org
http://www.bodyshock.ie
Credits: Article – Rachel Kennedy, Photo - BME |
