Who knows, children, what happens if you don't eat?

An 83-year-old Indian claims: I haven't eaten in over 70 years. Is it possible to live on air and sunlight?

Right kids. If you don't eat - you die.

Here, look what happened to spoiled Ezra:

But, it turns out not everyone is dead. There are individuals of virtue. really. I read in the newspaper:

An 83-year-old Indian claims: I haven't eaten in over 70 years
83-year-old Peralhad Jani swears he hasn't put anything in his mouth since he was 8. According to him, he is blessed by the gods who gave him the ability to abstain and survive without dependence on the substance. "The regular meditations I do provide me with the strength to live."

Every time I am amazed anew. Is there no limit to the nonsense people will claim? "People float by the power of thought", "People live without eating", is there no limit?! And what is amazing is that no matter how delusional the claim is, you will always find a group of believers who will embrace it warmly.

Good. I relax.
Let's examine the issue in a considered and serious way. Properly.

Here they report to us That eccentric was invited to a hospital for the purpose of checking his story. A team of senior scientists from the research unit of the Indian Ministry of Defense stayed there, 35 specialist doctors examined him continuously and a number of CCTV cameras monitored him day and night. For 15 days no food or drink came into his mouth. The only contact he had with water was when he showered occasionally (?) and gargled water (??), but the doctors assured that they measured the amount of water he spat back at the end of the gargle and not a single drop was missing (I wonder if they also measured the amount of water in which he showered). All the medical tests were completely normal and no abnormal function was found in his body, with the exception of the fact that he did not throw water or defecate even once during the entire period he was under surveillance.
As I recall, the man claims that he has been living this way for decades, so really, what are two more miserable weeks to him.

But not everyone was going to swallow the story eagerly.

Sanal Edamaruku, President of the Indian Skeptics Association Reveals more details about the affair. It turned out that sometimes Jenny did go out of range of the cameras. He was allowed to meet with fans and was even allowed to leave his room to soak up some warm sun rays. Adamroku asked to visit the place accompanied by a team of experts on his behalf who would take a look at the area, but he did not receive permission to do so on behalf of the directors of the "research".

(You can skip the video and start at 4:30)

This was not the first time that Shah, the doctor in charge of the test, was involved in this type of activity: in 2000 he tested a man for over a year and confirmed his claim that he was fed by solar energy only (and a little water), like the plants. In 2003, he even applied to NASA for funding for the first investigation of our friend Jenny, arguing that astronauts could benefit from the research on their long journeys in the future. In none of these "investigations" did he allow a third party to audit the process, and the shocking results were never published in a scientific journal.

A few more details about the doctor complete the picture: Shah is a devout believer in the Jain religion, and as president of the Indian Jain Physicians Union (a union whose purpose is to promote scientific inquiry and medical education based on the principles of Jainism), he proposes to unify the science of medicine, which is not yet perfect , with the Jain superscience, as discovered by India's Lord Mahavir. Interestingly, many of his team members also hold these beliefs, as well as his research partner regarding the Photosynthesis Man, who also served as the president of the Jain Physicians Union in question.

I think the clouds of mystery have almost completely dissipated.

For the dessert of the affair, I highly recommend watching James Randi talk about the case, in his graceful and lively way:

And for an Indian eccentric who has long since returned to his poor village, we will switch to the commercial version.
After all, what could be better than an amazing miracle story?
A miracle story that also brings in millions of course!
The man who fasted between meals

Wiley Brooks founded the American Breatharian Institute (those people who live on air. Yes. There are many of them, it turns out).
Recently he decided to dedicate 100% of his time to solving the strange problem he encountered - he still needs to eat occasionally to sustain his physical body. Brooks identified four factors that prevent him from living on air alone, and these are: human pollution, food pollution, air pollution and electronic pollution. in 2003 He confessed to one of the magazines Because he sometimes had to break his fast with a cheeseburger and Diet Coke, and explained that it was a homeopathic matter: being surrounded by a junk and garbage-eating culture, their consumption contributes to balance.

in the "e" sectionQuestions and answers from the fifth dimension” On his website he explains, among other things, that cows are fifth-dimensional (or higher) beings that help humanity reach fifth-dimensional status by converting three-dimensional food into five-dimensional food (beef). Brooks continues to enrich our nutritional knowledge and explains that McDonald's double cheeseburger portion has a special base frequency, which is why he recommends it as an occasional food for "life on air" beginners.

Brooks' institute charges impressive sums from prospective clients who want to learn how to live without food. Here, for example, is the "Immortality Workshop" which is now offered at a sale price of only one million dollars! Hurry up to register! Registration fees based on $100,000 only. No refunds. I am not kidding - Look for yourself!

