Breatharian
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A breatharian is one who follows a diet in which no food (and possibly no water) is consumed. Breatharians claim that they are sustained by 'light energy' (or prana) alone, and that this diet is an option for anybody, once the proper techniques for accessing it are made known.
Both current scientific theories about nutrition and generally accepted common sense indicate that a person who followed these diets would die of starvation (if only a no food diet) or thirst (if both no food and no water).
There is no accepted scientific evidence for any of the claims put forward by the breatharians. The only breatharian to undergo scrutiny -- Ellen Greve (aka Jasmuheen), on Australia's 60 Minutes [1] (http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/60/stories/1999_10_24/story_57.asp) [2] (http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles/comment/jasmuheen.htm) -- became ill and bowed out after a few days without food or water, citing stress and pollution as the cause for her symptoms.
The well-publicized deaths of Verity Linn and Lani Marcia Roslyn Morris whilst attempting to enter the breatharian "diet" have drawn further criticism of the movement. To date, three deaths have been linked to breatharianism. [3] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/453661.stm) [4] (http://www.rickross.com/reference/breat/breat08.html)
Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi details two alleged historical examples of breatharianism, Giri Bala and Teresa Neumann.
See also
External links
- Skeptic's dictionary article about Breatharianism (http://skepdic.com/inedia.html)
- BBC story: Guru condemned as 'dangerous' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/scotland/newsid_703000/703279.stm)
- BBC story: Woman 'starved herself to death' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/scotland/newsid_453000/453661.stm)
- BBC story: Fasting fakir flummoxes physicians (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3236118.stm)
- Spiritual Diets: Breatharianism (about.com) (http://healing.about.com/cs/breatharian_diet/)
- Sunlight, water are the only sustenance he needs (http://www.indianewengland.com/media/paper549/news/2004/11/15/Community/Sunlight.Water.Are.The.Only.Sustenance.He.Needs-805110.shtml) - article about Hira Ratan Manek, who claims to have eaten no food since 1995
- Description of Hira Ratan Manek's fasting (http://www.vivendodaluz.com/EN/amboflight/hira_ratan_manek_report.html)
- Scientist skips food, 'survives by solar energy (http://www.newsindia.com/breaking_news/34786.asp) - article about Dr. Michael Werner, who claims to have not eaten anything in four years