Japan body suspension art project

Presently, body suspension in Japan can only be seen at alternative culture events as a featured performance, taking place at indoor venues like clubs or other social gatherings. The main reason for this is that, obviously, the act itself is profoundly "unusual" as well as having a relatively shocking impact, but also because those who are actually suspended are highly influenced by the "high" atmosphere of the event and being exposed to an audience also enhances his/her exaltation, evolving into a sort of trance.

To those watching, body suspension can seem awfully painful and often horrifying. However, to those being suspended, it is often said that being in a trance makes them immune to the pain and they actually have the reserve to enjoy the feeling of floating in the air.

It is said that the roots of body suspension comes from the culture of native american indians. They performed body suspension as a form of ritual, dedicated, for example, to commemorate the coming of age, for the revival of nature and sometimes as a prayer for peace.
To the native americans, the occurances and events of nature surrounding them were all borne of the great spirits that they thus worshiped. To them, their bodies were essentially of most importance and are what they owned for themselves, not the worshiped spirits of nature. Therefore, applying pain to the body was considered as a holy offering to these spirits, giving the ritual act a profound meaning.
In such a sense, one can see that the spiritual aspect goes far beyond in importance in comparison to the visual aspect of the ritual.
Once keeping in mind this realization that the spiritual exceeds the visual, there emmerged the idea to perform body suspension in a form closer to that of its origin.
So it was done.
Actually performing the ritual out of doors surrounded by nature was a remarkable experience. As an observer, it was all overwhelmingly beautiful, but foremost, the one suspended also had a whole different experience as well. According to the suspended, there was a great feeling of freedom and exaltation far more deep than what was previously felt when performing at indoor club events, and as another point of alteration of the senses, the sound of the birds and nature itself was increased into a crescendo.

From ancient times in Japan it is believed that in all the things in nature there dwells a god.
These gods are called "Yaoyorozu no kami (eight million gods)".
In a sense, listening to nature and becoming one with nature is also a means of actually communicating with Yaoyorozu no kami.
In this aspect, the spiritual aspect found in the roots of body suspension arranged with a Japanese approach was what was most focussed upon.

So much said, this art project is a cut-out piece of a world embracing and creating the body and spirit.