The woman with the expanding DNA

Jasmuheen (or in her real name - Ellen Greve) used her professional experience in the field of business and made her fortune by selling books and tapes that explain her delusional theory.
"I can live for months and months on drinking tea alone," she boasts. According to her, she has been living on a diet of 300 calories a day (about one-seventh of the average intake for a very inactive adult) for 14 years. She achieves the completeness of the diet with the help of a drink loaded with cosmic particles or "micro-food" which she describes asPrana (Such life energy). She pointed out that she has not yet reached the level that allows her to live without that wonderful drink for more than short periods of time.

in a moment of honesty, The lady tells On small moments of weakness that attack her from time to time: "If I feel a little bored and want some taste, I fill my mouth with whatever food I feel like. For example, it can be chocolate, a mouthful of cheesecake or things like that." (Let me guess, she didn't count those calories).

Notice what she says about her people, the Australians: "Australians are naturally skeptical. Everything they don't understand they tend to categorize as "nonsense". I get the feeling of "we don't believe you, your claims are too extreme - prove it to us".

Right. We really don't believe you. Your claims are too extreme. Prove it to us!

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" - Carl Sagan

Apparently the pressure of these narrow-minded skeptical Australians who need proof for everything increased to the extent that it hindered her career. There was no choice. She agreed to participate in the Australian "60 Minutes" program, where she was supposed to demonstrate her claims.

After 48 hours of fasting she showed signs of progressive dehydration, stress and high blood pressure. The lady claimed it was because of the polluted air in the hotel room she was staying in. "I asked for clear air. 70% of the nutrients come from clear air. I couldn't even breathe." On the third day, she was transferred to a resort at the foot of the mountains, far from the big city, to her satisfaction. But as the hours passed, her speech slowed, her pupils dilated and she lost more than 6 kg of weight. After four days, she still claimed that she felt great.

But the doctor in charge was a little more worried. She was in advanced dehydration processes, her heart rate was already double the normal rate, and there was a real fear of kidney collapse. The production team stopped filming out of genuine fear for the lady's life.

After all, everyone probably knows the story of spoiled Ezra and remembers what happened to him on the fifth day.

The work of the New Age charlatan was treated with respect even by the skeptics. In 2000 she received the award "The curved spoon” from the Australian Skeptics Association (an award given to the claimant of the most ridiculous supernatural or pseudoscientific claim), and also the The Ig-Nobel for Literature, about her book "Living on Light", which explains that although some people do eat, they don't really need it.

But that's not the end of the nonsense she produces. Here they heard: her DNA was expanded from 2 strands to 12, to absorb more hydrogen. When she was offered $30,000 for a blood test that would prove her claim, she replied: "You can't see spiritual energy under a microscope."

James Randi from our acquaintance did not miss the opportunity and offered her in 2005 to participate inHis million dollar challenge, an amount you will receive if you prove her claims. But there was a condition for participation - the test will end only when she admits that she failed, not one minute before.

And why is Randy so ruthless you ask? He has good reasons for this. here it comes.
Suckers don't just change, they also die

If it was only about greedy and gullible charlatans who waste their money on nonsense, I'd be fine. But sometimes it ends worse.

At least three people have ended their lives after adopting Allen's revolutionary nutritional recommendations. The body of one of them (a 40-year-old woman, active in the New Age community in Scotland) Found in the tent together with one of the goddess's books. Her last days were recorded in her diary, during which she refused to eat and drink, believing that this would give her body "spiritual cleansing" and recharge her with physical and mental energy.

Alan of course had answers up his sleeve. The same answers that are so old and worn out that we hear every time some delusional treatment does not go well. You can already guess:

She (Ellen) has no moral responsibility for the actions of those who come her way.
Those who died probably lacked the necessary motivation and integrity.
If they didn't find the light to feed them, they actually just starved themselves.
The death was of psycho-spiritual and not physiological origin.

In short - the method cannot fail, the blame is always placed on the customers.

Update: Right after this post was published, Another woman died in the exact same circumstances.
That's the end of our journey for today. It started with a laugh at reading a silly headline in a newspaper, and ended with the deaths of people gullible enough to take this nonsense seriously.

Primary sources (including references to many secondary sources):

The Skeptic's Guide - Inedia

Inedia on Wikipedia

In a rare cosmic coincidence, it turns out that the members of the podcast "reasonable doubt" Review the issue here, in parallel. recommended.

And finally, another person who lives out of thin air