Living without food

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by pluto2, Aug 30, 2012.

  1. phlogistician Banned Banned

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    Nah, the evidence shows that adherents are frauds. Or dead. 'Jasmuheen' the author of the book 'Living on Light' was the subject of an Australian '60 Minutes' documentary, where they spent time with her in a hotel room, and during that period she didn't eat. She got ill. She blamed the film crew, and made up a lot of excuses, but it was all covering up the fact she was bullshitting. Followers of hers have died through not eating.
     
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  3. C C Consular Corps - "the backbone of diplomacy" Valued Senior Member

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    Well, with proper pre-conditioning and discipline your Breatharians might also pull-off some lengthy, intermittent fasts. But no true, perpetual lack of food. Even a few moments of credibility aren't going to be garnered with the latter claim. They should at least submit a lesser pretense of having accomplished human hibernation, for the sideshow audiences.

    "One of the most celebrated hibernators is the American black bear. It can go for as long as 100 days without eating, drinking, urinating, defecating, or exercising." http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/bear-essentials-of-hibernation.html

    "Marmots hibernate for up to eight months! They spend the four months they are awake having babies and preparing for the next hibernation. During hibernation they take only 2-3 breaths a minute and their heartbeat slows down from their normal 120 beats to 3-4 beats a minute!" --Clive Roots, Hibernation. Page 127-128
     
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  5. river-wind Valued Senior Member

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    As already mentioned, all claims of not needing to eat so far have been shown to be faked, or using a very loose definition of "fasting". In one case, the person ate "nothing but rice, and only after sundown", and felt that was equivalent to eating no food for 60 days. Other claimants were more clearly fraudulent, eating food assistants snuck into them, eventually caught in the act.

    The best known non-fake story of a long term 'fast' was accomplished by a very obese man in the 1960's who ate no food for a year and seventeen days, but did take nutrient pills. All energy for daily activity was gained through the burning of stored fat reserves; he lost nearly 300 pounds, 125kg during the experiment. http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/24/3549931.htm
     
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  7. pluto2 Banned Valued Senior Member

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    My parents don't eat almost anything at all yet they are still alive and energetic so I believe it is possible for some people to live without food.

    Also certain saints were able to survive for extended periods of time without food or drink other than the Eucharist. From Wikipedia:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inedia

    Breatharianism is a related concept, in which believers claim food and possibly water are not necessary, and that humans can be sustained solely by prana which is the vital life force in Hinduism), or, according to some, by the energy in sunlight (according to Ayurveda, sunlight is one of the main sources of prana).
     
  8. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Seriously, how do you make the jump from not eating very much to not eating at all?
    And if they really don't eat anything (so no juices etc. either!) they won't be alive for very long.
     
  9. pluto2 Banned Valued Senior Member

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    But the evidence proves you wrong. My parents don't eat almost anything at all and also don't drink any vitamin juices yet they are still alive and energetic.
     
  10. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Well.. They eat, don't they.
     
  11. pluto2 Banned Valued Senior Member

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    Yes they eat very very little yet have a lot of energy.
     
  12. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    So you have no 'evidence' at all. They eat.
    Old people generally need less food. So they eat very little by your standards. But they eat enough to get by. Otherwise they'd be dead.
     
  13. origin Heading towards oblivion Valued Senior Member

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    Why don't you quantify that. How many calories do they consume in a day. If they don't eat and can stay alive then they are magical beings. My guess is they are not magical beings. I would say they may eat very little but there caloric intake is about equal to the calories they burn.

    Physics usually trumps magic...
     
  14. kwhilborn Banned Banned

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    @ R1D2,

    Not Eating for over a week is very possible. You are confusing that with drinking possibly.

    I partake in fasts regularly as I feel it is extremely healthy, and there are hundreds of documents/papers and testimonials to support this.

    I have gone 10 days with water only. I also do Juice diets much more frequently, and often do water fasts for the first day or 2 of them.

    It is true that your body does switch into a state of Ketosis, and muscle is eaten for a while. Another side effect though is your brain switches into emergency mode and releases chemicals it won't normally and many feel smarter and somewhat more spiritual if you agree with that sort of thing. The point is your brain thinks you are starving and helps you think better so you can get some food. Keep this in mind if you are ever stuck on a serious problem.

    Our western culture ignores/denies the existence of Chi/Qi/Prana/Orgone/ or whatever other name people/cultures/religions have for life force. I am not going to argue its existence in this post aside to say that perhaps a highly trained and practiced Monk somewhere may have found a way to convert such energies (if they exist) into some sort of food supplement. I doubt this however as this energy is supposedly not related.

    Simple fasting or even water fasting is easy to do for short durations and I highly recommend it. Many Youtube videos/websites on the subject.

    For the record since I turned thirty I tend to be overweight, and am a good eater. I am no stranger to junk food or fast food. I just think the body needs cleansing from time to time.

    Good luck
     
  15. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    Nothing does it better than a large dose of chocolate.
     
  16. pluto2 Banned Valued Senior Member

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    Some people really have extraordinary qualities like being able to live without food or immunity to pain.

    In National Geographic I was once saw a program about pain and in the program they mentioned a man who cut his entire arm and did not feel any sort of pain.

    This is why I am skeptical about whether biology accurately describes the world I experience. And this also brings me to another problem: the problem of other minds. The truth is I have no way of knowing whether other people have the same mind like I do. For all I know other people could just be philosophical zombies while only my mind is real.

    The true nature of consciousness is still poorly understood and there is also the problem of other minds (or qualia as some would call it).

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_other_minds
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_Zombie
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia
     

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