Fasting

[Diphenhydramine]

Anyone ever fasted before, and had a vision? I fasted once last
year for four days, only intaking water. Nothing else. On
the third and fourth day, I began to blackout if I excercised to much,
or it was too hot outside; getting dizzy and having headrushes.
No intense spiritual visions.



It was only hard at the first day, after I got through that, I just
wasn't hungry really. The hard part was really keeping it
together, you start to feel weak and start wondering why you are doing
this. You really start to question yourself and your
intentions. Unless you have good support and concern from friends
(as I did), this is difficult to maintain, as you think, "hey, I did
two days, I bet I could continue for a while, so I might as well stop."



Note that fasting is dangerous and very bad for your health, especially in the winter, as your immune system greatly weakens.



Please share your experiences.

[Nature Boy]

I would never fast. I'm too skinny and the activity is pointless in the first place.

[vacant]

I've always wanted to fast, to be honest, but I love food too damn much!
Some people claim that fasting can actually be very good for your body when done right. There are now even facilities to help people with it. Websites like http://www.fasting.com explain it in depth. However, fasting is also used in things like Anorexia, which can be dangerous.

[motorhead]

Fasting was used extensively by Native North Americans of many tribes in their spiritual rituals to bring about visions. Sweat logdes were also used, the participants would sit in the stiffling heat of the lodge meditating and chanting to bring on visions. Many native cultures would also self inflict pain for this purpose of creating hallucinations.


Here is a cool link about sweat lodges that i googled. www.crystalinks.com/sweatlodge.html

[Solidly-here]

Fasting is Good for the soul.


Diphenhydramine (wrongly thinks): "Note that fasting is dangerous and very bad for your health."


I do not know where people get this idea. Humans have been fasting (as a Spiritual exercise) for 1000s of years. Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Indians, [fill in the blank] fast, even to this day. Most participants fast for 24 hours.


For many years of my life, I water-fasted one day a month (and at least one 3-day fast a year). The longest I have fasted is 11 days (and several 7-day water-fasts). It is probably not healthy to fast THAT long, however (but my body quickly forgave me for those times). Mostly, now I only fast when I think I need an Extra measure of calmness in my life (and other things are not working).


It's difficult for me to write about, because it could easily turn into a small Book. Different things Work for different people. Try it, (maybe) you'll like it.


The concept is: This World (and its desires, and its "things") is not everything there is. Therefore, if I do NOT eat, I am not buying into the This-World-is-all theory. This can help one feel the presence of the Other World (heaven, God, peace).


When a person fasts, he either will Get it, or Not get it. Some people feel inspired, by taking a small vacation from eating. Other people just feel hungry (and stupid). It's like going to a movie: Some will Love it; some will hate it (but it's the same movie). Find what works for you, and then DO it (whatever it is).Edited by: Solidly-here

[jaguarangel]

Fasting for a day is good. I have done the Master Cleanse for 17 days and
felt better than ever. After 30 days, I hear it is not healthy.

[pabel_giboon]

Fasting for a day or a day and a half before taking Cacti is really great, every time hunger strikes you remid you are doing this sacrifice to elevate your tripp, you are doing it as a gift for yourself, leads to a deeper experience.


but if you fast untill you allucinate it might be because your brain is lacking vitamins/minerals and is stariting to function wrongly.

[Diphenhydramine]

solidly-here, sorry, you are right, I meant "extended fasting" as in
more than a few days. I don't consider not eating for one day to
be fasting, hell I do that sometimes because I'm sick, too high to
function, or just aren't hungry.



True fasting, as in for a long time, IS dangerous. You are
depriving your body of necessary nutrients. How is that not
dangerous/unhealthy?

[korky8097]

hmm, do you guys feel vitamin pills is cheating?

[Solidly-here]

Vitamins are NOT cheating.


One thing I didn't say (and I thought about editing my Post) is, after my first day, I chew up a Flintstones vitamin each day of my Fast.


I used to just swallow a regular multi-vitamin, but I read that (while Fasting) taking a chewable vitamin (with its sugar) nearly Doubles the amount of vitamins which actually get absorbed into my body. So, if I'm going to do something, I want it to count.


Different people have their own view of what it means to Fast. Water-fasting is pretty clear (just water ... and maybe vitamins). Many people Juice-fast (just drink juices); this allows them to not "eat" ... just drink. Others will just eat one food (e.g., rice); this makes a Fast, because it is very bland (like not eating).


The important thing about Fasting is, doing something different, so that I feel I am doing a sacrifice in order to receive a Spiritual benefit.

[Diphenhydramine]

Yeah, I really don't think there is such a thing as cheating with
fasting. I consider fasting to be that you promise yourself to
deny some form of sustenance, be it food, solid food, etc. You'd
only really cheat if you broke your promise.



I considered using multivitamins when I fasted, but decided not
to. I only drank water when I woke up and right before I went to
bed, but that is just what I decided to do. This cute girl forced
me to take a multivitamin towards the end though, because she was
really worried about me, whatever. I was dumb though, and didn't
ease myself back onto food slowly for the next few days, I only did
that for the first day of breaking fast, so I got pretty sick because
my stomach had shrunken. Ugh that sucked.

[pabel_giboon]

diphenhydramine, did you do it on vacations? or you were heavy fastening while going to work/school? It might have had some inpact in your productivity....

[RickyTarr]

Hi all


I did a 7-day fast once. No visions.


Ricky Tarr

[Diphenhydramine]

Yeah, I did it during a school week, at my old boarding school...and I
lived on the fifth floor of my dorm, six flights of stairs to climb to
my room...ugh, that was not very fun my friend.



I had a real hard time staying awake and focused during classes, and as
this was the middle of winter and none of the classrooms had real
heating, I shivered a lot. Luckily I had friends that I could
copy their notes afterclass if I missed anything.