David Hahn
Knowledge and experience…I crave both. I always have. Even as a young man, I had a thirst for knowing, a hunger for gathering life’s lessons to me. A chance encounter with a book about “mind over matter” and what the yogis of India were able to do with their heart rate, breathing, and susceptibility to pain started me on the path of body modification. I became obsessed with what the body was capable of, both in the short term (hence, my early experiments with play piercing) and in the long term (leading to my first piercings in my late teens). This obsession was the start of a journey, a spiritual and physical path, that has never ended.
After a fairly “normal” childhood, being raised in a military family and living all over the world, I decided upon the University of California, Santa Barbara, to continue my search, studying both English Lit (focus: 20th Century Horror) and Religious Studies (focus: ethnobotany and Mayan ritual) there, continuing on with my Graduate work in Education there, and ending with obtaining my teaching credential. That was my mundane education. My spiritual education continued apace, with growing interest in ritual magic and the incorporation of body rites.
After I left college, I began “decorating my temple,” as I put it. I threw myself into modifying my body through piercing and tattooing, not so slowly amassing nearly 20 tattoos (ranging from religious icons that called to me to pop culture symbols and characters that harkened back to my childhood) and more than a dozen piercings (nipples twice each, PA, labret, tongue, 1 ¼ inch lobes, rooks, tragi, etc.). I also branched out into other more “extreme” forms of modification, such as a 4 ½ hour flesh removal on my right calf, numerous ritual cuttings and scarifications, countless flesh pulls, and numerous suspensions (I love “Superman” suspensions). And, yes, there are many more to come…
The spiritual path I was on intensified, too. My eclectic studies and solitary rituals fell to the side when I began a 3-year course of study with a Wiccan group with whom I was acquainted. After 3 years of training, ritual, and education, I completed my third-degree and elevation as a High Priest in the Majestic Tradition. As such, I then took on students for a number of years with my circle, training, over time, many students from the very basics of ritual work (Rit 101…ha!) through more advanced work, such as developing their own rituals and tools. Concurrently, I continued my independent studies, further refining my world view, spiritual identity, and roadmap for development. Currently, I practice ritual both on a solitary level and with my partner, Tiffany, with focus on chaos magic and spiritual body modification. I have been pierced, cut, suspended, and tattooed under intense ritual conditions and appreciate what this type of environment offers in terms of experience.
In terms of hobbies, I collect. Man, do I COLLECT. Currently, I collect comics, skulls and bones, fossils, signed/limited edition books, Asian DVDs, and board games from around the world. I enjoy the “sport” of Geocaching (GPS-based treasure hunting) whenever I can find free time, as well as hiking, swimming, and beachcombing. I’m also the host of the BME/IAM Southern California BBQ, one of the longest-running BME events (8 years and still going) ever. Currently, I’m employed as a Software Quality Assurance Engineer with a major medical company, but I’ve worked in publishing, education, and more bookstores and record stores than I can count.
As a minister for the Church of Body Modification, I look forward to and welcome the opportunity to discuss various aspects of both spirituality and body modification with anyone seeking more information. I truly enjoy serving the Church in ANY way that I can, from providing editorial services to counseling those developing their own rituals. Please, feel free to drop me a line any time via private message or email me through the Church. I look forward to serving…