From a blog called from the catacombs

wallace

I give thanks today to those of my friends and acquaintances who have written to say that they read this blog and appreciate it. My computer is undergoing various agonies of dissolution and it may be that it will not last much longer. If I decide to change computers and get a new internet host I may not be posting for a while.
The boys and I are not eating a Thanksgiving feast today. It is about 70 degrees outside, here in Pennsylvania in November, and that is but the mild and fairly innocuous front of a storm of news lurking in all the corners of this land. I extend my sympathy and concern to the people in the South who seem to be facing a major water crisis. Having grown up in Birmingham, the idea that the Southeast would be turning dry is just about unthinkable to me. But so it is. A few weeks ago I read that the governor of Georgia said something to the effect that we need to better manage our water resources for our own use and for the other creatures who share in this life with us. It struck me, because how rarely do I hear anyone voice a concern for the plants and animals who share life with us, indeed make it even possible.
I extend my thanks to true farmers and to those who are attempting to sustain good practices of stewardship in agriculture, arts, churches, politics, families, relationships and professions. We need to have faith that there are such people. For perhaps never in history has there been such open and flagrant contempt for "the idea of sustaining life." Never in history has the exploitation if not destruction of words, land, people, and traditions and restraints of civility, been so intense -- indeed, lifted up as the greatest success and aspiration. As a headline of an article in USA Today put it, "Why give thanks when you can shop?" I saw it over the shoulder of a fellow-passenger on my train commute yesterday. I hope that it was being ironic. I fear that maybe it was not.
As I say, we are not indulging in a Thanksgiving feast today. Somehow, I just couldn't face the usual shopping frenzy, and the thought of going into a supermarket to get the stuff was just too overwhelming. And do we really need to eat?
That's the question addressed in a book I read recently - called Life from Light: Is It Possible to Live Without Food? A scientist reports on his experiences (Clairview Books, 2007) It tells the story of a Michael Werner, a managing director of a cancer research institute in Switzerland. He admits that he has long been fascinated by the possibility of receiving nourishment without food - from the reports of yogis and saints and the famous story of Theresa Neumann, who only received the Host and 3 cubic centimeters of water, living on that for 35 years.
Michael Werner came across a book that had been published in Australia by a "New Age" writer, Ellen Greve, a.k.a. "Jasmuheen," about the "21-day process." Called Living on Light: The Source of Nourishment for the New Millennium, the book describes the process of weaning oneself from food and living solely on light - becoming, in effect, a human plant. Werner decided to try it, and since January, 2001, has been living virtually without food and for periods also without liquid intake.
Describing himself as "Mr. Ordinary," Werner continues to manage his business, play tennis, live and socialize much as he did formerly. His co-author, Thomas Stockli, remarks that "The bewildering thing about him is that apart from having no need to eat, and practicing this with total consistency, he is an 'entirely normal person'...As a scientist for whom life also holds a spiritual dimension, however, he feels it is important to share in bringing about the paradigm change which he feels is imminent.
Once at a lecture Werner gave, he expanded on this in answer to a question of whether there was a Christian basis to living on light. Werner remarked:
"As far as I know the path for humanity at large which is provided by the 21-day
process is relatively new. I can only speculate about its origins and the
reasons why it should appear just now. . . The possibility has appeared suddenly
and could not necessarily have been foreseen. It is evident that a critical
situation has come about in the evolution of the earth. The spiritual world, I
mean the good and positive spiritual beings and leaders of humanity, are
watching planet earth and humanity with anxiety and despair because they see
that the great majority of human beings are unable to break out of a materialism
that is destructive and also no longer suitable for our time..."
Later, in a follow-up question, he also added that during his 21-day "conversion" process (from living on food to living on light) "... I did experience a strong flow of forces from the realm which I, personally, see as being linked to the forces of Christ, and this filled me with joy. I wanted to perceive it more strongly and directly, but instead I slept soundly during the night and only realized in the morning that a definite change had come about. I felt clearly that I was being nourished, and this persists to the present day."
I do not feel called to make the 21-day "conversion" - lest my readers have any anxiety on that score. Nevertheless I do find these reports full of interest, full of spiritual matters to think about and digest. Perhaps it is this spiritual activity of thinking and deepening appreciation that "we are being nourished" that seems important for me to say on this Thanksgiving Day.

Posted by Caryl at 11:34 AM

day 46,6 on juice alone.

Ordered two new books by jasmuheen( www.jasmuheen.com )including one called Food of the gods. Any thoughts on her? I wasnt impressed by her particularly a few years ago when I heard her briefly on the radio but maybe we both have changed and improved!

She talks a lot about solar nourishment(there is a free e book on her website on that) which I believe in.

I am 150lbs and have lost around 15lbs since starting this, dont want to end like a skeleton so will have to keep an eye on it. No great pangs of hungerso far.

