The Solution to World Hunger
May 17th, 2010
It would make sense that a solution to world hunger could have occurred in a country that has such a high poverty rate, and believe it or not, it is actually much less complex than you would think…….
Just don’t eat.
Prahlad Jani Mataji, who resides from a rural northern village in Gujarat, India, has supposedly survived without food and water for over seventy years! He claims a goddess, who nourishes him enough to survive all these years, has blessed him. Prahlad is a holy man that left his family at the age of seven to find his religious calling. Whether or not he actually has not eaten or drank water in seventy years is uncertain, but he has gone through two different medical studies of 10 and 14 days to test if it possible. The results were astonishing. He never passed a stool or urinated in either study and didn’t show any signs of muscle loss, fatigue, or dehydration. Also, tests on his brain showed that it is functioning at a level for a 25 year old rather than a man of 82 years of age.
Prahlad’s normal day is mostly filled with yoga and meditation, and it is thought that he receives his nourishment from energy sources other than food and water. Considered a “breatharian,” some doctors believe he takes energy from the environment because of his spiritual awareness. Even though it is unsure how Mr. Mataji is able to survive, hopefully these medical tests will give us some answers. I am truly shocked that a holy man with very few personal possessions is possibly holding the key to survival without food and water. Maybe it can’t stop world hunger, but it could definitely give a person a better chance to survive in harsh conditions for an extended period of time.
It seems as though Prahlad’s abilities stem from his rigorous routine of yoga and meditation, but what is so special about his practices compared to other yogi’s? Holy men have lived similar lives for centuries without being able to survive without basic necessities. Since other yogi’s are not capable of what Prahlad Mataji is doing, do you think that an average person could become a “breatharian?” Is it possible that this man has defied everything we understand of western medicine or do you think he is a fraud? Personally, I am leaning towards believing this holy man but I am not completely sold, and neither are the Indian military doctors, who are conducting ongoing research to try to understand this anomaly (Click here for the article).
-Frederick Peemoeller
Entry Filed under: 2010 Student Blogs, India, Misc.
13 Comments Add your own
1. Erika Bylund | May 21st, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Fred, I think your example highlights the power and potential of the human mind. One can’t help but wonder how he did it! Although, maybe it isn’t so surprising after all. The Japanese tend to have longer life spans than westerners, in part due to the better quality of the foods they eat, but also because of the reduced daily caloric intake as well. One article I read online at MSN.com last year suggested that by cutting down your calorie intake by 20%, one could actually add longevity to his or her life! But at the same time, the ability to thrive without intaking fluids is more amazing.
If you ask me, I definitely believe that a person can control his physical body with the mind. More and more articles are testifying to the ability to heal the body with positive thinking. Just read the book, “The Secret,” to hear one take on the issue. I think this awareness of the power of the mind will become highlighted more and more in the coming years, and that is where I think the new frontier of science lies.
2. Jay Ponto | May 22nd, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Prahlad Jani Mataj is as much as a fraud as the researchers who conducted the tests on him. It’s no wonder they both managed to come up with this ridiculous story that defies any sense of modern science or medicine. Any answers the medical tests might give will undoubtedly be cloaked in the same type of nonsense. The human body cannot survive without food of some sort, let alone not having water for more than a short week.
Besides, if this story really was true, why wasn’t it all over the news like when Dolly the sheep was cloned? After all, until then cloning a mammal was theoretically possible but never physically performed. This isn’t even theoretically possible - it’s absurd!
Overall, I enjoy a little fiction here and there, and this piece was entertaining. If anyone out there believes this story and feels the urge to become a ‘breather,’ I encourage you to contact your nearest goddess and call in your first order of nectar. Good luck with that one.
3. John Barry | May 24th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
No average person can become a “breatharian” because it would have already been done before. I’ve tried for years to keep my expenses on food to the bare minimum in order to finance my mostly liquid diet, but 60% of the time, this leads to hunger every time. I’ve also been blessed by goddesses before, but the nourishing effects are mostly spiritual and if anything, have an inverse relationship with my ability to go on without food. I’m not saying that Fred made this all up and wrote this story under the pseudonym Terrence Aym, I’m just suggesting, that the individual responsible for this National Enquireresque article probably didn’t put their real name on it.
All kidding aside though, if there turns out to be any legitimacy to Prahlad Jani Mataji’s impossible claim, I will not leave India without meeting this man. Awesome story - it’s just that it inspires TOO much awe.
4. Lindsay Leaver | May 25th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
You guys are such haters! I totally believe it! Anything is possible if you master the mind/body/soul relationship. I have read books about real accounts and seeing yogi’s levitate. LEVITATE. That is like flying!
As a yogi myself, I am hungry all the time, and if I don’t eat I get super cranky. I am no where near this point of enlightenment, but I do believe it is possible. There are huge possibilities if you believe. Any average person could reach this point, but it takes practice, time, energy, and above all belief.
Are we really to the point where we are so cynical that we can’t believe in the power of energy and the human mind. We have created computers, electricity, the wheel, and guns for crying out loud? Why can’t we evolve to be above the need for food?
Awesome article/post Fred!
5. Emily Schaapveld | May 25th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Like Jay, it is very intriguing to me as well that if this story were true, why was it not pasted all over the news? And why aren’t there thousands of researchers pounding at his door to test whether this is actually possible? It is amazing what you can do if you “put your mind to it”…but come on, not eat or drink for 70 years?
6. Tim Lynds | May 26th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Whether it is true or not its still an interesting story to consider. I am leaning towards a farce in this case, but I am in full agreement that one can gain greater control over his or her own body by just using their mind. Even with limited hard and fast evidence of the healing powers of the mind, there is still a huge body of research results that more than hint at how powerful the mind can be.
