BME: Body Modification Ezine

A tattooed person suspends from hooks, laying flat, one leg higher than the other. Their head is back, and they seem to be smiling, dark hair dangling like an anime character.

Celebrating body modification culture since 1994.

Tag: Suicide Suspension

  • Another day down by the iHung river

    Written by

    Rob

    Every single time the iHung.org gang gets together outside, magic happens.  This time is no different.

    A couple weeks back Jason made the drive down from Toronto to Columbus to help xromance with a couple of suspensions.  What they caught on film was something that is becoming a staple of their portfolio, a tranquil setting for a life changing experience.  I caught flack from Jason a couple weeks ago over dinner when he told me to stop referring to him as iHung.  The fact is, iHung is much more than Jason.  Here’s what their mission statement says.

    ihung consists of individuals who believe that it is our calling, as modern practitioners of ancient rituals, to find a balance between reverence and respect for the past and the latest techniques in order to provide safe, clean, positive and meaningful experiences.

    With that said, lets get back to xromance’s 2-point suicide suspension.  Because as big a part of the experience as the team is, in the end it is all about the person suspending and what they personally get out of the experience.

    To see a couple more shots with her in the air, keep on reading..

    To see more suspensions from the iHung team, check our their BME gallery.

  • The moment after

    Written by

    Rob

    The act of suspension can be a significant moment in a person’s life.  Yet to an observer, suspending can appear to be only about the time in the air, when in reality, the entire process is important.  Having the hooks pierce your flesh is just the first of many steps that an individual goes through, that climaxes when they are in the air.  Following the time in the air is the denouement, the time after the person has started to descend and before the final bandages are applied.  It is a time of reflection, a chance to look back upon the experience while it is still fresh in the mind.

    Taking a look at the following picture you can see in Colin’s posture that he’s taking in his experience.  To put the photo in context, the person in the photo, Colin, was suspended by Lucas and Kai from Pirate Piercing in Belgium.  The suspension took place during the last song of a performance by Amen Ra at a concert in Kortrijk, Belguim.

    You can check out the photo of Colin in the air while the band in playing over in the suspension section of the ritual galleries.

  • You might feel a little pressure

    Written by

    Rob

    Normally when you see a photo of a suspension, you’ll see one of three things.  The first and obvious one is the person in the air, the second is after they’ve landed, and the third is of the moment before lift-off where the person is preparing themselves with the rigging and hooks all in place.

    Well this photo doesn’t fit into any of those three categories, yet somehow it is still one of the most significant moments in the ritual of a suspension.  I use the term ritual intentionally, as modern suspension has strong ties to rituals from all over the world, but also because it has become its own modern ritual.  The person suspending is preparing to enter another state of being, as their flesh is pierced and they are lifted from the ground, suspended by only their own body.  The practitioners are modern day priests, there to ensure the ritual follows the rites that have been set down before them.  They prepare the individual mentally, by talking them through it.  They facilitate the ritual itself, by throwing the hooks, setting up the rigging, and observing to ensure everything is done safely.  Finally they are there for the person when they return to earth, to guide their transition back into world that they had left.

    So while to some it may seem like a suspension is just some guy hanging from hooks, to the people involved it can be a very spiritual and powerful experience, one that can change someone’s life, even if it is just for the time they are in the air.

    I want to thank IAM: oOunbekanntOo for sharing this image with us.

    hooks

    You can check out the suspension itself over in the suicide suspension gallery.

    Do you have any images from a suspension you’ve done?  What about a story to tell of a time that you suspended?

    If you do, head on over to your account page on BMEzine.com and send in your pictures and stories.  Don’t have a subscription yet?  You can get a free one today so you too can submit content.

  • Checkmate

    Written by

    Rob

    A few months back Jen posted a picture that got more than a few mouths watering.  Well it turns out the young man in that image, IAM: Arseniy Andersson is so much more than a pretty face.  While we all appreciate his modelling pictures, back at home in St. Petersburg, Russia he is also known for being a piercer and performance artist.  I’m not entirely sure of the story behind these images, but from what I can tell Arseniy threw the hooks for what appears to be some form of photo/video shoot.

    checkmate1

    Of course the question is, was the chessboard part of the shoot, or was it just something being used to kill time?  Photos of suspensions always seem to capture such fantastic moments.  I suppose when you know the subject isn’t going to be going anywhere, the photographer can really set themselves up for a beautiful picture.  So while it may be a couple suspended tandem over a stream, or a good looking guy playing chess while in an abandoned warehouse, the opportunity for an interesting image is always present.

    Keep on reading to see a closeup of the man playing black.

    checkmate2

    If you want to check out more great images of people suspending, head on over to the suspension galleries and check them out.

    While you do that, here’s a question to ponder:  If you could do any activity while suspending, what would it be?

  • The beauty of stolen moments

    Written by

    Jen Savage

    I’ve been pretty busy and with a new school year upon us, things are only going to get more hectic.  I’d love to be able to post to ModBlog more often but I don’t have the time to devote to writing up some great entries right now.  That said, as I was moderating photos this afternoon, I happened upon this one and couldn’t resist.

    I love the juxtaposition between the hard steel hooks in his back and the tenderness of the moment this couple is sharing.  The photos were submitted by John_Wayne_Harlyquin and I’m not sure if he’s the guy in the photos or the person who took them but I’m glad he decided to share this with BME.  This photo, for me, is such a true representation of BME with giant hooks piercing through flesh and a couple about to kiss.  The normalcy we experience when we’re together makes me forget that the rest of the world doesn’t look at body modification the way that we do.

    76780f6d577ff8f5d2ed01ba88b790b0

    The rest of the set of photos that were submitted can be found here.

    I hope you all enjoy this long weekend and the last bit of real freedom for awhile for those of you heading back to classes next week.

Latest Tattoo, Piercing, and Body Modification News