A Year Without Food. Ray Maor
is the raw foodist who eats mostly fruits, nuts and vegetables in their natural raw form. This food philosophy encourages the consumption of food not heated above 40 °C because cooking heat damages the delicate nutrients and enzymes which nourish the body and aid digestion. Some raw foodists choose to go even deeper into the mechanics of the digestion process by following the rules of proper food combinations.
Following the raw food movement are lesser-known practitioners such as fruitarians who choose to be nourished solely from unprocessed fruits and liquidarians who blend raw food into soups and smoothies. Of course, individuals follow each of these diets to varying degrees. Some vegetarians eat fish, some vegans consume honey and some raw foodists enjoy a cooked meal from time to time. Levels of commitment are entirely up to individuals.
In general, the further along a person is on this scale, the easier it is for their digestive system to function and the cleaner and healthier their body becomes. These lifestyles also free up energy to perform other activities. Today most diseases are caused by bad nutrition and body toxicity. Until about 150 years ago, the human race only consumed fresh food. More recent inventions like pesticides, chemical preservatives, high sugar concentrates, chemical sugar replacements, fast food and the increase in food processing has thrown our alkaline/acid dietary balances way out of proportion. In a nutshell, our body needs an 80:20 (or at least 60:40) balance of alkaline to acid compounds to thrive. For the most part, fruits and vegetables are alkaline while meat, bread and other wheat/grain products, dairy and sugary foods contribute to acidity and toxicity in the body.
Many spiritual seekers naturally feel called to climb higher along this scale of nutrition towards vegetarian/vegan/raw food/fruitarian/liquidarian ways of life.
While the initial motivation may be to accept responsibility for the mistreatment of animals, it soon develops into a deeper understanding. Our body is our temple and what we allow into the body has an impact on the mind-body-spirit connection. The more you take care of your body, the easier it is to progress along your spiritual path.
The above scale describes most of the human race; people who consume food to satisfy both hunger and nutritional needs. There is no judgment here, just a statement of the facts most people tend to take for granted. For most people, food equals survival; there is no choice and they feel the need to consume a certain amount of food daily. The daily intake of vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and many other nutrients must be in balance to provide sustainable energy sources for the body. This makes sense, though the general consciousness is pushing more and more towards greater health. Over recent years, more people have been making vegetarian and vegan choices and it is important to recognize how this goes hand in hand with the growth of our collective consciousness towards a healthier path.
The two most common types of ‘light eaters’ are breatharians and sungazers (who focus on the rising and setting sun to collect pranic nourishment). Breatharians get nutrition from a source other than food and exist on a completely different scale; they do not need to consume physical food for nourishment. Instead, they live directly off the life force or prana. Some breatharians live 100% off prana and do not even need to drink water! I am aware of only two people who live this way.
Perhaps you have heard of breatharians who live in India or Brazil following very disciplined spiritual paths. Let it be known that there are also breatharians such as myself who live in urban cities and maintain regular, modern, day-to-day lifestyles.
In order to simplify the differences, I have created a short table that describes the main differences between the two lifestyles.
There are many additional differences discussed throughout this book.
BREATHARIANISM
What Is A Breatharian?
A breatharian is a person who chooses to live mostly or completely from pranic nourishment. A breatharian does not need food to survive. However, they will probably choose to continue ‘tasting’ food for pleasure. A breatharian has escaped the hunger-compensation cycle completely and is free from food dependency.
The two processes currently known to me that allow one to become a breatharian are sungazing and pranic nourishment via the pranic living process. These transformational processes are discussed in later chapters. Each of these processes naturally increases the percentage of prana in the body and if an individual persists, the intake can increase up to 100%. Most people have less than 10% prana in their bodies and they run on electricity and need to be plugged into food for energy. By contrast, a breatharian runs on wireless solar power.
Currently, there are approximately 50,000 people who have undergone the pranic living process. Unfortunately, due to the challenges which this lifestyle entails (see Chapter 9), many people do not persist in this choice. There are only a few thousand practicing breatharians in the world. Despite this, the pranic living process itself can be a very positive life-changing event even if you do not continue to follow a breatharian lifestyle. It is getting increasing attention as more and more people become seekers of knowledge, looking for ways to be healthier and experience life more fully.
Most choose to eat or drink in small quantities, but not regularly. This practice is not based on a need to eat, but a desire to experience taste and texture or to fulfill social commitments. I calculate that a breatharian consumes between zero and one-third of his/her original recommended caloric intake because they no longer need to balance the body with nutrients. The pranic living process itself changes and balances the four physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. That being said, a sensation of hunger can be triggered by negative emotional states.
I proved to surprised doctors through my television exposure that contrary to current scientific belief, my blood composition did not change when I stopped eating and drinking. I neither felt weak nor was I bedridden. The breatharian way of life is thus an option open to whoever is willing to take on the challenge and receive its many advantages but it is generally not suitable, appetizing or lasting for the majority of people alive today (more about this in Chapter 6).
WHY IS IT NOT COMMON KNOWLEDGE?
The breatharian population is made up of only a few thousand people scattered across the globe, therefore the social proof of their existence remains nearly mythological. Most people who do not personally know a breatharian have closed mindsets about the possibility of their innate existence. In other words, they refuse to believe what they cannot see for themselves. In my personal experience, when I tell someone new that I do not eat, we initially both laugh because it does not make much sense. Only after a few minutes when the person sees that I am sane, can I actually let him or her know that I am not joking. It is always interesting to see how the conversation continues from there.
An Uncommon Lifestyle
After the television exposure, it became much easier for me to explain this lifestyle to people. I also started eating two or three meals a week, which helped. To most people, I just say that the body can learn to live on very little. To those who seek a higher and more complete understanding, I explain it more thoroughly like I do in this book. The television exposure helped to turn the Is it possible? question into How is it possible?
Insufficient Scientific Research
Let’s face it—science does not like to address things it cannot explain. Even when concrete scientific data on the breatharian way of life is produced, it is unlikely that it will make headlines. Why? Proof