iam:Godzilla Riots recently experienced an eye and lip sewing by Pierre Rogers at Lucky Monkey in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which must have been quite intense. They write,
The sewing ritual helped me come to terms with the fact that events in my life are not always within my control, and that sometimes I am subject to the uncontrollable forces of the world. After understanding and accepting my own lack of control — and that it’s okay — I realized my ability to overcome my own fears and physical pain by focusing my mind and its thoughts. Intense concentration on my mental processes, I learned, endows me with an ability through which my mental conceptions and ideas are manifested outside my mind and into the physical world — my fear and pain are not real, expressing and personifying these thoughts only hold me back. Through mental concentration I may conquer any limitations and constraints that I create and perpetuate in my life.
Many more photos continue after the break.
See more in “Eye sewing“ (Ritual)
Comments
130 responses to “Lip and Eyelid Sewing Ritual”
I’ve always wondered the reasons behind this kind of ritual. Nice pictures and story!
I’ve always wondered the reasons behind this kind of ritual. Nice pictures and story!
go Pierre!
go Pierre!
yay Pierre!
yay Pierre!
Damn, that’s pretty awesome. I think I’d freak out in that tsituation, definitely wouldn’t have theguts to do it. Respect, respect!
Damn, that’s pretty awesome. I think I’d freak out in that tsituation, definitely wouldn’t have theguts to do it. Respect, respect!
very respectable.
very respectable.
The eye thing would scare me too much
The eye thing would scare me too much
….SAW IV
….SAW IV
Lip sewing would be neat. eyes would be kina scary indeed
Lip sewing would be neat. eyes would be kina scary indeed
Eyelid sewing was probably one of the most mentally intense and emotionally challenging rituals in my entire life. Complete resignation of control… kudos. Takes balls, and she definitely has them.
Eyelid sewing was probably one of the most mentally intense and emotionally challenging rituals in my entire life. Complete resignation of control… kudos. Takes balls, and she definitely has them.
P-Dizzle you’re a nut, plain an simple.
P-Dizzle you’re a nut, plain an simple.
“Intense concentration on my mental processes, I learned, endows me with an ability through which my mental conceptions and ideas are manifested outside my mind and into the physical world”
Now wait just a minute- do you mean to tell me that if you concentrate on a sandwich hard enough you’ll get a sandwich? I don’t think you’ve quite reached enlightenment yet. Maybe you should try stitching your nostrils shut, too.
“Intense concentration on my mental processes, I learned, endows me with an ability through which my mental conceptions and ideas are manifested outside my mind and into the physical world”
Now wait just a minute- do you mean to tell me that if you concentrate on a sandwich hard enough you’ll get a sandwich? I don’t think you’ve quite reached enlightenment yet. Maybe you should try stitching your nostrils shut, too.
Is this really a ritual? I don’t think I’ve ever read of a culture who’ve had this as part of their traditions. If I’m wrong, please let me know.
Is this really a ritual? I don’t think I’ve ever read of a culture who’ve had this as part of their traditions. If I’m wrong, please let me know.
I never claimed anything like enlightenment. If what I said is too ‘Buddhist’ for you, too bad. Here it is in lamen: if I don’t think about it, or concentrate on something else, it’s not there.
I never claimed anything like enlightenment. If what I said is too ‘Buddhist’ for you, too bad. Here it is in lamen: if I don’t think about it, or concentrate on something else, it’s not there.
As long as a sandwich was a mental conception 😛
Not personally my kinda thing but I’ve always wondered what a permanent mouth stich would be like.
As long as a sandwich was a mental conception 😛
Not personally my kinda thing but I’ve always wondered what a permanent mouth stich would be like.
Commodore Josh == Asshole
Ubermensch… Um… It’s only a ritual if some other culture does it? It’s not good enough if OUR culture does the ritual?
Commodore Josh == Asshole
Ubermensch… Um… It’s only a ritual if some other culture does it? It’s not good enough if OUR culture does the ritual?
ubermensch: I have to agree with Shannon…Ritual doesn’t simply mean ancient tribal cultural rituals…Rituals can vary from tribal culture to simply that’s a very simple modern view of a ritual.
ubermensch: I have to agree with Shannon…Ritual doesn’t simply mean ancient tribal cultural rituals…Rituals can vary from tribal culture to simply that’s a very simple modern view of a ritual.
Reminds me of Don Juan and lizards. Seems like it would be a relief.
Reminds me of Don Juan and lizards. Seems like it would be a relief.
