Breatharianism
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[edit] Definition
Breatharianism is the claim that food and/or water are not strictly necessary for human nutrition. It is claimed by Breatharians that sunlight, air, or supernatural sources such as Prana are sufficient to sustain life. The website breatharian.info offers this definition:
- This is a state of man […] characterized (among other things) by the absence of eating, resulting from (or rather being a stage on the way to) expanding of the Consciousness sphere in which a person lives.
The claimed ability to subsist without nourishment is technically termed inedia. Some breatharians prefer the term pranic nourishment to “Breatharianism”.
Breatharianism should not be confused with fasting or dieting, both of which involve minimally sufficient nutrition, or are practiced on an occasional basis. Nor should breatharianism be confused with conditions such as anorexia nervosa in which there is no claim of continued healthy subsistence.
[edit] Theoretical Basis
Needless to say, the claim of breatharianism is at odds with common wisdom and historical evidence, as well as physical, biological, and anatomical theory.
The human body is constantly shedding energy: mechanical energy is transferred to the surroundings by the muscles, and even when perfectly still, heat energy is being conducted to the surrounding air. The laws of thermodynamics imply that this process cannot continue indefinitely without the lost energy being replaced. The extraction of energy from lipids, saccharides, and proteins in the animal body is fairly well understood, and no other supply has been found which could possibly supply the energy required for the continuation of life. Anatomically, the only route by which these chemicals can be delivered to the respiratory processes is through absorption into the blood. There are no known reagents contained in air alone that could possibly deliver the kind of energy required for the sustenance of life. There is no photosynthetic process known to occur in the human body, nor could any conceivable such process supply energy to the body at the required rate, given the surface area and reflectivity of the human body. Tragically, there is ample evidence in history and the current time of the known effects of starvation and dehydration.
To explain their claimed ability, Breatharians explain that the energy for life is supplied by mystical or supernatural forces, such as Prana. Breatharian.info offers this explanation “for the scientifically minded”:
- One explanation, purely scientific, which comes from a nuclear physic[sic] says as follows: the organism consists of tissues, which are built of chemical molecules, and next these molecules are built of atoms. Atoms consist of electrons and protons, which are built of smaller elements. As the result of this way of looking for an origin element, we reach the point, where the matter does not exist. There, we have only something, which we can call vibrational whirls of energy. […] All the matter which exists in the Universe, including the human body, is comprised of whirls of vibrational energy. […] There are centers in the brain, which manage body energy and chemistry […]. In this way, the organism lives and builds itself using these whirls of energy.
Skeptics will note that this explanation is pure Pseudoscience; it uses scientific terms such as energy in non-precise ways, and contradicts known facts discovered by science. Particularly, it does not address the problem of the continued loss of energy from the body.
[edit] Noted Breatharians
[edit] In Catholic Tradition
There is a long history of alleged cases of inedia, where it is generally associated with religious asceticism. The Bible claims that Jesus went an astounding 40 days without eating.(Luke 4:2) In Catholic tradition, several saints were reputed to have the ability to subsist on nothing but an occasional communion wafer. The earliest of these may have been Alphais of Cudot (12c-13c). Notably the patron saint of Switzerland, Nicholas of Flue (1417-1487) was said to have lasted 19 years with no food except the Eucharist.
[edit] Therese Neumann
Therese Neumann von Konnersreuth (1898-1962) is regarded by some as the originator of the modern breatharian philosophy. Some believe she lived on nothing but consecrated communion wafers from 1923 to the end of her life. Additionally she experienced a miraculous cure of blindness and paralysis, and exhibited Glossolalia and Stigmata. [1]
[edit] Prahladbhai Jani
Prahlad Jani is an Indian ascetic who lives in a cave in India. He claims not to have eaten in 68 years, and that he is fed nectar by a goddess through a hole in the roof of his mouth. It was apparently confirmed that he was able to go ten days without food or water. [2]
[edit] Jasmuheen
The most famous modern Breatharianism proponent is Jasmuheen, (née: Ellen Greve) of Australia, who claims to be able to live for months on nothing but tea. She has written a number of books advocating pranic nourishment, in which she advocates the practice as a solution to world hunger problems.
In Living on Light, she explains how it is possible to live without eating:
- Some individuals have achieved this through manipulating their consciousness to higher vibrational frequencies that in turn change the molecular structure of their physical, emotional, and mental bodies and free them from the necessity of taking substance from the atmospheric realms.[3]
She has been awarded the 2000 Bent Spoon award by the Australian Skeptics, and the 2000 IgNobel Prize in literature.
Critics have noted that Jasmuheen’s house contains food, which she claims is for her husband.
[edit] Ram Bomjon
Currently, Rom Bomjon, a 15-year old in Nepal has allegedly gone without food for six months, in apparent imitation of a similar feat by the Buddha in the 6th century, B.C. Thousands of pilgrims have converged upon around the boy's meditation spot, and as expected, a lively commercial center has emerged.[4]
[edit] Deaths from Breatharianism
There are several confirmed cases of Breatharians that suffered death by starvation from the earnest practice of their beliefs. [5]
- Verity Linn of Australia was found dead in 1999 in the Scottish highlands, where she was camping, apparently with the intention of not eating. Her death was due to hypothermia and dehydration, aggravated by self-neglect. Her diary specifically mentioned Jasmuheen’s teachings. She was nominated for a Darwin Award in 1999.
- Lani Morris of Australia went ten days without food before collapsing and dying. On the seventh day of her fast she became unable to speak or move her arms.
- Timo Degen of Germany went 19 days without food before falling into a coma. He recovered after four weeks of hospital treatment, for “almost total circulatory collapse”. He later died from a head injury in the hospital.
These deaths reflected poorly upon Jasmuheen in the media, but she was startlingly unapologetic. She explained that Morris “did not have the right motivation.” Through cosmic telepathy, she determined that Linn’s death was due to other factors. [6].
[edit] Testing Breatharianism
As a supernatural phenomenon, breatharianism might seem to qualify as a subject fit for the JREF Challenge. However an ethical and legal problem may arise, in that objective testing would require observers to be complicit in the starvation and possible death of another person. The rules for the JREF Challenge include the following important note:
- JREF will also NOT test claims that are likely to cause injury of any sort, such as those involving the withholding of air, food or water … [7]
In spite of this, Randi indicated in one of his commentaries[8] that he would be willing to waive the objection in the case of Jasmuheen, since the necessity of exposing a deadly delusion trumps the possible risk.
Jasmuheen was never tested by the JREF, but in 1999 she volunteered to be monitored by the Australian 60 minutes to demonstrate her supposed ability. After four days without food, the doctor involved noted pupil constriction, dehydration, and tachycardia, and discontinued the test, fearing kidney damage. As an explanation for the failure, Jasmuheen cited pollution from a nearby highway. Such an excuse might have been pre-empted by the JREF policy of mutual agreement upon the conditions of the test.
Apparently, the perceived ability to live without food or water can be duplicated by illusionists and stage magicians. Randi has often suggested that scientific testing of supernatural abilities should be done with the consultation of a magician who understands the effect.
