Sounds like a farce to me.

Fasting is very Biblical. But you are right, God created food for us to eat - for our nourishment. If we didn't need, than we wouldn't have been created the way we were.

Just my .02

I view my daily bread with great joy!!!!

Sounds like you have answered all of your own questions Squeaky ( A few years ago I met a young guy who was actually named Squeaky - is that funny or what??:-D Anyway, you have explored and reasoned most of the possibilities, unless of course there is some obvious answer out there that neither one of us has encountered. But I would venture to say that nowhere in Christian thought, nor in Scripture (which hopefully dictates Christian thought, even if that's sometimes a can of worms)is there any mention of going without food at all as a means to life, much less spirituality.

The only living things that I can think of that are sustained by air alone, are some types of plants, but even then, I'm not sure there aren't some minerals absorved from water. I can't imagine how cells can regenerate without biological interaction, but what do I know.

As you mentioned, this has got to be something that stems from Eastern mysticism, where sometimes the more that a person endures, the higher the spiritual growth/awareness they will achieve. Then again, Christianity wasn't without it's period of self-tortures.

I suppose anything is possible, and yes demonic intervention can produce bizzare phenomena, but it would at least be a rarety, and I would expect to see the photo of a true breatharian on the front page of the Enquirer.

Of course here I'm saying all this and there might be some indignant person reading this who saw his last meal in the summmer of 1996!!

As for me and my house, we shall serve real meals. :•P

I believe that God created our bodies in a wonderful way. Part of our anatomy is a large digestive system. He created us to co-exist with the rest of His creation and eating is part of this cycle. We exhale carbon dioxide which plants require for photosynthesis. We eat the plants to gain the sugars they created plus the minerals they extract from the soil. The waste matter we excrete contains elements the plants need to grow. Growing plants release oxygen that we need to live.When I think how beautifully Nature works when it is in accord to God's plan I just have to stop and praise Him!

If we are a part of this wondrous cycle of life, death, eating and eliminating symbiotic nature; then breatharianism would seem completely out of place in God's creation. Even Adam and Eve ate (they just ate the wrong thing in disobedience), so eating is not something we started after the fall.

To me breatharianism is contrary to God's plan and seems to be more of a human effort to separate ourselves from Him and His provision. I was reading about some people trying to become immortal on another forum, the subject of breatharianism came up. I have no desire to be immortal in this walk of life, but rather look to the day when I can live forever in the presence of my God and my Savior. In that new body we may not have to eat, but our joy and comfort will be complete. Until that day I have no desire to be any other way than what our Heavenly Father designed us to be.

Madame,
I think if you will read your post you will see that you answered most of your own questions quite correctly.Although I have never heard of the people of whom you speak.The bible and common sence will tell you that man cannot live very long without food and water.Has anyone proven to you or anyone else that they have gone years without food or water?
I am not sure that satan could cause that to happen.If it did (and I for one do not believe it)then it would be because GOD allowed it to happen for a reason to serve HIS purpose.Do you see any purpose for it?Nor do I.Satan can only do what GOD allows,and most of the time man does not understand.
The body should be a temple to GOD for the HOLY SPIRIT.We are to treat it as such.Surely you don't think denying the body food and water for years is a proper way to treat a temple.Fasting is shown all through the bible,as a means of cleaning the body.as a means of drawing closer to GOD,or for a special purpose.
Madame ,one can tell by your many informative posts that you are an intelligent lady,so please don't be fooled by this type of drivel.Dismiss it from your christen mind and think of GODLY things.
Sincerely I C L

Thanks for your comments, each and every one of you.

Although I admit that God could allow a person to go for longer than is normally possible, perhaps even years, without food or drink, that would be a definite MIRACLE. And it seems to differ from God's preferred sort of miracle by way of sustaining the body, which is miraculously providing food and drink. That is the example of the Bible.
Moses struck the rock and water flowed out. Manna in the wilderness. Birds flying from "nowhere" to be eaten. Water into wine. Fish and loaves for the 5,000+. Casting the net and catching an overabundance of fish. I have heard stories of more contemporary miracles of such a nature, as well, for example World War II stories. People imprisoned for their faith. Etc. God provides.
And yes, as hopinso pointed out - breatharianism seems to deny the need for anyone or anything. "I don't need God. Look at me - I don't even need food! I am above that! I am a god myself, within" seems to be the mentality. Apparently one reason God provided food was to show our dependance on him. Food or no food, whether they realize it or not, this is a foolish idea, for humans are dependant on God for their EVERY BREATH.

