Breatharians (people who live without food or water)- should we be open minded about this?

Question

How open to possibilities should we be? No other animal that I know of can live without food or water so is it 'close minded' to say that such a thing would be impossible? Or should a skeptic be open to every possibility no matter how ridiculous?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inedia

Answer 1

Open-mindedness should always be informed and qualified by knowledge and probabilities.



As far as "Breatharians", there is no credible evidence that such things exist, it conflicts with our entire knowledge base and understanding of biological organisms, and there is nothing in our current understanding that would either predict or allow for such a creature within the realm of nature. It even contradicts the very fundamentals of thermodynamics. Based on that, is there any reason to go a on a wild goose chase and try to hunt down one of these mythical beings? I'd say no. If we were to do that, what wouldn't we go on a wild goose chase for? Are leprechauns any less credible? Where is our scientific research on leprechauns? Keebler elves?



I won't argue about calling "Breatharians" an impossibility. Sure, it can't be proven by any logical syllogism, but neither does that mean it's worthy of any serious consideration. I'm happy with calling it a practical impossibility.

Answer 2

I learned in the late 60's/early 70's, from the Merv Griffin show, when he interviewed a tall, thin breatharian, an african-american fella, that this is a very old sub culture. I was shocked like many of you hearing of this for the first time but people walk all kinds of lives and make decisions based on a myriad of life experiences and influences. I can't imagine that their life expectancy would be very long but that fella claimed the life he had was cleaner then any other form.

With all the toxins we've managed to pump into our world (the air, the waters...) IF there ever was any life sustenance from this concept, I imagine it's now long gone.

Answer 3

This is impossible. Humans can only go a short time, perhaps not even one day, without water but can manage several days or longer without food. It is possible that someone who followed this diet, scrupulously, would have died, but certainly a little girl went without food and drink and died, as have many on hunger strike or with anorexia. The body cannot take such harsh treatment.

Answer 4

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In this case, given the impossibility involved, there's no possibility to be open to. There is a woman who believed this garbage, who died a horrible freezing death in a tent on a Scottish hillside about ten years ago but apparently, such things don't put off the charlatan behind this nonsense.



The main pusher of this particular stuff should be treated with all the respect they deserve; that's utter contempt in this instance. There's a difference between being open-minded and empty-minded.

Answer 5

This reminds me of a doctor back in the 30s named Dr. Linda Hazzard. (easy name to remember when you know what she did.)

She came up with a revolutionary new way to cure all disease. You eat nothing but broth until your are cured. She ran a clinic where people could go and get better. Needless to say, not one of her patients checked out alive. All of them starved to death before the treatment worked.

However, she honestly believed in her fasting treatment, so when she fell ill, she administered the treatment to herself. Within 2 months she died of starvation.



Fasting with water allowed will actually pep you up after about a week, when you body runs out of energy and starts to consume the fatty tissue. However, your condition will quickly deteriorate and you will die.

Without water, it would be much much worse.



Some animals can go for a very long time without eating. Polar bears for example can go up to 6 months without food. Of course, they don't get nutrition from some mystic force, or whatever Breatharians claim.

Plants can draw energy from the sun and the soil, which is pretty close the the claim. However, I would suspect if photosynthesis were happening in these Breatharians, they would have green skin.

Answer 6

Any organization that requests a fee of $25,000,000 to divulge the secrets of becoming a Breatharian is a scam or a cult. I got that $ figure from the link you provided.

But hey, once you spend all that money you really won't miss it as you'll be dead in two weeks time from dehydration.

Answer 7

To quote Carl Sagan, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". I am open minded, show me the proof.

Answer 8

conserving my ideas busy by using conserving bodily busy i might circulate nuts. My family, my canines, my Anime and Manga sequence, My xbox360's and laptop, outfits (even concept the girls ought to disagree lol) , My infant my 1989 Plymoth Sundance it is my infant and my delight and exhilaration

Answer 9

I'm certainly not going to try it, but I'm also not going to tell a full grown adult that they shouldn't try it. This is not a new concept, it's not new in India where yogis make all kinds of claims. The scientific study of these yogis is interesting

http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/vines/1320/credibility_siddhis.html

http://breatharian.info/

http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/patient-corner/disease-management/yoga.html





And until I investigated all these cases below I cannot say FOR SURE 100% that this is not possible. AND I must consider the fact that what these people are really doing is just extended fasting and many of them are getting foods in there sometimes. I just don't know. But I do know this has not been studied extensively enough to satisfy my skeptical mind that it's truly impossible.

http://home.iae.nl/users/lightnet/health/breatharianslinks.htm

Answer 10

"(people who live without food or water)"



Wow, 3-4 weeks and your entire belief group dies of starvation, the Christians don't even have to start a crusade!



HORRAY!

Answer 11

Sorry, but this question just makes no sense. Food and water is a basic necessity of life, you can only survive so long without it. Belief in things like ghosts has nothing whatsoever to do with the basic necessities of life.

Answer 12

"open to every possibility"-yes... but not to the point of denying reality