Sungazer’s survey

The First Sungazing List Group Sungazer’s Survey

Some Preliminary Results after First 56 Responses


Author:Vinny Pinto, MA
Revision # : 1.3

Rev. Date: 6/13/2004



Introduction
Here are some preliminary results from the first Sungazer’s survey administered by the Sungazing list group, offering a simple question-by-question analysis of answer percentages. At this point, almost one month after the survey was started, the survey has accumulated 56 responses (e.g., it was answered by 56 persons…). A more complex analysis would examine cross-question correlations, and would be able to offer observations such as (examples):

“significantly more females and males reported health improvements”
“persons who had sungazed for at least one year and at least 4 times per week were far more likely to report decrease in need for solid food”
persons who had been sungazing for over five years and who gazed near mid-day were more likely to have reported ‘xxxxxx’.
(note: above statements were examples only!)



By the way, the entire raw data set for this survey, including respondent-by-respondent data, is available to any list members who wish to perform further analysis such as cross-item correlative studies. If you wish access to this data set, please ask me (Vinny.)



A Question: Was this a “truly scientific” survey?
Well, I speak here as a trained degreed scientist and statistician who has spent years teaching and training university professors, scientists and graduate students in statistical survey methods, and here are my observations:

Please realize that over 98% of all surveys administered even under scientific auspices, for example, by credentialed scientific researchers working for a legitimate academic institution (such as a university) are not truly “scientific”, and are far more limited in scope, often deliberately so, in order to conserve time and money. Further, many scientific researchers would contend (I do not agree with them) that no survey could be considered to be truly “scientific” unless administered only to a very large number of persons who were part of a well-controlled experiment where their food intake, water intake, sungazing and other activities were carefully monitored, and who were being reimbursed for their time and energy.

As for this current survey: it is quite “scientific” in many ways, but to be fully scientific, it would have needed to meet also the following criteria:

Responses from at least 41 sungazers (we reached that number of responses by May 24…) By the way, for normal surveys of “normal” populations and “normal” population samples, the minimum number of responses needed (known as “minimum sample size”) for scientific accuracy could have been as low as from 20 to 34 persons. Due to the “specialness” and “uniqueness” of sungazers and sungazing, and to the inter-group variance (variability in various traits, behaviors and demographics among sungazers), that minimum sample number rises to at least 41, and might be as high as 68 or more if the study were to be done in a really rigorous fashion.
For each response from a member of the list group, there would have been needed one response from a sungazer who does not belong to the list group. So, if a total of 48 persons from the SG list group had responded, we would have needed an additional 48 responses from sungazers who do not belong to the list group.
In line with the above note, the survey would have needed to include a question (Y/N) asking if the respondent belonged (currently or at any time in the past 3 months) to the SG list group.
The survey would also need to have been administered to two control groups (about 41 persons in each group):
Non-sungazers who often eat largely eat raw diets, who meditate and have spiritual interests
Non-sungazers from general population who do not meet the above criteria
The survey would also have needed to have had a number of additional questions, often known as control questions, assessing the following:
Education level, for assessment of socio-economic status (SES)
Family Income level, for assessment of socio-economic status (SES)
Other demographics (country, region, rural/city, language)
Marital/relationship status
Diet
Meditative practices
Yoga
Other spiritual practices
Level of consumption of prescription drugs
Level of consumption of alcoholic beverages
Level of consumption of street drugs
A few other miscellaneous control questions


Unfortunately, such a “fully scientific” survey would have been very expensive and time-consuming to design, administer and there would have been problems even in finding enough persons for each “group”, and would have demanded the efforts of at least 3 full-time persons working for a least one month. So, instead I chose instead to create a useful tool which would simply give us some insights into the practices of sungazers, as well as the results which they seem to notice. So this survey, like most surveys, is not rigorously scientific, but rather a useful survey.