Late one day Don Juan told Castaneda to catch two lizards (with no equipment) and then to use the fiber of a century plant and thorn of a prickly pear to sew shut the eyes of one lizard and the mouth of the other without damaging them. Castaneda did all this promptly, with no trouble – in twilight. He didn’t explain how he turned cactus fiber into thread, how he turned a thorn into a slender needle, or how he held two lizards still while stitching their eyelids and lips shut.
Late one day Don Juan told Castaneda to catch two lizards (with no equipment) and then to use the fiber of a century plant and thorn of a prickly pear to sew shut the eyes of one lizard and the mouth of the other without damaging them. Castaneda did all this promptly, with no trouble – in twilight. He didn’t explain how he turned cactus fiber into thread, how he turned a thorn into a slender needle, or how he held two lizards still while stitching their eyelids and lips shut.
insane!!!
insane!!!
“The sewing ritual helped me come to terms with the fact that events in my life are not always within my control, and that sometimes I am subject to the uncontrollable forces of the world. After understanding and accepting my own lack of control — and that it’s okay — I realized my ability to overcome my own fears and physical pain by focusing my mind and its thoughts.”
Makes perfect sense to me. It’s the opposite of what athletes do, physically, but similar mentally, i.e. focusing your mind to overcome a constraint on your body.
“The sewing ritual helped me come to terms with the fact that events in my life are not always within my control, and that sometimes I am subject to the uncontrollable forces of the world. After understanding and accepting my own lack of control — and that it’s okay — I realized my ability to overcome my own fears and physical pain by focusing my mind and its thoughts.”
Makes perfect sense to me. It’s the opposite of what athletes do, physically, but similar mentally, i.e. focusing your mind to overcome a constraint on your body.
If it’s meaningful for YOU, it’s okay if no other “official” “older” culture has it as a ritual, I think.
Same for holidays.
If it’s meaningful for YOU, it’s okay if no other “official” “older” culture has it as a ritual, I think.
Same for holidays.
kudos to him. i would freak out way too much to do that.
kudos to him. i would freak out way too much to do that.
I wouldn’t go quoting Castaneda, considering the fact (and its agreed upon by scholars) that he made up Don Juan and used the earlier material of others to flesh out his story. But hey, he gave directionless New Agers a way to claw onto something ‘indigenous’ and exotic.
And Shannon, what does it say just above the lil box where you type comments?
“If you just want to prove that you can say the meanest thing about something you don’t understand, go somewhere else. This is a community of friends, and the IAM/BME TOS applies here.”
You shouldn’t go calling someone an asshole , Commodore Josh could’ve worded his comment differently, but he was posing a legitimate query as to the perceived ambiguity of Riot’s statement.
I wouldn’t go quoting Castaneda, considering the fact (and its agreed upon by scholars) that he made up Don Juan and used the earlier material of others to flesh out his story. But hey, he gave directionless New Agers a way to claw onto something ‘indigenous’ and exotic.
And Shannon, what does it say just above the lil box where you type comments?
“If you just want to prove that you can say the meanest thing about something you don’t understand, go somewhere else. This is a community of friends, and the IAM/BME TOS applies here.”
You shouldn’t go calling someone an asshole , Commodore Josh could’ve worded his comment differently, but he was posing a legitimate query as to the perceived ambiguity of Riot’s statement.
reminds me of reduced heads of head-hunters.
maybe it’s not actually a ritual, but many (almost all, I think) ancient people thought that mouth was a kind of door for the soul: that’s why head-hunters used to sew the lips of their enemies’ heads. to stuck into it the soul and it’s powers. (and, btw, that’s why we put a hand on our mouth wen we yawn: thus our soul doesn’t go out and nothing “demonic” can enter.
hope my english isn’t too bad 🙂
reminds me of reduced heads of head-hunters.
maybe it’s not actually a ritual, but many (almost all, I think) ancient people thought that mouth was a kind of door for the soul: that’s why head-hunters used to sew the lips of their enemies’ heads. to stuck into it the soul and it’s powers. (and, btw, that’s why we put a hand on our mouth wen we yawn: thus our soul doesn’t go out and nothing “demonic” can enter.
hope my english isn’t too bad 🙂
Eyelid sewing scares me ,but then anything to do with eyes kinda freaks me out. Mouth sewing on the other hand facinates me, I cant say I will ever have the guts to get it done but its def on my to do list.I think for me personaly it would be a ‘ritual’ experiance as an abused child having to keep secrets. Ahhh maybe one day.
Eyelid sewing scares me ,but then anything to do with eyes kinda freaks me out. Mouth sewing on the other hand facinates me, I cant say I will ever have the guts to get it done but its def on my to do list.I think for me personaly it would be a ‘ritual’ experiance as an abused child having to keep secrets. Ahhh maybe one day.