And yes, the way we interact with creation is amazing. The definite handiwork of God!

Please, do not confuse Breatharianism with the Plymouth Breathern?

Breatharianism a Christian tradition

The mystical fasts or breatharian connotation are through out the scripture. Starting out from the book of Genesis where man was not supposed to indulge his 5 senses for nourishment. Life force came from a tree that cannot be touched or tasted or seen.

Continuously through the scripture man was asked not to indulge his 5 senses for nourishment but that the word would give life. Read Numbers 11 where the Hebrew God gets angry that they ask for leeks, onions, garlic and fish. The concept was simply that life comes from the word not food.

Paul him self states that he would never eat meat or drink wine if people consider food as nourishment for the body. He clearly calls it as good as idol worship. 1 Corinthians 6 / Romans 14 / 1 Corinthians 10

Excerpts from :

Fasting: An Exceptional Human Experience
By Randi Fredricks, Randi Fredricks Ph D

Inedia, the alleged ability to live without food, is a fast-based lifestyle originally established within the Catholic tradition (Frezc, 1989). ll] Christianity, the notion of media holds that certain saints and mystics were able to survive for extended periods of time without food or drink other than the Eucharist (Rey, 2011). The Eucharist, also called Holy ('ommum"on and the Blessed Sacrament, is a Christian rite reenacted in accordance with Jesus’ instruction at the Last Supper (Cruz, 2009). At that time, Jesus’ gave his disciples bread and said, “This is my body” and then gave them wine and said, "This is my blood" (Matthew 26:26-28 New American Bible). The protocol of the Eucharist varies in different Christian traditions. ln the Catholic Church, it begins with a priest consecrating bread and wine. It is believed that the consecration tums the bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Jesus through transubstantiation, which is the conversion of one substance into another. Afier the consecration, the priest gives the bread and wine to church members for consumption.

most Christian traditions, fasting is done for at least 8 hours before taking the Eucharist. The Catholic saints and mystics claimed to have fasted for weeks to months beforehand. The saint and mystic Catherine of Siena summed up the Christian perspective with regards to the consumption of the Eucharist when she said. ‘To eat Christ is to become Christ" (as cited in Bynum. 1987. p. 245). Catherine was one of many female saints who were able to fast for extended lengths of time, stopping only occasionally to eat the Eucharist. Scholars have come to refer to this type of prolonged fasting as miraculous abstinence (Bynum. I987: Brumbcrg. 1988; de Vineis, 2009; Hamilton. 2005; Schulenburg. 2001). Numerous religious mystics and Catholic saints have claimed to be able to live in this manner, making them the focus of admiration and skepticism. Fasting saints and mystics were thought to have been affected by anorexia mirabilis. which literally means a miraculous loss of appetite (Brumberg. 1988: Lelwica. 2002; Tobias, 2007), Anorexia mirabilis differs Sent from my iPad

