Reflections on self flaggelation

A specific sect of Jewish mystics in the 16th century called Lurianic Kabbalah around the 16th century adopted very extreme methods of asceticism for spiritual ascension. The ones most desperate to find God would ask for themselves to be tied to a post and flayed alive. Slowly removed of their skin inch by inch by razor sharp knives. After the first day of screaming and begging for it to stop they would enter an intense stupor where they no longer paid attention to the physical world. No response to anybody asking them questions or sand grinding against exposed muscle tissue and layers underneath skin. They would merely look to the sky with drool rolling from their removed lips. Perhaps it is in such an intense experience that they found God.

This is perhaps one of the most extreme forms of self flagellation seen inside of the Occident. Perhaps also one of its most beautiful forms ever taken up. Self flagellation for a higher goal is one of the most beautiful things ever done by mankind. An outright rejection of rational and irrational, physical and metal to serve a spiritual reasons. It is not done for self gratitude like cutting ones self does, it goes against even the rationale of that in alleviating pain to outright embrace it to find deeper truth. Only in slicing your back open with a whip or being skinned by strips of flesh until bearing no more, is the greatest ultimate sacrifice. Not a sacrifice for anyone else, but a sacrifice for ones self. A form of Faustian power. But rather in Faust where this power is used for decades, it is only for mere moments until eventual death.

Can you imagine that? Can you ever bring yourself to do such a thing?