Results
Here are the results, on a question-by-question basis:





Sungazer Survey #1



Organization Name:

NA

Total Responses:

56

Survey Code:

Sungaz124319

Run Date:

6/13/2004 5:48:54 PM



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What is your age?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


0-15 yrs.
0
0.00%
0.00%


16-21 yrs.
2
3.57%
3.57%


22-30 yrs.
6
10.71%
10.71%


31-45 yrs.
18
32.14%
32.14%


46-59 yrs.
26
46.43%
46.43%


60-80 yrs.
4
7.14%
7.14%


81+ yrs.
0
0.00%
0.00%


Answered
56
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
56
100.00%





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What is your gender?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


Female
17
30.36%
30.36%


Male
39
69.64%
69.64%


Transgendered
0
0.00%
0.00%


Transvestite
0
0.00%
0.00%


Confused
0
0.00%
0.00%


Other
0
0.00%
0.00%


Answered
56
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
56
100.00%





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When sungazing, have you ever seen the sun as a purple, black, gray, but not blue) disk?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


never
32
57.14%
59.26%


once
4
7.14%
7.41%


2-5X
9
16.07%
16.67%


5-10X
3
5.36%
5.56%


10+ times
6
10.71%
11.11%


Answered
54
96.43%



Unanswered
2
3.57%



Total
56
100.00%





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When sungazing, have you ever seen the sun as a blue disk?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


never
37
66.07%
67.27%


1X
3
5.36%
5.45%


2-5X
3
5.36%
5.45%


5-10X
2
3.57%
3.64%


10+ times
10
17.86%
18.18%


Answered
55
98.21%



Unanswered
1
1.79%



Total
56
100.00%





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When sungazing, have you ever seen the sun as concentric light/dark or colored rings/circles?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


never
24
42.86%
42.86%


1X
3
5.36%
5.36%


2-5X
8
14.29%
14.29%


6-10X
2
3.57%
3.57%


10+ times
19
33.93%
33.93%


Answered
56
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
56
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



What is your average sungazing time per session?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


none
0
0.00%
0.00%


less than 1 minute
2
3.57%
3.57%


1-5 minutes
17
30.36%
30.36%


6-10 minutes
15
26.79%
26.79%


11-20 minutes
11
19.64%
19.64%


21-30 minutes
3
5.36%
5.36%


31-44 minutes
5
8.93%
8.93%


45-60 minutes
0
0.00%
0.00%


over an hour
0
0.00%
0.00%


I have completed my sungazing; I rarely gaze anymore
3
5.36%
5.36%


Answered
56
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
56
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



How long have you been sungazing?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


not at all
0
0.00%
0.00%


1-30 days
13
23.21%
23.21%


1-3 months
11
19.64%
19.64%


4-12 months
19
33.93%
33.93%


1-2 years
5
8.93%
8.93%


3-5 years
1
1.79%
1.79%


5-10 years
0
0.00%
0.00%


10-20 years
4
7.14%
7.14%


20-30 years
1
1.79%
1.79%


30+ years
2
3.57%
3.57%


Answered
56
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
56
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



How often do you sungaze on average, weather permitting?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


never
0
0.00%
0.00%


daily
28
50.00%
50.00%


4-6x/wk
11
19.64%
19.64%


2-3x/wk
12
21.43%
21.43%


1x/wk
1
1.79%
1.79%


1-3x/month
1
1.79%
1.79%


1-11x/year
1
1.79%
1.79%


I have completed my sungazing; I rarely gaze anymore
2
3.57%
3.57%


Answered
56
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
56
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



When you sungaze, at what time of day do you usually sungaze?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


within 30 minutes of sunrise/sunset
12
21.43%
21.82%


within 1 hour of sunrise/sunset
33
58.93%
60.00%


1-2 hrs. from sunrise/sunset
4
7.14%
7.27%


2-3 hrs. from sunrise/sunset
1
1.79%
1.82%


between 10:30 AM and 3:00 PM (high sun)
4
7.14%
7.27%


high noon -- highest sun
1
1.79%
1.82%


not applicable
0
0.00%
0.00%


Answered
55
98.21%



Unanswered
1
1.79%



Total
56
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Why did you start sungazing (please pick up to 5 choices)?