One of the best-known examples of fasting and imilatio (was that of the Catholic saints. The saints would frequently fast for extended periods in order to demonstrate their devotion to Christ. to imitate his suffering. and to draw closer to him. The fasting activity among the Catholic saints was not always associated with divinity. Although the saints were known for their fasting visions of God and Christ, they also had appantions of demons. Saint Anthony. an Egyptian ascetic. reportedly had demonic visions afier fasting. Nevill Drury (2006) proposed that Saint Anthony's visions were actually hallucinations that were caused by the bread he ate after breaking his fast, bread that may have been infected with ergot. a fungus from which the drug LSD is synthesized. Other reports of demonic apparitions included those of Catherine of Siena. who claimed to have seen and heard demons telling her to quit fasting and return to a nomial life (Flinders. 1993). Eric N. Rogers (1976) said. Psychologists confinn that when people go without food for lengthy periods. they commonly experience hallucinations. which they interpret as mystical revelations. But simpler civilisations have a more mystical explanation: Fasting purifies. When the faster has denied himself long enough. he is fit to receive a direct message from some higher power. (p. 28) In his book. Holy Anorexia. Rudolph Bell (1985) noted 261 cases of women who fasted to the point of starvation for religious reasons between the time period of I206 and I934. many of whom were elevated to sainthood. Of course. not all mystics and saints were women and not all were Catholic. However. severe ascetic fasting practices were the most prevalent in the women from this period. This section focuses on some of the more well-known prodigious fasters from this group. followed by a brief discussion of some of the male figures. Religious Mystics Religious mystics were men and women who believed in the existence of realities beyond normal human comprehension. Mystics were usually followers of religious or spiritual traditions and were known to have had dedicated ascetic practices (Undcrhill, 2009).

Most religions have texts that describe fundamental mystical experiences. One example is the Catholic mystics. who followed the models of Jesus‘ asceticism and disciplined their bodies through activities ranging from sleep deprivation and brief fasting to more extreme forms. such as self-flagellation and fasting to the point of starvation. There are numerous mystics who became saints or achieved saint- like status by remaining alive despite fasting for what appeared to be impossible lengths of time. Portuguese anthropologist Joao dc Pina- Cabral (1986) called these women “non-eaters” (p. 227). Religious mystics had a variety of exceptional human experiences brought about by fasting. including visions. feelings of ecstasy, and physical transformations such as stigmata. The following are brief biographies of some of the best known female Christian mystics. Anne Catherine Emmerich Anne Catherine Emmerich. mystic. stigmatist. and visionary. was born in Westphalia. Germany in I774 to a poor Catholic peasant family (The Vatican, 2012). From an early age. she helped with the house and fann work and was employed for a time as a seamstress (Schmoger. 2004). She applied for admission to various convents. but was rejected because she lacked a substantial dowry. In 1802. at the age of 28. Emmerich became an Augustinian nun and began showing signs of stigmata (The Vatican. 2012). From then until her death. she bore the wounds of stigmata known as the Crown of thorns, which are wounds on the forehead. From 1812, she bore the full stigmata of Our Lord. including a cross over her heart and the wound from the lance in her side (Schmoger. 2004). In addition to stigmata. Emmerich had numerous visions beginning when she was a small child. She claimed that she spoke with Jesus. had seen the souls in Purgatory, and witnessed the Holy Trinity (Emmerich. 2004/1923). These phenomena brought Emmerich fame and investigation by scientists and the Catholic Church (Powell, 1996; The Vatican. 2012). Emmerich routinely fasted for the last three days of Holy Week (the last week of Lent and the week before Easter). fasting until dinner on Easter Sunday (Schmoger. 2004). During the last 12 years of her life. she subsisted entirely on the Holy Eucharist and drank only water. Emmerich was beatified in 2004 by Pope Jolm Paul II (The Vatican, 2012). However, the beatification was not completed because it was discovered that literature attributed to her was reputably fabricated by Clemens Brentanom. a poet who had interviewed her.

