Dervish Rituals
The whirling dervishes of Iran
The holy men of Kurdish Iran, known as Dervishes, can dance themselves into a trance that appears to make them immune to pain.
The Kurdish minority region of Iran are now economically better off with the country under the mullahs. However, they have no political freedom and, their Sunni branch of Islam sets them apart from the Shi'ite majority. What they do have are the dervishes: mystics seeking enlightenment. Their dances appear to give the supernatural abilities, allowing them to force sharp implements into their heads and bodies without experiencing pain.
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