Multiple Choice: Select All That Apply

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


inner guidance
31
55.36%
55.36%


sounded neat to me
8
14.29%
14.29%


want to become immortal/younger
7
12.50%
12.50%


want to gain supernatural powers/siddhis
8
14.29%
14.29%


want to achieve inedia (not-eating)
13
23.21%
23.21%


want to heal perceived mental or emotional problems
19
33.93%
33.93%


want to heal perceived physical health problems
22
39.29%
39.29%


want to become enlightened
24
42.86%
42.86%


want to become famous
0
0.00%
0.00%


want to be different from others
3
5.36%
5.36%


a website, book or teacher made lots of promises about SG
4
7.14%
7.14%


none of the above
4
7.14%
7.14%


Answered
56
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
56
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Have you regularly noticed, as a result of sungazing, changes in energy levels?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


no significant change
15
29.41%
29.41%


increased
25
49.02%
49.02%


greatly increased
10
19.61%
19.61%


reduced
1
1.96%
1.96%


greatly reduced
0
0.00%
0.00%


Answered
51
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
51
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Have you regularly noticed, as a result of sungazing, changes in sexual energy?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


no significant change
23
45.10%
45.10%


increased
20
39.22%
39.22%


greatly increased
7
13.73%
13.73%


decreased
1
1.96%
1.96%


greatly decreased
0
0.00%
0.00%


Answered
51
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
51
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Have you regularly noticed, as a result of sungazing, changes in how attractive or appealing others find you?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


no significant change
21
41.18%
42.00%


increase
22
43.14%
44.00%


great increase
6
11.76%
12.00%


decrease
1
1.96%
2.00%


great decrease
0
0.00%
0.00%


Answered
50
98.04%



Unanswered
1
1.96%



Total
51
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Have you regularly noticed, as a result of sungazing, a change in your need for food? (water need is NOT included in this question…)

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


about the same, no significant change
24
47.06%
47.06%


increased need
1
1.96%
1.96%


greatly increased need
0
0.00%
0.00%


decreased need
22
43.14%
43.14%


greatly decreased need
3
5.88%
5.88%


no longer eat solid food (at least 50 days of not-eating)
1
1.96%
1.96%


Answered
51
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
51
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Have you ever studied or trained with a sungazing guru or teacher? You may select up to four choices.

Multiple Choice: Select All That Apply

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


Hira Manek
7
13.73%
14.58%


Patrick Flanagan
0
0.00%
0.00%


Gene Savoy
1
1.96%
2.08%


Jasmuheen
1
1.96%
2.08%


Sunyogi Umasankar
0
0.00%
0.00%


Acharya Jowel
0
0.00%
0.00%


Mason Dwinell
1
1.96%
2.08%


a strange secretive cult that I cannot name
0
0.00%
0.00%


other (not named) from India
3
5.88%
6.25%


other (not named) from Europe
0
0.00%
0.00%


other (not named) from USA/Canada
2
3.92%
4.17%


other (not named) from Asia (other than India)
1
1.96%
2.08%


none of the above
35
68.63%
72.92%


Answered
48
94.12%



Unanswered
3
5.88%



Total
51
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Have you regularly noticed, as a result of sungazing, any of the following? (okay to pick more than one, up to 6)

Multiple Choice: Select All That Apply

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


bliss or joy
32
62.75%
62.75%


anxiety or fear
2
3.92%
3.92%


peace or calm
44
86.27%
86.27%


headaches
7
13.73%
13.73%


eye pain or sinus pain
4
7.84%
7.84%


burning eyes
4
7.84%
7.84%


perceptible visual damage (defects in vision)
1
1.96%
1.96%


blind spots in vision
2
3.92%
3.92%


hallucinations
0
0.00%
0.00%


none of the above
5
9.80%
9.80%


Answered
51
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
51
100.00%





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Have you regularly noticed, as a result of sungazing, changes in physical health?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


about the same; no significant change
22
43.14%
43.14%


improved
22
43.14%
43.14%


greatly improved
7
13.73%
13.73%


decreased
0
0.00%
0.00%


greatly decreased
0
0.00%
0.00%


became immortal and am currently over 135 years old
0
0.00%
0.00%


Answered
51
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
51
100.00%





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Have you noticed, as a result of sungazing, changes in your capacity for unconditional love?

Multiple Choice: Select Only One

Answer
Quantity
% of Total
% of Answered


about the same; no significant change
15
29.41%
29.41%


decrease
0
0.00%
0.00%


great decrease
0
0.00%
0.00%


increase
29
56.86%
56.86%


great increase
7
13.73%
13.73%


Answered
51
100.00%



Unanswered
0
0.00%



Total
51
100.00%





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END OF SURVEY RESULTS REPORT

http://www.rawpaleodiet.org/sungazing/sg-surv-1.htm