HOOKS

Historically, piercing, hooking, and suspension have appeared in the religious ceremonies of various cultures as acts of devotion, sacrifice, thanksgiving, purification, or altered-state ritual. Suspension traditions trace back thousands of years to specific rituals, including the Hindu festival of Thaipusam and Charak Puja, as well as Native American ceremonies like the Mandan Okipa and the Lakota Sun Dance.

Flesh hooking, including body suspension, is not a closed practice in the sense of being restricted exclusively to a specific cultural or ethnic group, though it has deep and sacred roots in some indigenous and religious traditions. Needle Playground does not practice or condone cultural appropriation of any ancient rituals which belong to specific cultures and are considered closed practices.

Fishing hooks exist globally, and various cultures throughout history have used them for functional and/or ritualistic purposes. Any information provided by Needle Playground regarding flesh hooking is solely focused on the use of fishing hooks as tools in sharps play for kinky and sensual purposes.