OK before I ask if anyone here knows about this I need to explain I did see what I am about to tell you all but have no clue where to find it on the net.

About 15 yrs ago I was watching a late late late night news program called Overnight News with Linda Ellerbee and they showed this bizarre ritual that this religion practiced.

It involved if you were a adult having holes drilled into the top of your head then having candles put in them to burn down or if you were a child having holes in your arms with candles and after you were given slices of water melon to eat but the show I saw the little kids were trying to stop the hurting by dripping the juice from the watermelon slice onto their arm.

It has haunted me for yrs and when I try and tell others about it they think I am nuts.

I so wish I had of thought to tape it then I would have had proof.

Has anyone here ever heard of such a religious ritual?

I would look it up on the net if I knew what to call it.

I am sure someone here will be able to help.

Thanks
PF

The practice of drilling holes in the skull is called trepanning, but I do not know which religious group would be doing that nowadays. This is a bit about it.

Even knowing the name doesn't make it any less creepy.Ick!
Thanks Ren.
Now to find who practices it.

PF

Well it sure as hell ain't my GP. LOL!!!

Oh very clever! LOL LOL LOL!
I wonder if that is where the expression "Hole in your head" comes from?
PF

PurpleFan. I can't help wondering whether the frightening and bizarre scenes you saw on TV all those years ago may have been some kind of stunt to impress the media rather than a genuine 'religious practice'. Any thoughts on this?

Well they interviewed a woman and she seemed genuine and they couldn't have made those poor little boys fake the pain I saw on their faces.

There was more than a few people having it done.
I think they were some kind of Buddhists if I remember correctly their robes were orange and red?

I just know it has haunted me all these yrs.

I have tried to figure out a way to contact the people who were on the show but I can't remember the mans name.

Oh well maybe it wasn't meant for me to know the answer.

PF

One thing is for sure, they would not have been Buddhist monks.

However, there are many different religious sects in India and a lot wear orange robes. Who could ever forget the Bhagwan Rajneeshi and his 'delightful' assistant Sheela, who was interviewed by 60 minutes Australia, with the words 'tough titty' coming out of her gob.

One of the things that I love about Funtrivia is that I frequently find myself Googling for answers to other peoples' questions--and Googling is very addictive. One link leads to another to another...

Anyway,one possibility is that you saw a film made by Bart Huges and Amanda Feilding, who practiced self-trepanation. They filmed Amanda's procedure. They started pro-trepanation foundations. (Do you know there is something called the International Trepanation Advocacy Group? ) This is supposed to raise conciousness like an lsd trip, by "increasing blood flow to the brain and allowing more oxygen in". Um...ok. I think there are probably better ways of raising conciousness, but to each his own, I guess.
I couldn't find anything about candles, though. Although somewhere in the deep recesses of my memory I remember seeing a drawing of something like that when I was a child, and it scared the living daylights out of me.

Exit 10 I remember those nut cases very well. We heard alot about them when they lived just across the border from us. They were scary.And yes I remember that arrogant Sheela who liked to provoke the press.
I was so glad when they fled.

Wow Taesma thank you for looking that up for me. I don't think that was it as I remember the robes and the Chinese little boys and the candles.
Yes it is truly amazing what you can find on the internet.Who knew there was a club for people who want to put "Holes" in the top of their heads. That is so bizarre I can't even wrap my brain around the idea.

I am considering trying to write to Linda Ellerbee if I can find a internet address for her.

PF