Aug 31 2009
The Voyeur and The Masochist
Alex Serpo
Alex believes the mind is a machine capable of remarkable things. He greatly enjoys the teachings of history’s most famous masochist, Siddhartha Gautama.
Swinging and grinning, the man’s skin stretches obscenely as he swings back and forward. Watching, I wonder who is the more bizarre. Is he macabre in seeking extreme sensory experiences, or am I macabre in being such a willing voyeur of them?
Buddha in Sarnath Museum (Dhammajak Mutra). Image: wikipedia
There is nothing unusual about pain. We all experience it – to varying degrees – during most given weeks. Many people with chronic pain experience it in every waking hour. Yet in our society pain holds a strong taboo. It is something to be avoided at all costs and we believe that it can only be damaging to one’s psyche. Even more powerful than pain seems to be the fear of pain, which seems to drive people to a higher state of hysteria than the pain the fear is inspired by.
During the body suspension I realised the remarkable variation in the human response to the same situation. What evokes disgust or fear in one person might elicit excitement and even pleasure in another. I also saw and understood what a remarkable organ living human skin is – unlike any man-made material.
Personally, I felt an intense fascination watching the suspension, particularly when the performer’s girlfriend leapt up onto him, and he held her in his arms and swung while the hooks stretched further. My father was an anatomist, and I wonder if a fascination with macabre displays runs in the family?
By confronting our fears do they become more or less rational? What is pain and how do we perceive it? Can we learn to perceive it very differently? It is a learnt/conditioned behavior or has it been evolutionarily useful to fear pain?
I think many people went to ‘Dark Science: Psyche’ on Friday night seeking answers. But I just left with more questions…
(Oh and if you’re looking for an interesting afternoon read, check out this list of human anatomical parts named after people. I came across it doing some research of what anatomists do all day. – ed)
I’m really glad that many people left the ‘Dark Science’ nights with more questions than answers!
I think we acted in the true sense of a ‘Museum’ and provded a safe place for people to discuss and explore ideas that may have been confronting. Friday night especially opened up some very intimate and personal discussion from the crowd.
Pain is such a personal thing, and I hope everyone went home after the nights and explored answers to their questions.
Erika