The Psychology Behind Body Modification

0:04: But without further ado, I would like to welcome back Jenna and Nikki.
0:07: They’ve been here twice this year.
0:10: And don’t ask them about Zack.
0:13: So over to you.
0:15: That’s perfect.
0:16: Thank you.
0:19: OK.
0:20: Well, thank you so much for joining us tonight.
0:23: We’re so glad that you made the choice to come and spend some time with us.
0:29: So let’s introduce ourselves first.
0:31: So I’m Nikki and I am a registered provisional psychologist and I practice at Simply Counselling Services and with tonight is Jenna, and she is the owner of Simply Counseling Services and a registered psychologist.
0:46: So we are so excited that you’ve chosen to come and spend some time with us tonight.
0:51: , I’m going to start by saying that we are not necessarily experts in the field of the psychology behind body modification.
1:00: But we definitely have some opinions and perspectives that we’re really excited to share with you tonight, and we are really hopeful tonight that we can have some fun throughout our presentation.
1:11: So we’re going to have a few different ways for you to participate in the conversation tonight because we believe that the reason why people do body modification is because they have a story to tell.
1:24: So that is the message that we’re hoping will be throughout the presentation that you will hear that,, and we hope that you can participate in the story with us.
1:34: OK?
1:35: So, we’re gonna get started with you participating.
1:39: So pull out your phones, yes, you are allowed to do that.
1:44: Pull out your phones and you can scan the QR code that’s on the screen, and the question is how many of you have a form of body modification?
1:56: I love the not yet, but soon.
1:58: I know, very curious, very curious about that.
2:04: OK, we’re gonna move to the next question and thank you for participating in that one.
2:11: OK, so this question is, if you have a body modification other than a piercing, a tattoo or cosmetic surgery, use one word to describe what it is.
2:25: Regret?
2:26: Yes, well, we have a question for you later.
2:29: Yes, on that one.
2:33: Oh, the laser one.
2:35: I never, I didn’t think about that one.
2:38: Accidental, the scars.
2:41: OK, so accidental body modification.
2:48: So we’re going to start with a bit of an overview of understanding the global and historical landscape of body modification across time and across across the world.
3:02: It is going to be a very high level overview of some of the practices, but I’m hoping that it can.
3:08: to set the stage of why body modification has happened in the past.
3:13: So the first story that we’re going to start with is Osi the Iceman.
3:18: He was discovered in 1991 by a group of hikers in the Alps, which is kind of crazy, and he is the oldest documented human with tattoos.
3:28: And what’s interesting about Oy’s story is that the researchers have come to the conclusion over the years that he has 61 tattoos located across his body, and all of the places where the tattoos are located would align with spots where he might have been experiencing spinal or joint degradation.
3:49: So this leads the researchers to believe that the tattoos were done for therapeutic or healing reasons.
3:55: And they’ve said that the method with which the tattoos were done was similar to the use of acupuncture or earlier acupuncture practices, so that also leads them to believe that perhaps they were done for therapeutic reasons.
4:08: And then the other interesting piece of Osi’s story is that his specific tattoos actually predate him, so the researchers believe that perhaps there’s earlier tattoos documented, we just haven’t seen them yet.
4:23: Then the next practice that we’re going to talk about is that of neck stretching, and this has been recorded since the 11th century within the area of Southeast Asia, and some of the reasons that have been noted, it was done as a form of protection from slavery.
4:39: Other researchers have said that it was actually done from the perspective of attraction because it produces exaggerated feminine look, and then the last reason that has been noted is that the image that it produces resembles that of a dragon, which is an important figure in the folklore of the Kayenlawi people.
4:57: But I I think it’s most interesting to hear from the women who actually have the neck stretching done, and they have said that the reasons why they get it done is for cultural identity and beauty.
5:08: It still continues today because it’s become a source of financial support for the communities as tourists come to learn more and observe.
5:18: Then we move to scarification.
5:22: So this is common in various places across the globe, but it’s well known in specifically in West Africa.
5:29: It can happen in various places across the body and then depending on where it happens on the body, it could mean something different.
5:36: There’s one specific tribe in West Africa that practices it specifically for children, so when they kind of graduate from that role of being baby to child, they will get the scarification on their face, which is sort of signifies that growth.
5:52: And then there’s another practice around the time of them moving from children to adulthood and then the scarification actually happens on their abdomen.
6:01: So it’s done for different reasons and and can signify different things within the group.
6:05: The last piece there is just that what was once sort of seen as this beautiful and important practice is potentially becoming a bit of a dying practice because those that don’t understand it are judging and perhaps discriminating against those that have it.
6:22: And then the next practice is foot binding, which takes us to ancient China.
6:28: So this was outlawed in 1912 and it but it didn’t come into effect until 1949.
