#Penance

Confession is an asymmetric psychological transaction in which one surrenders the debt of sin to creditors known as God or priests. It promises the indulgence of burdens yet often leaves one with new guilt liabilities. While allegedly lightening the spirit through the disclosure of sins, it routinely demands an inventory of one’s remorse afterward. In sanctified booths, believers perform a scripted self-defense before their own consciences. Ultimately, it is a ritual participating in the ecosystem of contrition.

Flagellation training is a form of ascetic ordeal performed under the pretense of purging one's impurities through pain. It has been beloved by peculiar believers throughout history who prioritize self-torture over inner peace. Most participants simply crave attention rather than true purification, yet the public spectacle garners a certain social respect akin to modern-day social media rituals. Based on the paradoxical belief that holiness increases with suffering, practitioners lash themselves in pursuit of spiritual cleanliness. Afterwards, they typically return home bearing a sense of satisfaction accompanied by mild self-loathing.