Needless to say I am not recommending anyone follow my experiment!

wallace

Way to go Wallace!

I've read jasmuheen's books except "Food for the Gods" and find her quite interesting. However, I was disappointed to read about the airplane meal incident and other incidents of having food around.

My body doesn't want much food, especially in the summer. I'm gravitating towards the mono banana meal regimen as an experiment for this winter.

I'm going to order Werner's book thanks to your postings here.

Who knows...liquids only experiments may be in my future :-)

Am enjoying your progress posts very much.

Trish L

Thanks Trish.

x
wallace

day 48 day 8 just on juice.

Alittle tired and my dreams are a little more intense. I expected this as the cleansing deepens but....

W

the other book by jamuheen I have ordered is called pranic nourishment.

Wallace

A book I have heard good things about. Not ordered it yet as I have a few books on order.

Wallace

Quantum Eating
September 30th, 2007 . by Tonya

- The Ultimate Elixir of Youth!

Here’s a review from Sarah Best, editor of Get Fresh! magazine…the world’s leading raw foods periodical—a must-have resource for anyone interested in the raw lifestyle. You’ll find the review in the Summer 2007 issue, excerpted here by permission. Don’t forget to visit the Get Fresh! website… www.fresh-network.com.

As the title suggests, this book marries quantum physics and nutrition. The aim? It’s the culmination of the author’s quest to discover the ultimate anti-aging diet. Tonya Zavasta is best known for promotion the beautifying benefits of the all-raw diet, and what makes her regime unique is the suggested prolong of our natural night-time fasting period by gradually phasing out dinner. Zavasta eats her last meal at 2 pm and goes for 16-18 hours a day without food-and here’s the thing-or water.

Zavasta provides compelling evidence that this complete digestive system rest, dubbed ‘dry fasting’ by other health pioneers who have similarly extolled its benefits, has detoxification, longevity and rejuvenative benefits. The regime also provides ‘calorie restricted optimum nutrition’—the book draws on the body of research that suggests that if we can meet all our nutrient needs on a low-calorie diet, we’re likely to live longer, healthier lives.

Zavasta emphasizes that the plan she recommends is only to be considered by those who have a few years on a pure raw diet under their belts and are ready to go to the next level. She is also explicit that she is recommending dry fasts that last hours, not days.

At over 400 pages the book is a comprehensive and engagingly written guide to staying young gracefully and ends with a selection of recipes and a rundown of the gadgets Zavasta has discovered to help keep skin looking fresh and glowing.

To order your copy click here and scroll down:
[www.beautifulonraw.com]

Posted in Raw Food Books |

She writes
More recent followers of the raw foods movement have shown how
raw foods can become your shield and protection from degenerative
diseases. Combine low quantity and raw and we arrive at a Quantum
Eating plan that will give you boundless energy and the best
anti-aging results.

Do people here agree with her? Perhaps NH is changing or evolving? Should we eat less? she claims thats just as important as eating raw.

Wallace

A bit more from tonya:
...Historic Roots of Quantum Eating: Ellen G. White


Several months ago, just as I announced in my newsletter that I'd
finished writing my new book Quantum Eating, one of my subscribers
wrote me: Have you ever read the book Councils on Diet and Foods,
by Ellen G White? She was a vegetarian eating mostly fruit and
bread till her death in 1915. She believed in the two times a day
eating plan and eating your last meal early in the afternoon...
As you can imagine, I started to twitch with excitement. I
immediately ordered the book together with several others I thought
might lead me to more information about her diet.
I read the book Counsels on Diet and Foods, a compilation of
White's writings, with great interest. I was fascinated, though not
entirely surprised, that she wrote extensively about the harmful
effects of meat and dairy products a century ago. Ellen White was
one of the spiritual founders and architects of the Seventh-day
Adventist (SDA) movement.

Ellen White was one of the most remarkable women who ever lived.
Over a seventy-year career, she produced 50,000 manuscript pages,
which have been translated into 140 different languages.
Imagine a nine year-old Ellen. While they were walking home from
school, a classmate threw a rock, hitting her in the head, knocking
her unconscious for three weeks and disfiguring her face. After the
accident, Ellen was plagued with headaches, tremors and dizziness.
As if these weren't enough, she had a serious heart condition,
dropsy, tuberculosis and cancerous swelling of the left eyelid,
which affected her sight. Physicians gave her no hope, predicting
early death.

This array of illnesses would drag anyone down--but not Ellen. She
saw her afflictions and suffering as a part of God's plan for her
life. She was called "Messenger of the Lord" and affected millions
through her health reform ministry. White restored her own health
and lived till the age of 87 years (1827-1915) at a time when 50
was a reasonable life expectancy for women.

