My Findings on Body Art and Modification

Amputation, when a body part is removed or cut off, is not usually something people have any control over. But, believe it or not, there are people who do this on their own free will. It is not something done on impulse usually either. The voluntary amputee has, in most cases, been unhappy with the appendage for some time, if not for their whole life.

It can be done a number of ways from surgery to just a quick and dirty and knife job at home Some people say  that no self respecting surgeon will remove a body part that they believe is “perfectly fine” but there are reports of people having working body parts being removed. One Florida man had tried to shoot off his own leg. He was brought to a hospital and was told that his leg was salvageable. The poor man had to beg the doctors to remove his leg. He got his wish and reported being much happier afterwards with just one leg. He said he had always wanted to have only one leg while growing up. Other cases of voluntary amputation have been recorded, mostly in Europe.

Voluntary Amputees are argued to be psychotic. However, once the amputation process is over, the so called psychotics are much happier and no longer acting psychotic. Doctors are even starting to come around and see that amputation for some people might just be therapeutic. Also, the amputation is not normally done for sexual purposes. There is Nullification where a person has a sexual organ removed (such as nipples), but that is a bit different, (Post to come soon). There are however people who find amputees, whether they are voluntary or involuntary amputees, to be sexually attractive. This is called acrotomophilla.

I highly recommend any interested candidates seek the help of a medical professional for any amputation

Here is a news story from ABC on a voluntary double amputee

Church and Tattoos where something that have never been thought to mix well. Just imagine getting a tattoo in church, right at up at the altar; ha no way you say, but wait you are wrong.

This past Sunday (November 22, 2009) at a community church in Mill Creek, Washington in a recently added feature to the sermon titled “Permanent Ink”, live tattoos being given at the altar at the end of the sermon.  This church also boasts twenty-minute rock sessions before each sermon begins.

Several of the 150 parishioners in attendance were tattooed that day. The previous Sunday the church watched a video of one of its attendants getting a tattoo removed. (Tattoo removal equipment was too cumbersome to bring into the church).

The church does not advocate for or against tattoos it says. Tattoos are up to a person to decide on. They say are giving the same sermons as before but just finding new ways to tell it. According to the pastor, permanent markings are in the bible. The most popular symbol being 666, sign of the devil. Allegedly, there where even markings on Jesus.

For more details read this article.

There are many rituals in extreme body modification. The ritual of Lip Sewing is where a person has their lips stitched shut for a period of time.

First thoughts one might have include, “what,” “That’s crazy,” “why, that looks painful, how do they eat.” To answer the question of eating, it is done as a ritual not a permanent modification or piercing. It is classified sometimes as a “play piercing” which means not an everyday use piercing.

One use for having one’s lips sewn shut is for meditation purposes. With your lips sewn shut you lose the ability to talk, allowing you to focus on relaxation. It could also be done for aesthetic or plain old entertainment reasons.

Usually sutures are used in the procedure which is done loosely to allow air to pass through. Swelling is typical, but permanent scarring is rare with the quick healing holes.

On January 19^th, 2002 nearly 60 detainees in an Australian immigrant camp sewed their lips shut in protest of the slow processing of their visas.