Inedia is the alleged ability to live without food.

A Breatharian is someone who believes that food (and possibly water) are not necessary for human sustenance. Breatharians claim that the body can be sustained solely by prana (the vital life force in Hinduism), or according to some, by the energy in sunlight.

Breatharianism or inedia may also refer to this philosophy practiced as a lifestyle in place of the usual diet. While it is often seen as an esoteric practice performed by eastern ascetics, recently some groups such as the have promoted the practice as 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 this practice in the long term would die of starvation (if abstaining from food) or dehydration (if abstaining from food and water). Breatharians have seldom submitted themselves to medical testing and currently there is no evidence to support their claims.

James Randi has this to say about Breatharianism:

There are some claims that are far too implausible to warrant any serious examination, such as the "Breatharian" claims in which the applicant states that he can survive without food or water. Science conclusively tells us all we need to know about such matters, and the JREF feels no obligation to engage applicants in such delusions.

The idea of a "Breatharian" was explored on the FX show "Starved," where one of the main characters tried this concept in order to lose weight.

Jasmuheen

Jasmuheen (born

In 1999, she volunteered to be monitored closely by Australia's 60 Minutes for one week without eating to demonstrate her methods.

Greve claimed that she failed because on the first day of the test she had been confined in a hotel room near a busy road, saying that the stress and pollution kept her from getting the nutrients she needed from the air. “I asked for fresh air. Seventy percent of my nutrients come from fresh air. I couldn’t even breathe,” she said. On the third day the test moved to a mountainside retreat where she could get plenty of fresh air and live happily. After Greve had fasted for four days, Dr. Berris Wink, president of the Queensland branch of the Australian Medical Association, urged her to stop the test.

According to the doctor, Greve’s pupils were dilated, her speech was slow, she was "quite dehydrated, probably over 10 per cent, getting up to 11 per cent." Towards the end of the test, he said, "Her pulse is about double what it was when she started. The risks if she goes any further are kidney failure. 60 Minutes would be culpable if they encouraged her to continue. She should stop now." The test was stopped. Dr. Wink said, "Unfortunately there are a few people who may believe what she says, and I'm sure its only a few, but I think it's quite irresponsible for somebody to be trying to encourage others to do

She challenged the results of the program, saying, "Look, 6,000 people have done this around the world without any problem." Though she has thousands of followers, mostly in Germany, there is no evidence that any have lived for long periods of time without any food at all.

Jasmuheen was awarded the Bent Spoon Award by Australian Skeptics in 2000 ("presented to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle").

Jasmuheen claims that their beliefs are based on the writings and "more recent channelled material" of the Count of St Germain.

She claims that her DNA has expanded from 2 to 12 strands, to "absorb more hydrogen". When offered $30,000 to prove her claim with a blood test, she said that she didn't understand the relevance.

Deaths

The well-publicized deaths of 49-year-old Australian-born Scotland resident Verity Linn, 31-year-old Munich kindergarten teacher Timo Degen, and 53-year-old Melbourne resident Lani Marcia Roslyn Morris while attempting to enter the Breatharian "diet" have drawn further criticism of the idea. Jim Vadim Pesnak, 63, and his wife Eugenia, 60, went to jail for three years on charges of manslaughter for their involvement in the death of Morris.

Verity Lynn, the Scottish woman who inadvertently killed herself by choosing the Breatharian "diet" was a nominee for the 1999 Darwin Awards. She "took to the highlands", the article says, "with only a tent and her grit and determination." She died of hypothermia and dehydration, aggravated by lack of food. Jasmuheen claimed that her death was brought on by a psycho-spiritual problem, rather than a physiological one.

Jasmuheen has denied any involvement with the three deaths and claims she cannot be held responsible for the actions of her followers. In reference to the death of Lani Morris, she said that perhaps Morris was "not coming from a place of integrity and did not have the right motivation."

Prahlad Jani

Prahlad Jani, a fakir, spent ten days under strict observation by physicians in Ahmedabad, India in 2003. During the observation, he was given only 100 millilitres of water a day to use as mouthwash, which was collected and measured after he used it, to make sure he hadn't consumed any. Throughout the observation, he passed no urine or stool, but doctors say urine appeared to form in the bladder, only to be reabsorbed. However, despite Jani's claim to have gone without food for decades, Jani was not engaged in strenuous exercise during the ten-day trial, and longer trials were not recorded under similarly strict observation. Further, his weight did drop slightly during the 10 days to later stabilize, casting some doubt on his claim to go indefinitely without food. Jani claims a goddess sustains him through nectar that filters down through a hole in his palate.

The Indian Rationalists label him a "village fraud."

Yan Xin

Dr. Yan Xin, a practitioner of Chinese Qigong and other esotericisms, and some of his followers claim to have lived for months and years without eating. However, there is no scientifically confirmed evidence of this.

See also

• Fasting
• Esotericism
• Mysticism
• New Age
• Spirituality

Case studies

• — article about Prahlad Jani, who claims to have not eaten anything in 68 years
• — article about Dr. Michael Werner, who claims to have not eaten anything in four years
• — article about Hira Ratan Manek, who claims to have eaten no food since 1995

Criticism

• from the Rick Ross Institute for Cults, Destructive Cults, Controversial Groups and Movements

Breatharian niejedzenie