The Seven Surrenders of Flesh Suspension

[The Urban Shaman]

• Modern flesh suspension is similar in external practice to the Sun Dance, which is a practice of the many plains native North American tribes, including the Sioux. How do you think modern flesh suspension troupes might differ from Sun Dancers, and how might they be similar?
• What aspects of Felicity’s experience can you relate with, or did her testimony offer any personal insights, or strong reactions?
• In Felicity’s experiences and her orientation to the practice of body suspension, she uses the ritual for connecting and healing. But is there potential for flesh suspension to also be harmful, or for the processing of the experience to bring up traumas or other difficult emotions- and how might that be mitigated? Are facilitators responsible for that?
• Do you think flesh suspension can cause a shamanic initiation? How?
• Do you think facilitators of flesh suspension, or what Felicity calls “guides” express aspects of the shamanic archetype? In what ways? And if no, why not?
• How can this type of ritual foster and strengthen tribe? And what can we learn from this?
• There are many ethical considerations in any modern ritual, and especially rituals involving the body. What are some of the ethical considerations to flesh suspension?
• Has reading Felicity’s account changed your perspective on this practice? In what ways?

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