Therese Neumann

was a Catholic mystic and a stigmatist (Vogl. I987) who claimed to have paranormal visions (Steiner. 1976). She was born in 1898 in the village of Konnersreuth in Bavaria. Gemrany. where she lived all of her life. She was born into a large family with little income. In March of I918. Neumann was partially paralyzed afler falling off a stool in her uncle‘s barn (Vogl, 1987). She sustained other falls and injuries during this period. and afier one particular fall she lost much of her eyesight (llles. 201 I). By 1919, she was completely blind and bedridden, and had developed severe bed sores that sometimes exposed her bones. According to Neumann. her eyesight was restored in April of I923, on the day Therese of Lisieux was beatifred in Rome (llles. 2()Il). Neumann had been tirelessly praying novenas in anticipation of that day. Around Christmas of 1923. Neumann "accepted a disease of the throat in place of a priest who was suffering in this way” (H_mek & Sheppard. 1932. p. 57). Afterward. she was unable to swallow solid food. and consumed no food other than the holy Eucharist until her death in 1962 (Summers. 2003/1951). In addition. she maintained that she did not have any water from 1926 until her death (Vandereycken & von Deth, 1994). Although Neumann claimed that she ate nothing but the Eucharist for decades. the Roman Catholic Church never officially recognized her claims as being true. According to author Bergen Evans (1954), Neumann was “the most famous of contemporary non—eaters. The number of ecclesiastical and medical dignitaries who have vouched for the truth ofher claims is impressive" (p. 97). In May of 1925. when Therese of Lisieux was fully canonized as a saint in the Catholic Church. Neumann said that the saint cured her other paralysis and her bed sores vanished (llles. 201 1). In November of 1925. Neumann was diagnosed with appendicitis and took to her bed again (llles. 201 1). Instead of having surgery, she asked to be taken to church, where she claimed her appendicitis was cured afier she prayed to Therese of Lisieux. Neumann developed stigmata in March of 1926 in the form of a small wound above her heart (llles. 20l 1). In addition. she reported a vision of Jesus at Mount Olivet with three Apostles. Numerous visions and stigmata followed. On Good Friday in I926, Neumann said she witnessed the entire Passion of Christ in a vision. She had wounds on her hands and feet accompanied by blood coming from her eyes. Neumann continued to have these experiences every Friday thereafter (Ferguson, 1977). By .luly of I927, Neuman maintained she had not eaten for over three years. To evaluate her claim. a medical doctor and four Franciscan nurses watched over Neumann for 24 hours per day for two weeks (Rogers. 1976). They confirmed that she had consumed only one consecrated holy Eucharist each day. In addition. they claimed she had no weight loss. dehydration. or other ill effects. According to Caroline Walker Bynum (1987), those who observed Ncumann concluded that “her inedia was total and extended" (p. 297).
In 1946. Paramahansa Yogananda (2007/I946) visited her and wrote about her in his book Autobiography of a Yogi. He wrote an entire chapter, Therese Neumanri, The Catholic Sligmalist Qf Bavaria. in which he provided a vivid first-hand description of one of her vision tranccs. Yogananda believed fervently in Neumann's claims and said. By ecclesiastical pemiission. Therese has several times been under close scientific observation. Dr. Fritz Gerlich. editor of a Protestant Gennan newspaper. went to Konnersreuth to "expose the Catholic fraud." but ended up reverently writing her biography. (p. 357) According to Yogananda. Neumann said during his visit. "One of the reasons I am here on earth today is to prove that man can live by God‘s invisible light, and not by food only" (as cited in Yogananda 2007/1946, p. 357).

Marthe Robin

Marthe Robin. born in 1902 on a fann in Chateauneuf-de-Galaure. France, was a French Roman Catholic mystic and stigmatist (Blake. 2010; Freze. 1989). She was the youngest of six children and her father was displeased that she had not been born a boy (Burton. 2004). When Robin was two. one of her sisters died from typhoid afier drinking polluted water from the famfs well. Robin and another sister became sick as well. and neither of them ever fully recovered (Peyrous. 2010). When she was 16. Robin suffered a series of falls. By the time she was 21, she was completely paralyzed and bedridden and remained so until her death at 79 (Burton. 2004). By the age of 23, Robin was fasting routinely (Burton. 2004). For the next 53 years. she reportedly never slept and she ate nothing but the
Inedia in Religious Mystics and Catholic Saints 265 exclusively in white, and was known to self—muti|ate. cutting off pieces of her own flesh (Bowie. 2006). Ernest W. McDonnell (1954) maintained that Mary was the first known stigmatist. having received the Stigmata twelve _vears prior to Saint Francis of Assisi"s well-known experience. In addition to her prodigious fasting. Mary claimed to go without sleep. When someone asked her how she tolerated long fasts without sleep. she said. "These tears are my feast; they are my bread day and night; they feed my mind. Rather than emptying and afflicting my head. they satisfy to my soul“ (as cited in Gallick. 2007. p. 190).

