Top 10 painful religious practices of the world

 
5. Okipa Ceremony

 

 

A practice of the Mandan religion, Performed by Mandan Indians the ceremony initiates with a Bison Dance and continues till four days.

During these four days, the young men are not allowed to eat, drink or even sleep.

They are lead to small huts where wooden skewers are inserted in their chest and shoulders which slit their skin.

And during this tormenting act, they are supposed to sit with a smiling face.

Later these men are hung from the roof of lodge until they faint after which they are pulled down. Finally the awakening of these men proves the approval of spirits.

 
6. Scarification

 

The act of scarification may include scratching, etching, burning or cutting into skins.

But for a tribe living in Papua New Guinea, scarification is a ritual which every boy has to undergo in order to be treated as a man.

The young boys are required to be cut in their back, chest and buttocks in order to give their body a crocodile like pattern.

They believe that this would make the boys physically and psychologically tough.

 
7. Flagelation

 

Flagelation, the devotional ceremony performed by many religious groups mostly Judaists and Islamic, is another method of self-harm.

In Judism flagellation is a corporal punishment, whereas in Islam, people willingly indulge themselves in act of methodical beating and whipping.

This is done to mourn the sufferings and martyrdom of Hussain and you can see Shia Muslims flogging themselves with knives, blades and chains on the day of Moharram.