ASSIGNMENT
Topic
Self-Inflicted Pains in Different Cultures
Submitted to
Dr. Shafqaat Anjum
Submitted by
Ghulam Shabbir
M.Sc 3rd Roll # 6154
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY
GC UNIVERSITY FAISALABAD
Table of Contents
Introduction
Forms of Self-inflicted pains
Causes of Self-inflicted pains
Practices in Various religions and Cultures
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
Muslim culture
Christianity
Hinduism
Judaism
Buddhism
Asian culture
North American Culture
African culture
Mayan culture
Shamanism
Celibacy
The sacrament of penance
Crucifixion
Practices as a Medical Treatment
Self Injury
Practice as a Fashion
Neck Stretching
Body Modification
SELF-INFLICTED PAINS IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
“You'll never fully understand depression, eating disorders, or the need to self-inflict, until you go
through it.”
Introduction
Self-inflicted pain means to harm or endanger oneself such as cutting or burning. Self-inflicted
pains also called self-inflicted violence. Most people see it as people cutting themselves. The
most common forms of self-inflicted pains are skin-cutting, burning, itching, hammering and
beating own body parts. When a person cuts themselves, they don't advertise it to the world.
They hide it. People who advertise it are not in pain, just seeking attention. You will never
understand until you feel it for yourself. The locations of self-harm are often areas of the body
that are easily hidden and concealed from the detection of others.
Forms of Self-inflicted Pains
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Cutting
Beating
Piercing
Burning
Self-hitting
Hair pulling
Bone breaking
Who self-injures?
The overall picture seems to be of people who:
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
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strongly dislike/invalidate themselves
are hypersensitive to rejection
are chronically angry, usually at themselves
tend to suppress their anger
have high levels of aggressive feelings
suffer chronic anxiety
tend toward irritability
do not see themselves as skilled at coping
do not have a flexible repertoire of coping skills
tend to be avoidant
Practices in various religions and cultures
Muslim Culture
Self-inflicted pains are also existed in the Muslim culture. Examples of self-inflicted pains are
described as under:
a) Fasting
b) The Day of Ashura
Fasting
Fasting is abstention from food, and also from drink, for a longer than usual period. Fasting has
been practiced for centuries in connection with religious ceremonies. Fasts are observed by the
Muslims during the month of Ramadan also is a form of atonement.
The Day of Ashura
The Day of Ashura is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax
of the Mourning of Muharram. It is commemorated by Shi'a Muslims as a day of mourning for
the martyrdom of Husain ibn Ali (R.A), the grandson of Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on
10 Muharram in the year 61 AH. In some Shi'ite communities worldwide, Shi'ites march in
massive parades while flogging themselves on the back with knives, blades and chains. Some of
these self-flogging rituals include zanjeer zani, talwar zani, qama ka matam, and tatbir. This
happens in many countries of the world including Iran, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Iraq and
Lebanon. In Sunni countries like Saudi Arabia, these practices are strictly forbidden in every
form.
Christianity
In Christianity, “mortification of the flesh” is practiced. In its simplest form, mortification of the
flesh can mean merely denying oneself certain pleasures, such as abstaining from alcoholic
beverages, internet, porn, or any area of life that takes the place of god (so, basically anything
you do other than sit in contemplation and worship of God/Jesus - your job, your family, your
interests, your amusements, etc.). Traditional forms of physical mortification are the cilice and
hair-shirts. In some of its more severe forms, it can mean causing self-inflicted pain and physical
harm, such as beating, whipping, or piercing. The practice is often found in many cultures, most
notably the Roman Catholic Church and their penitential saints. It atones for sin and cleanses the
soul. Through the centuries, some Christians have practiced these voluntary penances as a way of
imitating Jesus. The early Christians mortified the flesh through martyrdom and through what
has been called "confession of the faith": accepting torture in a joyful way. It is important to note
here that in some cases, some early Christians provoked persecution on purpose so as to suffer,
be persecuted, tortured and die, thus seeking to become martyrs of the faith, a practice that is not
endorsed by the Bible.
Hinduism
In Hinduism asceticism is practised. The term asceticism used in the sense of the denial of
"lower" sensual desires in order to cultivate "higher" spiritual traits. Asceticism can also include
the cultivation of moral qualities requiring self-restraint and discipline, such as patience and
forbearance. Most religions have at least some practices that can be deemed ascetic: fasting,
celibacy, seclusion, voluntary infliction of pain, bodily mutilation, temperance or complete
abstinence from intoxicants, renunciation of worldly goods and possessions, and, in some cases,
religious suicide. Ascetic practices as forms of penance are also very frequently prescribed for
expiation of sin or impurity.
The ascetics may be marked by their special appearance (distinctive clothes or robes, or no
clothes at all; long, uncut hair or heads completely shorn of hair; the possession of certain
characteristic implements or items, such as a begging bowl or staff; or in some extreme cases,
signs in the form of physical mutilation, such as castration. They may be associated with
particular locales monasteries or other isolated and secluded areas, such as forests, deserts,
jungles, or caves; or a mandate to wander homeless to further indicate that they have separated
themselves from ordinary society. Ascetic techniques in many traditions are said to bring
magical or supernatural powers.
Judaism
Among Jews, fasting as a form of penitence and purification has been observed annually on the
Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, since its traditional designation by Moses. On this holy day
neither food nor drink is permitted. According to the Torah and Rabbinic law lashes may be
given for offenses that do not merit capital punishment, and may not exceed 40. However in the
absence of a Sanhedrin, corporal punishment is not practiced in Jewish law. Halakha specifies
the lashes must be given in sets of three, so the total number cannot exceed 39. Also, the person
whipped is first judged whether they can withstand the punishment, if not, the number of whips
is decreased.