Juliana of Comillon

Saint Juliana of Comillon. also known as Saint Juliana of Liege. was bom in 1193 at Retinnes. a city near Liege, Belgium (Bradbury, 2011/ 1873). From her early childhood. she had a special devotion to fasting. which she was taught by a religious woman who was caring for her (Bynum. 1987). As a child. Juliana was frequently punished for excessive fasting and her sisters oflcn wondered how she lived on so little food (Bynum, I987). When told to eat. she said. "I want better and more beautiful food" (as cited in Bymim. 1987. p. 116). When she was five years old. Juliana‘s parents died and she was sent to school at the Convent of the Augustinian Nuns of Mount Comillon (Shapcotc, 1877). It was there, at the age of 13. that Juliana decided to take vows and become a nun. The convent where Juliana lived was divided into three parts: one part was the Convent for Augustinian Sisters. another part was the Monastery for Augustinian Brothers. and the third part was a hospital and leprosarium where the Sisters and Brothers cared for the sick. It was there that Juliana devoted herself to working in the hospital to care for lepers (Bradbury. 2011/I873). When Juliana was sixteen. she began to have visions in which Christ would speak to her (Shapcote. 1877). According to Juliana. Christ told her that a new Christian custom needed to be enacted. a feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. Based on these visions. she promoted the addition of what eventually became known as the feast of Corpus Christi (Bradbury. 2011/1873). The messages Juliana received led her to being branded a visionary. which the church considered heretical (Bradbury, 2011/I873). Additionally. she was accused of mismanaging hospital funds. Because of these accusations. she was forced to leave the Monastery at Mount


Margaret of Hungary

Saint Margaret of Hungary was born in 1242 to King Bela and was the eighth and last daughter of the royal couple (Aldasy. I907; Mullay. I967). The family lived in exile in Croatia during the Mongol invasion of Hungary. Her parents vowed that when Hungary was liberated from the Mongols. they would offer Margaret to a religious order. Upon the liberation in 1246. four-year-old Margaret entered the Dominican convent of Veszprém (Aldasy, 1907).

lnedia in Religious Mystics and Catholic Saints 269 When Margaret was l2. she was transfemed to the Convent of the Blessed Virgin founded by her parents on Rabbits’ Island in the Danube near Buda. She spent all her life there. alwa_vs insisting on perfomiing the dirtiest work in the convent. jobs which were called "menial. repulsive, exhausting. and insanitary"' (Butler. 1956. p. 176). Every Thursday. Margaret would wash the feet of the 70 choir nuns using the veil which she wore on her head. She insisted on cleaning the latrines. and would remove and carry the excrement and vomit from seriously ill nuns (Bynum. 1987). The details of Margarefs life are documented in The Legend qf Saint Margaret, written in the fourteenth century by an unknown author. According to the manuscript. Margaret chastised herself from early childhood. wore an iron girdle. hair gannents, and shoes spiked with nails (Aldasy. 1907). Margaret was an enthusiastic faster. At the end of every Lent. she was in a pitiable state afler having undergone 4() days of fasting. sleep deprivation. seeing visions. and experiencing a complete lack of personal hygiene (Butler. I956; Delaney. 1980). When she was living in the convent, Margaret would go to great extents to avoid eating. She frequently covered her face with a cloth when attending meals with the other sisters. and she would ofien serve them meals. then leave and go to the chapel to pray (Bynum. I987). Scholars who have evaluated Margaret's fasting behavior have suggested she was anorexic. as they have with other fasting saints (Bynum. 1987; Vandereycken & van Deth. 1994). On January I8. 1270. she died at the age of 28 due to complications of an extended fast (Starr, 2007).