One more comment about this post is that fact that most people in our culture, including myself, would completely dismiss this story immediately because of its spiritual implications. We as Americans love and trust scientific medicine and hold it to a godly status. We often discount spiritual medicinal practices as they often have no scientific proof to back them as well as our perception that we have less ‘control’ over these practices. I say we give these alternative medicinal practices a chance. I mean hey, they have been around for thousands of years and are they really more far-fetched than some our own beliefs about how humans came to exist on this planet?
7. Catherine Kristensen | June 4th, 2010 at 11:16 am
The dialog on this blog topic is one of my favorites so far this year. Seeing each of your varied reactions to this topic is enlightening. Frankly, I could care less if he has really gone 70 years without food or water. Fourteen days is amazing enough to me!
This topic intrigued me enough to do a little research and I found this video:
http://www.rabihdagher.com/blog/2010/05/prahlad-jani-mataji-the-indian-hermit-with-no-food-or-water-for-more-than-70-years/
BBC is no National Enquirer - they are a pretty reputable source and seeing their take on this issue was interesting. Watching Prahlad Jani Mataji in action (though ‘action’ is a strong word in his case) helps to show how small and frail he is and how limited his motions are. It makes his claim seem more believable, though I still have my doubts…
8. Terrence Aym | June 4th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
@John Barry: I assure you that Fred is not Terrence Aym. I am Terrence Aym and the author of the article you are debating. If you read the article you’ll note I do not claim that the yogi’s claim is true or untrue. I simply have reported the facts and the events to date.
9. Jeff | June 4th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
I have to agree with Jay on this one. This reminds me of the Yogi’s that are “levitating” in the village center for all to see (and to collect money). Just don’t get too close or you’ll observe that the “staff” in his hand is actually a steel bar that has a platform welded to it that he’s perched on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etSivpBHUmE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2Kz8FzruvQ&feature=related
I think the fact that some people believe Prahlad Mataji’s story is a symptom of our school system’s failure in that it produces specialists that aren’t generalists enough to understand elementary science. I can understand the desire to believe in supernatural events, I would like to believe that I could perform amazing feats like going without food or water for a lifetime with nothing more than dedication and study, but it’s not going to happen. We are living in a supernatural time from our understanding and use of science… just look at the iPhone… a hundred years ago, it would have been viewed as supernatural. In our reality, it was “conjured up” with real knowledge and by utilizing ideas borne from using the “scientific method”.
I understand and respect TM and the physicality of Yoga, and I’ve spent time, in days past, meditating in an Epsom Salt Water isolation chamber like those at the Esalen Retreat in Big Sur. Why ? I was curious about its effect on the state-of-mind. There were many purported benefits. It was an interesting experience that gave me a different perspective on life, and it felt great…but ultimately, reality kicks in when you need to go back to work and function in a profession that isn’t meditation.
I think there are many facets of existence that we don’t know about, but some that we do know about are the laws of thermodynamics. If Prahlad Mataji’s not at the same temperature of the air around him, if his blood is pumping, and if he is breathing, he is consuming energy (food). If he’s sweating, he’s drinking liquid. Looking at one of several videos on YouTube it was reported that he does partake of several “drops” of “nectar” occasionally.
Before I would place my hope for a food free world using him as an example, I’d do a lot more study and find out a lot more details about his life.
10. Frederick Peemoeller | June 4th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
I just wanted to point out that I found this article originally on yahoo, but later when I searched for it I found it at the website above. Therefore, it did make headline news. Here are some more links on youtube that people might find interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS7xFzgI_34
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onA7eLPKNp0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDBz-VbMMQY&feature=fvw
11. Phil Hamer | June 6th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Like everyone else, I have my doubts in this, but I believe it is healthy to be somewhat skeptical about everything but also somewhat open and put things to the test.
I didn’t believe in palm reading until I visited a palm reader. I didn’t believe in hypnotism until I went to a small hypnotist show and talked to the hypnotist. A lot of people don’t believe in prayer, but I know it works. I’ve learned not to completely discount anything just because it isn’t scientific enough until I’ve experienced it myself. Perhaps there are some sciences that we don’t understand or our minds are too shallow to grasp.
I have to disagree with Jeff. If our school systems leave room for a little belief in the unexplained and the sensational, then that is a positive thing. Not that I think that our school systems have anything to do with it either way.
I wish a goddess would come down and feed me. I get sick of spending money on food and what a waste of time! In my ideal world I would just eat for enjoyment and not survival.
12. Wiliam Ary | June 10th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
I am in conflict over this kind of thing. I am very much a skeptical, scientific person and for most of my life I was inclined to believe that all such claims of the supernatural or paranormal are faked. I have read numerous books on magic, con artistry and the psychology of belief, so I have a pretty solid foundation on how and why people would fake such feats.
However, recently during second week, I spent a week in the mountains north of Santa Cruz taking a class in wilderness survival from someone who could easily be called a fraud for being able to identify such things as cancer and depression just by examining a footprint. After that week, I am utterly convinced that this is perfectly possible to do- it just requires a lifetime of practice and a heightened awareness. I have also read books my Harvard doctors and scientist that seem to indicate that such superhuman feats may indeed be possible. At this point I don’t know what to believe anymore, but I will definitely be approaching this topic with an open mind.
13. Matthew Perez | June 11th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Even in the remote possibility that a person could simply exercise control over their natural requirement for sustenance, I doubt many people would be capable of this. From the article description, it seems that Prahlad only meditates and practices yoga. Most people cannot spend their days this alone, though. Still, it would be an impressive nevertheless. I know I can’t survive more than a couple hours without food, much less years.
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