Participants, known as mah song (roughly translated as “horseback riding”), are considered to be mediums (the horse) who invite the gods (the riders) to enter and possess them while in a trance brought on by the ritual piercing, flaying, and mutilation. While bleeding and entranced, the mah song visit Phuket’s temples (where the cutting takes place under the supervision of medical staff) and food stalls, where they partake in a variety of vegetarian dishes locally known asje. Watch for yellow signs with เจ written in red stuck in various dishes—this indicates they’re je.