Margaret of Cortona

Saint Margaret of Cortona was born in Tuscany in 1247 (Cuthbert. I907). At the age of seven. Margaret's mother died. her father remarried. and her stepmother rejected her (Guiley. 2001). At the age of 17. she met a wealthy young man named Arsenio. became his mistress. and bore him a child (Benedictine Monks et al.. 1966). He continually promised to marry her. but never did (Scott. 2()()6). Nine years after she went to live with him. Arsenio was killed. One day. after he had been on ajoumey. his dog returned home without him, Alarmed. Margaret followed the dog into the woods where she found Arsenio‘s brutally murdered body (Laughlin. 1967b). Grieving. she took all the gifis he had given her and returned them to his family. She attempted to return to her father's house. but her stepmother would not allow it (Scott. 2006).


lnadia in Religious Mystics and Catholic Saints 273 1979). For example, soon after her fall. she developed walking difficulties. headaches. and violent pains in her teeth. Over the next 34 years. Lidwina's condition gradually deteriorated. After her fall. Lidwina acquired fame as a holy woman and healer (Albers. 1907). She fasted continually during the 28 years she was bedridden. rarely slept. and was often found in a state of ecstasy (Bynum. I987; Vandereycken & van Deth. 1994). She had a variety of paranonnal experiences. including having visions of Christ and stigmata (Albers, 1907) Lidwina claimed to have the gift of bilocation; the ability to be in more than one place at the same time (Albrecht. 2006). The tenn has been used in a wide range of historical and philosophical systems. including early Greek philosophy, shamanism. the paranormal. and numerous religions and branches of mysticism (Heath. 2003; McGovem_. 2007). On one occasion. Lidwina said Jesus had taken her to Golgotha. the place where he was crucified (Albrecht. 2006). Witnesses claimed that—although Lidwina had not left her bed—there suddenly appeared ulcers on her lips. wounds on her arms. marks of thorns on her forehead. and splinters in her anns. The tom: officials of Schiedam. her hometomi. created a document attesting to her complete lack of food and sleep (Bynum. 1987). The document stated that Lidwina shed skin. bones. and intestines. which her parents kept in a vase on a mantle. and which gave off a sweet odor. These items attracted so much attention that Lidwina asked her mother to discard them (Bynum, 1987).

Catherine of Genoa

Saint Catherine of Genoa was born Caterina Fieschi in 1447, the youngest of five children (Capes. 1907). She was an Italian mystic best known for her "mystico-prophetical works" (Schaff, Jackson. & Schaff. l894.p.42l) When she was 13. she attempted to enter a convent. but the nuns would not accept her (Capes. 1907). At 16. Catherine was married by anangement to Giuliano Adomo. who she soon discovered was unfaithful and a spendthrift (Famrer. I978). In 1473, when Catherine was 26. she had a mystical experience while in the midst of a confession with a priest (Hug. 1967). After this event. she dedicated her life to social work. going into Genoa's slums to help the sick and poor. Four years later. her husband was converted and began working with her. Although Giuliano later became a Franciscan tertiary. Catherine was never associated with a religious order. In 1479,

She was heavily influenced by Savonarola. a Dominican monk and religious zealot who was burned at the stake in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence near her home (Benjamin. 2006). Moved by Savonarola's message of mysticism and extreme religiosity. Domenica became a nun at 25 and eventually established a convent for nuns in the Dominican reform of Savonarola (Bell. 1985; Benjamin, 2006; Verbillion, 1967). When Domenica first began fasting. she would fast for 3 to 40 days (Bell. 1985). In between fasting. she consumed only herbs. tubers. small bits of fruit, and plain water, and she always ate on her knees while praying. She would often throw up the food she ate. vomiting to the point that her teeth became rotten and fell out (Bell. 1985). Eventually. Domcnica stopped eating altogether and fasted for the last 20 years of her life. eating only the Eucharist (Bynum. 1987; Vandereycken & van Deth. I994). Domenica claimed to have numerous visions. including apparitions of Columbia Rieti ascending to heaven (Verbillion, 1967) and others of God (Hcrzig. 2008). In addition to fasting and experiencing visions. Domenica self—flageIlated (Lipsedge. 1996) and bore the marks of stigmata (Hmek & Sheppard. 1932). At one point. the Catholic Church brought her up on charges of witchcrafi and suspected heresy. She was placed under the care and direction of a local vicar who was told to "conect her and restore her mental health“ (as cited in Bell. 1985. p. 166).

