'decorating the temple'

[wandjina]

I'd like to raise the topic of tattoos and 'body modification' in general.

I have several tats myself, mostly what would be classified 'tribal', and both the experience of being tattooed and having them on my body 'forever' has been, and is, very positive and life affirming for me.

I feel my tattoos are imbued with meaning, they have represented milestones in my life, in my personal development. To me there is also a strong initiatory element.

Interestingly, to me at least, is that some people see tattoos as mutilation, as polluting the temple (ie body) as opposed to decorating it.

Some individuals appear to believe that having oneself tattooed or pierced etc, reveals some kind of psycho-pathological desire to abuse or punish oneself. Perhaps this is the case in some instances, but by and large,IMO, this is untrue.

I'm curious to hear about others views on these issues and, also, what kind of tats/piercings etc people in the community have, and about tattoo experiences in general.

[Benzito]

I have no piercings, simply because a standard earlobe-piercing in my teenage years was constantly infected. And even though the piercing has been removed for over 8 years now, the spot where it was pierced, still gets infected every few months. That's why i've avoided any body piercing, I just seem prone to cysts, and infections.

I don't have any tattoo's either, but that is because I view them like you do Wanjina.

I think a tattoo should have deep meaning to the wearer, and should be unique.

I am yet to decide what I want, and where on my body, as I have not yet had any ideas that really call to me.

Once I had a tattoo session booked, just for some humorous little logo-type thing, that I would be regretting right now. But, thankfully, I had a panic attack the day before and cancelled the booking. I realised that I would be looking at that picture every day, for the rest of my life, and it had very little meaning to me.

Once I have a monumental, life changing event, and an artistic way to express it becomes apparent, I will get inked up.

That said: I still believe a tattoo should generally be on a part of the body not always visible to the public. I like to think that it is something you only reveal to friends, or people it would be important to. But, I won't frown on someone with forearm tattoo's either.

It's just my personal opinion.

[simon_marklar]

if you want it you want it. some people might like the pain, others the way it looks, others to commemorate something. different strokes for different folks.

to group all tattooed/pierced/modified people into one group is quite silly. but i also think its quite silly to get a tattoo because 'its cool'. its a permanent mark on your body so it should reflect something about you, but thats my opinion. doesnt matter what i think it matters what the wearer thinks.

the only tatt im going to get would be the heiroglyphic monad.

[toby]

When i was at school, about 14 yrs ago, i found that modern primitives book. My father had just died and he was my last kind of care giver. Apart from girlfriend, friends etc.. I think that had something to do with the impact that book had on me!(ACID) There weren't really piercing shops yet so i went piercing crazy on myself.. nO jewellery around either so made stuff from stainless rod and beads. only have few left lip, nipple, belly and prince albert. they are like artefacts from experiences. But mainly decoration i agree. I never had any infections or rejections! Luck i guess.

[Benzito]

 

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so i went piercing crazy on myself... and prince albert

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What?

Who gives themself a prince albert?

You sir, are a man among men.

Or an idiot. :D

[toby]

The only other place to get piercing done was with a gun at the chemist! I don't think they would have been that into it.. But really it's not that different at home?

[Hagakure]

have nipple pierced

had two in ear and septum pierced but those have closed up now

planning a big tattoo one day along ribs on one side perhaps.

http://www.bmezine.com/

the place to go for body mods

i was thinking about a suspension at one point aswell

[planthelper]

a friend of my older brother showed me a tattooing tool, so i made one myselfe and tatooed a heart on my left forearm, i was 14 years old. i had do to it because of some kind of initiation...

than some 8 years ago i had to do it again, but at this time i was in a lot of pain because of loss, and wanted pysical pain to cover the anquish. again i did it myselfe, but this time tribal style. a razorblade was used to carve the image of a platerpus in my chest. i did not cut very deep, but deep enough... than i rubbed cigarett ash into the wound as a stain.

oh the pain was amazing and did it's purpose, it overshaddowed my mental pain!

hmm, just a few weeks ago i decided to have the platapus covered with a real tattoo, and i decided to go for a rose as it's the symbol of love and aswell because my late brother had a rose tattoo.

aswell at the same time i had my nipple pierced, just because i remebered my ex girlfriend saying, oh you would look sooo sexy with a pierced nipple, and somehow i do agree with this statement now.

after the piercing i felt extreemly happy and energetic and i know this sensation from other situations like, getting teeth pulled and small surgical operations. i believe my body floods himselfe with chemicals to be prepared for the pain which afterwards leave me with a very uplifting feeling.

the same i remeber from playing rugby, in battle you are more resistant against pain!

the actual piercing didn't hurt at all, and it healed very well.

turps, very impressed by your diy prince albert!

[Benzito]

 

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i believe my body floods himselfe with chemicals to be prepared for the pain which afterwards leave me with a very uplifting feeling

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I'm pretty sure you're right PH, I think they are called endorphins? Anyone else know more about that?

Actually, I lied: I do have one tattoo. A purple freckle on one of my legs. When I was about 15, I was into small amounts of self-mutilation, aswell as Marilyn Manson, and general anti-church sentiment.

So, I used a scalpel to carve a crucifix into my leg, then I rubbed ink into it. It made me sick, and I spewed for about 24 hours, and then there was a cross there for several years.

As time has gone by the ink faded from the lines of the crucifix, and is only present now at the point where the lines meet. That's why it is just a 'purple freckle' or a dot.

At the time, it meant alot to me, and it is still a reminder of a very depressed period of my life. But, I would never do something like that again.