Buddhism
Buddhism stresses moderation in eating rather than fasting, Buddhists in some countries, notably
Tibet, observe certain fasts. In Buddhism asceticism is also practiced in which the self desires are
denied to have a close relation with god.
Asian Culture
Other forms are fasting, carrying heavy loads and immersion in water which are found in some
Asian cultures.
Indigenous practices and shamanism
In many indigenous cultures, painful rites are used to mark sexual maturity, marriage,
procreation, or other major life stages. Shamans often use painful rites and self-denial such as
fasting or celibacy to attain transformation, or to commune with spirits. Some indigenous
cultures' shamans believe that endurance of pain or denial of appetites serves to increase spiritual
power.
African Culture
In Africa indigenous people sometimes use genital mutilation on boys and girls that is
intentionally painful, including circumcision, subincision, clitoridectomy, piercing, or
infibulation. Human rights organizations in several areas of the world have protested some of
these methods, which can be forced upon the participants, although some are voluntary and are a
source of pride and status.
American Culture
Native North Americans held tribal fasts to avert threatening disasters. The Native Americans of
Mexico and the Incas of Peru observed penitential fasts to appease their gods. They also observe
fasts as a form of penance. In some Native American tribes enduring scarification or the bites of
ants are common rituals to mark a boy's transition to adulthood.
Mayan Culture
Self-harm is known to have been a regular ritual practice by ancient Maya culture, in which the
Maya priesthood performed auto-sacrifice by cutting and piercing their bodies in order to draw
blood. A reference to the priests of Baal "cutting themselves with blades until blood flowed" can
be found in the Hebrew Bible. However, in Judaism, such self-harm is forbidden under Mosaic
Law.
Celibacy
Another way of self-denial which developed quickly in the early centuries was celibacy, giving
up sex and procreation for higher supernatural ends.
The sacrament of penance
The sacrament of penance, also referred to as the sacrament of reconciliation, is a rite undertaken
for the remission of sins committed after baptism. The sacrament, which involves certain acts of
a penitent and the absolution of a priest, is believed to have been divinely instituted. The acts of
the penitent include contrition (deep, sincere sorrow for sin), confession of serious sins to a priest
when possible, and the sacramental penance, or satisfaction (prayers or works to be performed by
the penitent in reparation for the sins committed). The sacrament can be celebrated either
individually or during a communal service that includes prayers, hymns, readings from the
Scriptures, a homily, and the opportunity for private confession. Although penance has ancient
roots, it was not used as frequently in the early church as it is today and involved severe
discipline.
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of deliberately slow and painful execution in which the
condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead.
Crucifixion was used among the Seleucids, Carthaginians, and Romans from about the 6th
century BC to the 4th century AD. In the year 337, Emperor Constantine I abolished it in the
Roman Empire out of veneration for Jesus Christ, the most famous victim of crucifixion. It was
also used as a form of execution in Japan for criminals, inflicted also on some Christians.
A crucifix (an image of Christ crucified on a cross) is the main religious symbol for Catholics
and Eastern Orthodox, but most Oriental Orthodox and Protestant Christians prefer to use a cross
without the figure (the "corpus": Latin for "body") of Christ. Most crucifixes portray Jesus on a
Latin cross, rather than any other shape, such as a Tau cross or a Greek cross.
Practices as a medical treatment
Sometimes the emotional pain can be too much. Sometimes you just can't cope with it all.
Cutting offers a brief, if effective, relief. By causing shallow lacerations in the flesh, one releases
natural endorphins into the blood which can ease pain or cause uplifting feelings. Many people
who suffer from depression or single instances of strong emotional trauma resort to cutting as a
way to escape the pain. Regardless of the chemical properties of self-inflicted injury, the fact of
the matter is that if you have strong physical pain, then your emotional/mental stresses seem
lessened due to the human brain's lack of multitasking capabilities.
Self-inflicted injury
Self-inflicted injury is an immediate physical harm to one's own body. For example, cutting your
arm or hitting yourself with a hammer are clearly self-injurious acts. Practices are done for
purposes of ornamentation, showing identification with a particular cultural group, and in some
cases, for perceived medical/hygienic reasons.
Reasons of self-inflicted injury
Inability to cope with increased psychological/physiological tension in a healthy manner,
feelings of depression, rejection, self-hatred, separation anxiety, guilt, and depersonalization,
command hallucinations, need for sensory stimuli, parental emotional deprivation, and a
dysfunctional family are the reasons of self-inflicted injury.
Neck-Stretching
In Myanmar Padaung women are named the longneck women. The practice of neck stretching is a strong
belief and custom as an expression of feminine beauty. Women wear the brass coils that are fitted at the
age of 5 and as the young girl will grow more large coils will be added. Number of coils causes the
respect of the women in the tribe. They can remove the brass coil rings if they wish to so.
Body Modification
The acts like tattooing and piercing, the physical modification of the body also fall in the
category of self injury. Members of the modern Church of Body Modification (CBM) believe
that by enduring pain they make a connection to their spirit. In modern times, members of the
Church of Body Modification believe that by manipulating and modifying their bodies by painful
processes they can strengthen the bond between their bodies and spirits, and become more
spiritually aware.
References
"Non-suicidal Self-Harm Among Community Adolescents: Understanding the "Whats" and
"Whys" of Self-Harm", Journal of Youth and Adolescence
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: An Introduction", Journal of Clinical Psychology
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/pain/microsite/culture4.html
Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights
reserved
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mourning_of_Muharram
Pahttp://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/298332/20120214/painful-rituals-world