John Paul II whipped himself
"The one that grabbed most of the headlines has been the claim that John Paul whipped himself with a belt, an act of corporal penitence designed to draw the flagellator closer to Christ's suffering that is usually associated with a very distant century, or a Dan Brown novel. "
I'm sorry but that sounds more like an addiction, like people cutting themselves. Jesus got tortured for several days, did not opt for a lifetime of self-inflicted belting. Maybe there is something in it, but ...weird. Physical injury usually raises endorphin or saratonin levels--I should like that up. But at any rate, so-called feel good chemicals in the brain. I've had two periods of cutting problems, and it does indeed make you feel better. Princess Diana stabbed herself with a fork on occasions to make herself feel better. She was very disciplined about alchohol and food (other than sometimes undereating). It was not about true virtue as far as I can see.
That's just weird.
I'm sorry but that sounds more like an addiction, like people cutting themselves. Jesus got tortured for several days, did not opt for a lifetime of self-inflicted belting. Maybe there is something in it, but ...weird. Physical injury usually raises endorphin or saratonin levels--I should like that up. But at any rate, so-called feel good chemicals in the brain. I've had two periods of cutting problems, and it does indeed make you feel better. Princess Diana stabbed herself with a fork on occasions to make herself feel better. She was very disciplined about alchohol and food (other than sometimes undereating). It was not about true virtue as far as I can see.
That's just weird.