[2b]

DIY prince albert :cool: Very cool

[faustus]

when i was 17 i got a tattoo from a tool tshirt, the one with the eye drowning in water, i absolutely love it. it's got fantastic shading and perfectly expressed what i felt at the time. still think it applies to the way i feel but in a different way. and it was pretty chronic having it done in this seedy parlour in king's cross, with this short pot-bellied artist finishing for the day and casually saying "alright, i'm off to the brothel" :D

i don't regret having it done but did have this 30 minutes of absolute terror about 6 months ago where i thought fuck fuck fuck, what have i done? this is forever... kinda weird but never had that feeling since.

i think the best tattoos are the ones you don't like initially and takes time to grow, for me it means that it hasn't attracted you for superficial reasons and will have longer lasting meaning. but for goodness sake, no marvel comic characters!

and i've got an industrial piercing in my left ear (a bar that goes through two holes). turps you're very lucky to have not fucked up with the prince albert, very easy to get infection

[-YT-]

Yeh i have 2 piercings in my left ear, and a tribal style dragon tattoo on my right arm - which i absolutley luv :D I want to finish the rest of my right arm and shoulder with a black tribal design, which i will eventually design myself hahah I love tattoos but especially the ones ppl design on their own and are very individual and different are the ones that get me .I'm for sum reason very drawn to tribal tattoo's and designs i could stare for days....lol

[strangebrew]

 

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BENZITO -I'm pretty sure you're right PH, I think they are called endorphins? Anyone else know more about that?

 

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All I know is that if you could sell/stimulate the feeling I got off my first 'runner's high', which I think is caused by endorphins, you'd be a very wealthy person.

It's still to this day the best high I've ever experienced and still quite vivid in my memory. Pain was definately a factor in their release as it was the first time I had ever really pushed myself past the pain barrier. I was getting very bad shin splints(lower leg pain), was really knackered and was thinking of calling it quits, when all of a sudden all the pain and tiredness vanished and I felt like flying, my vision became more distinct, everything became more alive. It was something akin to a cocaine high but it lasted for about 2 hours and then I just felt really great for another 2 and what was even better was that there was no come-down! :D

I had other's but never anything as powerful.

It's weird though, some runner's I've mentioned them(runner's highs) to have never had one. I think it might be harder for "natural" runner's(which I'm definately not) to experience.

[waterdragon]

i have an aversion to small tattoos ie 'badgey' stuff and unrelated themes. it annoyed me for years that i had a small tattoo on my leg done with a home made gun so i went for a cover up, solid black and spent all day in the chair, top of the foot hurt like hell. glad i didn't get heavily covered when i was younger as no doubt i would be looking to change them. got plans now for plenty more, am happy that my themes and pieces have been decided upon.

[toby]

yeah probably a bit lucky, but it fully healed enough to use it in less than 2 weeks! ear cartilige(bad spell?) is much messier, takes forever to heal..

[faustus]

 

quote:

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All I know is that if you could sell/stimulate the feeling I got off my first 'runner's high', which I think is caused by endorphins, you'd be a

very

wealthy person.

already been done, it's called heroin. endorphin = endogenous morphine

know a guy that was seriously involved in track and field who decided to push his body for all it had, basically until he completely collapsed. don't think he did pass out but he says that what followed was your run of the mill religious experience, what was in real-time just a few minutes lasted forever, he seemed to have transcended his body, etc, etc. i tried to press him for more details but obviously it was beyond words.

EDIT: planthelper you're right about being resistant against pain in sport, i think the pheromones of the people around you can cause release of endorphins while you're engaging in combat. makes evolutionary sense to not feel pain during it all, but you feel very sore the next day.

[ 14. July 2005, 12:19: Message edited by: twix elbert ]

[strangebrew]

Mmmm, never tried heroin.

Can heroin be stimulating? It was more stimulating than sedating, didn't want to sit around that's for sure. I felt like I could run forever. Had to remind myself to stop after a while because I thought I might not be doing my body much good.

Wish it was easier to experience.

[reshroomED]

Japanese "irezumi" style sleeves from elbows to fans across shoulder/collar-bone. Would have gone to wrists but for job reasons.

No piercings.

Definitely descriminitive that. Only "poofs" had ear-rings when I was a kid, and any other peircing was for weirdos.

As a joke once, I bent a bit of stainless wire into a loop and pressed it onto my ear and walked past my dad. He grabbed me by it and turfed me. When he grabbed it bit in, then ripped. Lesson learnt

A bit more re prejudice: living in rural areas in summer have quite often been asked to help women break into their cars (locked keys in in car-park). I look (aparrently) like I can break into cars, but only when I'm wearing a singlet.

Decorating me is not how I've ever looked at it, but it's a pretty fair call. They're definitely a part of how I view myself although I keep them covered in many social situations.

The very act of tattooing is a primitive ritual.

Even today theres the pain/sweat/blood odours, and the drone of the gun. Definiteley consciousness-altering when exzperienced for any length of time.

ed

[Anodyne]

I have no tats & only ear-piercings. I think that lip/chin studs (labrets?) look great and would love one - but I like having teeth too much. :D

And as for tattoos, my absolute favourite are the traditional Japanese style ones. The designs are beautiful (clouds, maple leaves, water, dragons, flowers, carp & other mythical/symbolic characters...) and the colours are amazing - not sure if this is just the technique (the hand-done "tebori" is supposed to give deeper colouring) or because they use those beautiful toxic pigments (like the cadmium reds & yellows) that are probably illegal in other countries.

But I would love to get one of these. Think I'll wait another decade or 2 though, to make sure that my body-shape isn't going to change drastically (although I guess getting a large tattoo now would be good incentive to keep in shape!) - and to save up some money!

The other tattoo-style I love are the Maori, etc facial tattoos, both the "painted" & carved kinds. Bit hard to hide, though, and I don't think it'd look any good on me.

Also think that scarification can look amazing, either on it's own or in combination with ink, but I think it looks best on clear dark skin, which I don't have