Nicholas of Fliie

Saint Nicholas of Flue. bom in I417. was a Swiss hennit and ascetic who is the patron saint of Switzerland (Cruz. I987). He was born into a family of wealthy peasants (Boos. I999). At the age of 2|. he entered the military and fought the battle of Ragas (Ott. I907), Around the age of 25. he married a farmer‘s daughter and had five sons and five daughters (Ott. I907). Afier leaving the anny. he had a successful career as a lawyer and ajudge (B005. 1967). Around 1467. Nicholas received a mystical vision. and decided to devote himself entirely to the contemplative life (Collins. 2008). With his wife's consent. he lcfi her and their ten children and began living as a hennit (Collins, 2008). Nicholas was known for his extensive fasting and he claimed to have survived for 20 years with no food except for the Eucharist (B_mum. 1987; Vandereyeken & van Dcth, I994). His reputation for wisdom and piety was such that figures from across Europe came to seek advice from him. and he was known to all as


Brother Klaus

(Yates, I989). When Nicholas died in 1487, he was surrounded by his wife and children. In 1951. Carl Jung published a paper suggesting that Nicholas had been able to live without food because he received a mysterious infusion of albumin from other people (as cited in Vandereycken & van Deth. I994, p. 108). Albumin is the main protein in human blood. In addition to Nicholas. there were numerous other holy men who engaged in fasting.

Peter of Luxembourg (d. 1386) and James Oldo (cl. 1404) both attempted long fasts but ceased when they were told to do so by their superiors (B_mum. I987: Counihan & Van Esterik. 2007). Other examples include Aelred of Ricvaulx (d. 1167) who was said to have fasted intennittently for over one year. Facio of C remona (d. 1272) who dry fasted for 72 days. and John Beret (d. I463) who died imitating Jesus’ fast of 40 days (Bynum. I987: Mursell. 200]). Saint Francis of Assisi (d. I226) also emulated Jesus’ fast. but he stopped at 39 days out of fear that he might be tempted to think he was as holy as Jesus (Howell. 2009). Gennan mystic Henry Suso (d. 1366). John the Good of Mantua (d. 1249), and Peter of Luxembourg (d. 1386) all fasted to the point of wrecking their digestion but made it clear that they never quit eating entirely nor lost their desire for food (Counihan & Van Esterik. 2007; Mursell. 2001). Acknowledgement of a desire to eat may have been one of the more prominent differences between the fasting habits of male and female mystics. In the book S/arving_/or Salvation: The Spiritual Dimensions of Eating Problems Among American Girls and Women, Michelle Mary Lelwica (2002) said the following when comparing the aseeticism of male and female holy figures: Medieval Christian holy men also practiced ascetieism. but fasting for them was merely one of several forms of renunciation (alongside poverty. chastity. and mortification of the flesh). For medieval women. hunger, food. fasting. and feeding were the central means and metaphors for becoming one with Christ's sufferings, for achieving holiness. and for saving souls. (p. 27) There were few male saints who were as extreme food ascetics as their female contemporaries. Suso was among the most dedicated to intense fasting. primarily because he modeled his practices after those of the female saints (Bynum, 1987). However. he never developed the distaste for food so often expressed by his female counterparts.

I truly believe all these "cargo-culting" Christians here seem to forget that Jesus was a man and he fastest for 40 days.

breatharianism, is an ancient belief, older than the retold Jesus story that the cargo-culting christians keep regurgitating to you, notice they all keep saying "they belief" or 'it is my understanding" Oddly enough the story of thier jesus stemmed from stories of the sun and the 12 galactic rotations retold and changed to manipulate the mind of the feeble individuals.

I do not however reccomend that you immediately start sun gazing until you have detoxified your body, and slowly weened yourself of the addictive chemicals in processed food.

If this method of living works for you i can guarantee 100% satisfaction.

So much ignorance the world leaders have everyone brainwashed and in consent fear of things they dont understand, i am a breatharian i live off sun/moon gazing and we also pull what we need into our bodys from the atmosphere (eating air) satan has nothing to do with this also why the hell do you think he's an angel of light the bible says he transforms into an angel of light as we all will light is good and dark is bad it is all of our destinies to become angels of light, please do not go stare at the sun until your ready and have the knowledge of how to safely do so, you will go blind.