I thought about mindspace being wide and deep when reading these AMA responses by sword swallower Bambi:
I hope this is not taken as a sign of disrespect, but I feel it’s important to ask: Why?
I don’t take it as a sign of disrespect at all! It spoke to me, in the way that other performance arts speak to other people. The person who taught me to eat fire told me to “listen to the yummy feelings” when it comes to trying different skills, and this one gave me a yummy feeling, although it’s quite a yucky thing to do.
… I’m far from an adrenaline junkie. I’m actually a pretty nervous person. It’s not that different from any other high risk sport or performance art. Every football player, aerialist, figure skater, etc. also knows it’s a matter of if, not when. 36 percent of ballet dancers retire due to a career ending injury, but every one of them decided it was worth it. Had I stayed in ballet or stuck with flying trapeze, I still would have the knowledge that there is an inevitable (and in the case of trapeze, potentially fatal) injury somewhere down the line, but my love for my art and the joy it brings me and audiences outweighs the risk.
… I do remember the first time a sword went all the way in and I felt it touch the bottom of my stomach. It was a crazy feeling but I also felt absolutely overwhelmed with joy because I had a lot of trouble getting the sword past a certain point up until then, and it did feel like I suddenly unlocked something.
How did you even get into it?
My funny answer is that I wasn’t a very good ballerina so I thought I’d try another art that is uncomfortable, dangerous, and has long term negative effects on the body. But in truth, swords just spoke to me for some reason. It was a matter of trying lots of things and finding one that felt right. I’ve done aerial silks, flying trapeze, fire, human blockhead, glass walking/eating, but sword swallowing just felt right.
How did you discover you could do this? And what made you try!?
It was less about discovering that I could do it and more about deciding that I wanted to and practicing until I could. Kind of like how you don’t discover that you can do a pull up, you decide you want to do one and start with push ups, negatives, dead hangs, etc. It took a lot of practice and patience. I decided I wanted to be a sword swallower, found a mentor, and got to work.
Have you ever had an internal injury due to your art?
Not yet. But it will happen eventually. It’s like being en pointe- it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when, but proper training and training can help make the difference between a minor injury and a deadly one.
… does this skill help or hurt in any other aspects of your life?
I find it helpful. The biggest thing is that it has taught me a mental “off” switch. Which is hard to explain but when I swallow a sword I consciously suppress my gag reflex and I’ve found I am able to activate that same suppression in other scenarios. I am a pretty anxious person and I have severe OCD and I am actually now able to calm myself down when I’m freaking out or consciously ignore compulsions by using the same technique I use to swallow swords. I am also on medication though, so I suggest that as a technique for managing OCD before you start swallowing swords. It’s an unexpected bonus though.
do u see any greater meaning for sword swallowing? is it merely physical or a metaphor for something?
This is an interesting question that no one has ever asked. But yes, there is something almost spiritual about sword swallowing to me. It feels like something I was always meant to do. And for me, it’s also an exercise of patience, discipline, and mind over matter. I meditated a lot when I was learning. I used to think meditation was woo woo or nonsense but it helped so much and now I am a firm believer in the power of disciplining your mind. Being able to swallow a sword is like the ultimate meditation for me. It’s a reminder that I am in control of myself. Not to get too deep or personal, but I have severe OCD and it is nice to be able to remind myself that I am able to say no to even the strongest impulses/urges/reflexes. So I guess no, it’s not really a metaphor, but it means a lot to me as a practice and I don’t view it as just another trick I can do.
I thought about mindspace being wide and deep when reading these AMA responses by sword swallower Bambi: