Man claims he ate, drank nothing for 70 years

[Queen in the North]

Probably healthier to starve.

Nibs

Definitely in the short long term

[Samael]

In the words of Sarah Brown, "Well, that's a lie".

[Professor Buzzkill]

Im sure there is a time lapse video of the buddha boy under a tree, who was there for months surrounded by followers, but the film crew filmed for three days,

5 part discovery special. But they could all be in on the "hoax"

Im a bit more open minded, as i do believe in the power of the mind.

[pimpo911]

it is possible, i myself through intense meditation and breathing techniques, i can go without food and water for 15 days but in my journey to Himalayas, i met with some yogis who meditate constantly without food or water for weeks just like Ram Bahadur Bomjon

[+HerNibs]

it is possible, i myself through intense meditation and breathing techniques, i can go without food and water for 15 days but in my journey to Himalayas, i met with some yogis who meditate constantly without food or water for weeks just like Ram Bahadur Bomjon

Well, that is up for debate -

Feats of inedia

See also: Inedia

According to the Guinness Book of Records the longest time a human has survived without water is 18 days[citation needed]. Bomjon, on the other hand, does not appear to break his meditation to eat or drink.

Skeptics point out that claims of surviving after several month fasting are physically impossible[16] and unsubstantiated as a screen[17] was placed in front of him between dusk and dawn. Bomjon was observed not to leave the tree at least during the daytime, but nobody was allowed to approach him too closely. Under such circumstances, he could have eaten at night when no one could see him do so.

Some supporters believe that discussions of inedia are irrelevant, and that the ability to sit nearly motionless in the same position day after day, with no regard for extremes of weather including a cold winter and a monsoon season, is notable. For example, American writer George Saunders visited Bomjon and observed him through a single night, and was impressed by Bomjon's perfectly still stature, even during an evening climate that seemed unbearably cold to the much better clothed journalist.[18]

In December 2005, a nine-member government committee led by Gunjaman Lama watched Bomjon carefully for 48 hours and observed him not to take any food or water during that time. A video recording was also made of this test. However, they were unable to approach closer than 3 meters or take readings of his vital signs.[19] The Nepalese government planned a more careful scientific study, but the study was never carried out.

In 2006, Discovery Channel showed a 45-minute documentary titled The Boy With Divine Powers. One of the aims was to establish whether Ram was indeed abstaining from all sustenance, water included, by filming him continuously for four days and nights. On their first attempt, in January 2006, the film crew was required to stay outside a guarded barbed-wire fence, and their camera's infrared capabilities did not pick up evidence of a body at the base of the tree where Bomjon sat during their non-stop recording. On a second attempt a few weeks later, however, the film crew was able to film Ram continuously for 96 hours, day and night, during which time he did not change his position and did not drink any fluids or eat any food. As Discovery Channel's commentator concluded: "After 96 hours of filming, Ram has defied modern science by continuing his meditation and remaining alive." According to scientists on the documentary, an average person would be expected to die from kidney failure after four days without drinking any fluids (although cases of inedia lasting for a whole week have been observed and the recorded Guinness World Record of inedia is eighteen days). The boy showed no signs of classical physical deterioration caused by dehydration. A close inspection by the film crew of the area around the tree where Ram was sitting revealed no hidden food supply or water pipes.

Nibs

[GreyWeather]

I wonder if he sparkles in the sun...

[Alien Being]

Well, that is up for debate -

Nibs

Has anyboy looked underneath him to see if he's being fed water via the exit if you get what I mean?

[+HerNibs]

Has anyboy looked underneath him to see if he's being fed water via the exit if you get what I mean?

From the article I linked to, it appears that the camera crew or discovery crew didn't find evidence of any pipes or tubes.

*shrug*

Don't know how close they could look.

Nibs

[Darkcore]

I invoke the rule of tree:

3 min. without air

6 days without water

9 week without food

Of course theses been beaten before, but 70 year... lol!

[Rhungobains]

Oh, Maharishi, what have you done? You made a fool of everyooone-uh-uh-un.

[psyche101]

Im sure there is a time lapse video of the buddha boy under a tree, who was there for months surrounded by followers, but the film crew filmed for three days,

5 part discovery special. But they could all be in on the "hoax"

Im a bit more open minded, as i do believe in the power of the mind.

Power of the mind is one thing

....

but 70 years?

I wonder what effect oxidants have on breatherians. He seems to be aging just like everyone else.

[Rhomphaia]

Alright, let's assume for the moment that this man's claim is true and look at this from a biology standpoint leading into physics.

He claims he needs no food or water to live, only air and some sort of energy. The human body needs water for a variety of things and needs a variety of minerals and chemicals to help build and repair the body. What would have to be taking place here is some sort of matter-matter or energy-matter conversion. We know it can be done, but we have never before been able to convert energy into specific substances directly. This would be a huge leap in physics if it were true. Also, if it were true, then humankind would, quite possibly, be catapulted from a Type Zero civilization to a Type Two civilization (by the Kardeshev Scale) almost overnight in terms of the sudden boost in energy and resource production we'd be capable of.

[Wickian]

Alright, let's assume for the moment that this man's claim is true and look at this from a biology standpoint leading into physics.

He claims he needs no food or water to live, only air and some sort of energy. The human body needs water for a variety of things and needs a variety of minerals and chemicals to help build and repair the body. What would have to be taking place here is some sort of matter-matter or energy-matter conversion. We know it can be done, but we have never before been able to convert energy into specific substances directly. This would be a huge leap in physics if it were true. Also, if it were true, then humankind would, quite possibly, be catapulted from a Type Zero civilization to a Type Two civilization (by the Kardeshev Scale) almost overnight in terms of the sudden boost in energy and resource production we'd be capable of.

Imagine if we could all live like the Jetsons and have our very own food dialer or Food-A-Rac-A-Cycle!

Edited April 30, 2010 by Wickian

[Rhomphaia]

Imagine if we could all live like the Jetsons and have our very own food dialer or Food-A-Rac-A-Cycle!

It would be a lot more advanced than that. The need to not eat would only be the beginning.

[J.B.]

We'd be much closer to God, that's for sure. And we'd completely need less resources.

/Looks forward to the day he can be like the Lion of Farside./

He's a fictional character in a fantasy series who could go with little food, and regulate his body temperature so he could go in the rain and snow without a coat, and come out perfectly fine. He tapped into the "web of the world" for energy, and only ate for two reasons: 1.) To replenish the minerals/vitamins all bodies need and 2.) for pleasure. His stomach still would have growled, even if he didn't need the energy, so he'd eat for comfort.

There's also the notion of symbioting ourselves with algae in a way where our energy comes from photosynthesis happening on our skin.

[Paracelse]

To be fair, I'm not sure anything at McDonald's is actually food...

*LOVES me the frenchfries*

yeah, I know how horrible they are for me...

Nibs

Nibs Freedom fries are actually not from freedom, but from Belgium...

[Solid Skeptic]

Let's see if he 'holds water' in a week or so.

Har har har

[Alien Being]

From the article I linked to, it appears that the camera crew or discovery crew didn't find evidence of any pipes or tubes.

*shrug*

Don't know how close they could look.

Nibs

The Indian rope trick shows just how devious these monks can be. Having a metal pole inserted down a length of rope and having a seat attached to the top which the monks robe hides is the biggest con going.

In all the reports of monks survivng dehydration and starvation I have never heard one group of journalists say they asked the monk to move. With deceit over the Indian rope trick I honesty believe it wouldnt be beyond a monk to have a tube inserted up his exit passage feeding him water, nutrients and calories.

Edited April 30, 2010 by Alien Being

[sam12six]

The Indian rope trick shows just how devious these monks can be. Having a metal pole inserted down a length of rope and having a seat attached to the top which the monks robe hides is the biggest con going.

In all the reports of monks survivng dehydration and starvation I have never heard one group of journalists say they asked the monk to move. With deceit over the Indian rope trick I honesty believe it wouldnt be beyond a monk to have a tube inserted up his exit passage feeding him water, nutrients and calories.

I agree. I think this is why people hate Randi (besides the fact that he comes off as a little bit of an arrogant dick).

Your usual scientist faced with something like this immediately starts imagining testing procedures to gather data and compare with normal people to see what makes the incredible phenomenon possible.

Randi & Co. immediately start imagining testing procedures that ensure that there is no way someone could fake an incredible phenomenon.

In the same situation, scientists get the following answer: We can't explain it - people just should not be able to do this.

Randi and Co. get the answer: He was peeking under the blindfold.

[voiceofreason]

I stand by my original post. Impossible.

[Samuronin]

Isn't there a guru who was humiliated in T.V. before? I smell the same thing will happen to this one.

[Mandrake]

Give him Alistair Campbell as his 'communications agent' and 23% of British people will believe him.

[Rolci]

Should anybody here be interested in how Jani does it, well, it's REALLY simple. Find answers here: http://llresearch.org/transcripts/issues/1978/1978_0703.aspx Good luck.

[Lilly]

What amazes me is that there are some people who actually believe this fellow.

[Everybody's Fool]

whatever happened to tha guy that didn't need sleep? just curious cuz this post reminds me of that...as for this guy, seeing is believing i guess