6:33: It was done because small feeders were seen as beautiful and especially for young girls, it was seen as a rite of passage that preparation for puberty, menstruation, and childbirth.
6:45: So if you could use one word to describe whatever your body modification is, what would it be?
7:00: I feel like I would want to hear the story about the dare.
7:04: Interesting to see the one about healing up there.
7:07: Again, there’s probably a good story there with Oman.
7:10: We have health and healthy.
7:13: Meow.
7:15: What’s that about?
7:17: Hm It’s so incredible to see the variety of answers that pop up to this question, right, and to see the perspective that people put on their own body modification and how they describe it.
7:31: Well, and how individual it is for everyone, right?
7:34: Like there’s A lot of responses, 74 responses there.
7:37: There’s not many that overlap.
7:40: So that’s interesting.
7:41: OK, so this goes back to there was one person at the beginning who had said regret.
7:46: And so here’s your opportunity.
7:47: Have you ever regretted your body mod?
7:50: And then if you could reverse it, would you?
8:01: Very interesting.
8:03: So if I’m reading this correctly, then does that mean that we have 42 saying that they strongly disagree at this end, right?
8:11: We will move to the next slide then, please.
8:14: We’ve talked a lot about The potential reasons why from that sort of historical and global landscape of body modification practices and so now we’d like to spend a little bit more time diving into the details behind it of why do we continue to choose to modify our bodies and so we’ve got a few reasons for you.
8:39: So the first kind of most obvious reason is because we want to look good.
8:45: It seems like part of the human journey is to always look for opportunities to adhere to the aesthetic standards of the time and so this is one way that we can do that is by modifying our bodies to meet whatever those aesthetic standards might be.
9:02: And this is validated because it’s been recorded that people have rated their own attractiveness as higher following a tattoo, and the other piece that goes along with this conversation is around social media.
9:15: The impact of social media could be leading us to build these sort of unattainable standards and it can impact us by feeling like that pressure that we have to perhaps meet whatever that standard is and sometimes it’s just not possible.
9:31: And so the research has shown that 50% of young women are unhappy with their bodies, and there’s been a 20% increase in men’s use of cosmetic procedures since the year 2000.
9:44: What I think is interesting and what I’ve put a lot of thought into is the ebbs and flows of fashion and beauty.
9:50: And one of the things that I thought of is, for example, eyebrows, right?
9:54: It’s in the 90s for the ladies that are here that would remember, eyebrows are very, very thin, right?
10:01: And now we’re at the stage where, you know, eyebrows are thicker and fuller.
10:04: And so people are now getting modifications done to make their eyebrows thicker and fuller because they have no eyebrow hairs left from being over plucked or right or removed in the 90s, right?
10:15: So, it’s interesting for the body modifications that are happening for fashion and beauty because it’s Always changing, right?
10:23: And, and a lot of times it’s kind of cyclical in a way, right?
10:26: So it’s interesting, yeah.
10:28: So if you just hang in there for another 10 years or so, yeah, you might just sneak your way back into thin eyebrows.
10:36: That’s right, exactly.
10:39: That’s an excellent point.
10:41: So then the next reason why we might be doing body modification is, of course, it’s a part of our identity.
10:47: So as humans, one of the most important psychological journeys we could possibly go on is to figure out who we are and so doing a body modification.
10:57: Can define both who we are to ourselves, but then it’s also another way to display that to others to say this is a part of who I am and it’s important to me, or it’s a part of my story.
11:08: Some thoughts that I had around this is that we live in a very visually stimulating culture and it’s interesting to me when I think about we now identify who we are by how we look more than ever.
11:25: And that’s, you know, the fallout of social media and technology and where our culture is today.
11:31: So it’s just very interesting to me that we’re we’re very, very committed to showing who we are by how we look.
11:42: OK, and the next reason why we might be doing body modification is for group membership.
11:48: So often groups that have common beliefs or interests or values sometimes doing the body modification can align with that because it signals that I am a member of this group and it’s important to me to let everybody else know that I belong to the group or just for the significance of whatever the body modification might be.
12:08: And of course it’s documented too that depending on the numbers or types of body modification that you might have within a group it might signal a different level of where you land within that group.
12:20: Interesting contradiction here is that although people might do body modification to show that they belong to a group, sometimes we do it for the opposite reason, which is to indicate that we are unique so that we actually don’t belong to a group.
12:35: Which I think is harder than ever today because I feel like we’re all very dedicated to making everyone feel like they belong.
12:44: Everybody’s kind of come to this conclusion we’re open arms.
12:47: We want everybody to belong so I think the uniqueness part of it is getting harder and harder for people today.
12:55: Yeah, absolutely.
12:57: So similarly to how we want to look good, sometimes we just want to be bad.
13:01: , what specifically comes to mind when I think about this piece is tattoos because I do believe that there was a time and perhaps even still today, that tattoos were seen as a rebellious thing to do,, and so it became known as a part of maybe an ostracized subculture.
13:21: , and so if you were doing the tattoo, then that was signalling that you wanted to belong to that type of activity, which connects to not wanting to be a part of the mainstream.
13:31: So it’s that opportunity to say, I rebel against the institutions and the organizations that form our society, and this is how I make my declaration that I’m not a part of the mainstream.
13:42: And again, like going back to the last slide, I think it’s, it’s getting harder to be on the outskirts, right, of, of what’s mainstream.
13:51: So I think people are having to go further and further and further and maybe be bad and bad and bad, right?
14:00: That’s a good journey to go on.
14:04: OK.
14:05: Another reason why we might do body modification is for sensation seeking.
14:09: So most forms of body modification will probably cause a little bit of pain depending on what you’re choosing.
14:16: And of course when you have that experience of pain, there’s a release of endorphins that goes along with that.
14:22: And so sometimes it can be that sensation that we’re after.
14:26: That’s why sometimes we’ll hear people reporting being addicted to that sensation of always seeking that sensation and experiencing it more.
14:34: Like we’re overstimulated all the time, right?
14:37: With again the technology being visually overstimulated and so sometimes it can feel like Groundhog Day, that every day is the same.
14:46: So when I think of sensation.
14:47: Seeking I think of, I just need to feel something that’s not what every day looks like.
14:54: So looking for something different and having a different feeling.
14:58: So the physical modification is a way to achieve that, right?
15:02: Yeah, absolutely.
15:04: OK.
15:04: And then one of the last reasons that we’re going to chat about is around taking back control.
15:09: So specifically for individuals who may experience some form of trauma, especially if it’s been a physical trauma.
15:16: , there can be that experience of feeling like you’ve lost autonomy or control over your body, and so doing a body modification can be a way to take back that control to restore it, and it can end up being a really empowering experience to say this is what my body looks like and this is what I want it to look like.
15:36: I think of looking and feeling, right?
15:39: So there’s two sides to that again and it goes back to the sensation seeking, right, is that there can be an element of control over what I feel in my body when I’m seeking body modifications.
15:50: So I think both of those points are valid.
15:53: Absolutely.
15:54: So then we come back to our original reason as to why we think body modifications happen.
16:02: You’ve heard us say from the beginning that perhaps there’s always a story that goes along with whatever the body modification is, and I want to take that just one step further and say that there’s always that opportunity to in sharing your story that you’re looking to connect with somebody within that opportunity, so.
16:23: It could be tied together that we’re trying to tell a story and then to also try to connect with one another through our body modification.
16:29: I think as human beings, that’s our driving forces to connect and that’s what makes us different from animals or mammals, right, is that we have a story and we have that connection.
16:38: The body modifications just presents an opportunity for people to connect with us and hopefully share what our story is.
16:45: So on that note, we want to throw the question back to all of you because we would love to hear from you now.
16:52: , if you could use a few words and share, why do you think people do body modifications?
17:03: Peer pressure is one that is really interesting, hey?
17:07: Yes, you have any thoughts on that one?
17:11: Well, I think it goes back to,, you know, the, the need to belong and just yeah, belonging to something, right?
17:18: And to feel like you can you can be like others and that you can connect with others in a similar way.
17:25: Look for that acceptance.
17:28: It’s interesting to see the use of the word reclamation and bodily autonomy.
17:34: Better.
17:34: Self-fulfillment is quite a big one, to have a choice in how we look and present ourselves.
17:45: I’m gonna pop to the next slide here because I think we have an opportunity for folks to ask some questions, right, in the last one.
17:53: So if you have a burning question, feel free to pop it in.
17:58: Where are our tattoos?
18:02: Not exciting.
18:04: I have a tattoo on my ankle and I have one on my foot.
18:08: The interesting part is that we actually have the same tattoo.
18:10: Yes.
18:11: So there you go, because we’re sisters.
18:14: Yes.
18:14: All right, yes.
18:19: What’s it like being a counsel?
18:21: Jenna, answer that one before we leave the crowd.
18:23: Yes, we’ve had that question before.
18:25: For me, it’s a dream come true.
18:26: , it’s, it’s an interesting journey.
18:29: It’s an opportunity to, connect with other people to learn their stories.
18:33: It’s an honour and it’s also tiring and it’s amazing.
18:38: I love, I love what I do and I think it’s, it’s such an opportunity to be able to, to hear people’s stories and to walk alongside people on their journey,, to whatever goal they’re looking to achieve.
18:50: It’s it’s an honour to do this job.
18:52: That’s it for us.
18:55: Thank you so much, everybody.
18:56: It was such a pleasure to have you all.
18:58: Have a great rest of your night.