Ellen White was truly gifted, a nationally known speaker on
temperance. Her audiences numbered as many as 20,000 and she spoke
without a microphone! A reporter for The Battle Creek Journal, a
local newspaper, reported on a talk Ellen White gave in that city
after her return from Europe in 1887:

"This lady gave her audience a most eloquent discourse...listened to
with matched interest and attention. Her talk was interspersed with
instructive facts which she had gathered in her recent visit to
foreign lands, and demonstrated that this gifted lady has...a great
faculty for attentive, careful observation, and a remarkable memory
of details. This, together with her fine delivery and her faculty
of clothing her ideas in choice, beautiful, and appropriate
language, made her lecture one of the best that has ever been
delivered by any lady in our city. That she may soon favor our
community with another address, is the earnest wish of all who
attended last evening; and should she do so, there will be a large
attendance."

I came to my two-meal eating plan entirely on my own as a result of
my never-ending evolution of the raw food lifestyle. My body
decided on this solution without any conscience input from me.
During my research for Quantum Eating, I realized that the
two-meals-per-day plan is neither new nor radical, and I was very
happy for that. It means we have in the plan a good role model for
our modern nutritional science. It also gives me a fallback
position when outsiders get hysterical about getting enough
nutrients, like essential fatty acids, enough proteins, ...you know
the drill.

When some diets recommend eating five even seven times per day,
White's example shows how something as simple as eating has been
made so very complicated. We have drifted away from the truth that
the body needs very little food--and none at night! Read Ellen
White's thoughts and I hope you will join me in marveling how much
ahead of her time this incredible woman was.
Though she emphasizes eating fresh fruits and vegetable, White
doesn't insist on eating 100 % raw, partly because during her
lifetime fresh produce was not available year around. Now, in
economically advanced countries, we are so blessed, because the raw
food lifestyle has never been easier to maintain. Quantum Eating
will take you a step further. Consider...If Ellen White were able to
live on two (not always raw) meals per day, how much better we can
do now on two raw meals! Examples from the past (more in my new
book) show that frugal eating is even more essential that eating
raw. More recent followers of the raw foods movement have shown how
raw foods can become your shield and protection from degenerative
diseases. Combine low quantity and raw and we arrive at a Quantum
Eating plan that will give you boundless energy and the best
anti-aging results.

A few especially interesting quotations from the works of Ellen
White...

"For more than forty years I have eaten but two meals a day. And if
I have an especially important work to do, I limit the quantity of
food that I take. I regard it as my duty to refuse to place in my
stomach any food that I have reason to believe will create
disorder. My mind must be sanctified to God, and I must guard
carefully against any habit that would tend to lessen my powers of
intellect." (page 492).

In Letter 73a, 1896:
"All who come to my table are welcome, but I place before them no
meat. Grains, vegetables, and fresh and canned fruit constitute our
table fare. At present we have plenty of the best oranges, and
plenty of lemons. This is the only fresh fruit we can get at this
season of the year...
I have written this to give you some idea of how we live. I never
enjoyed better health than I do at the present time, and never did
more writing. I rise at three in the morning, and do not sleep
during the day."

"I consider that one reason why I have been able to do so much work
both in speaking and in writing, is because I am strictly temperate
in my eating. If several varieties of food are placed before me, I
endeavor to choose only those that I know will agree. Thus I am
able to preserve clear mental faculties. I refuse to place in my
stomach knowingly anything that will set up fermentation. This is
the duty of all health reformers. We must reason from cause to
effect. It is our duty to be temperate in all things."

Letter 150, 1903 at age 76:
"My health is good. My appetite is excellent. I find that the
simpler my food, and fewer varieties I eat, the stronger I am."

The same year she wrote:
"In our family we have breakfast at half past six o'clock, and
dinner at half past one. We have no supper. We would change our
times of eating a little, were it not for the fact that these are
the most convenient hours for some of the members of the family."

Wow, thanks for sharing that, Wallace. I'm always forcing myself to eat more, so that I get enough calories, even though my body isn't hungry.

Love,

Gypsy

Personally I feel eating less is the way to go. tonya just has two green smoothies a day. I just have a little juice etc.

To be honest I ate so many grapes I never want to see another one again! Consume less, eat less is now my motto. We need to change.

wallace

i usually gauge my consumption on how much I work out. Good info Wallace

So by Ellen Whites notes, rising at 3:00, eating at 6:00ish and 1:00ish is her routine sort of speak. So if someone arose at say 8:00 they would be eating at about 11:00ish and 6:00ish.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me and nothing to crazy or new if I got it right??

wallace, trish--
I just tuned in, so to speak, on your thread tonight, and I'm definitely on your wavelength. Are either of you familiar with Eve Adesso, qigong practitioner? She was in the bigu state for several months, and when I checked in with her recently she wrote to me that she's eating only one or two meals a day (can't remember) and fasting for several hours-- every similar to Tonya Zavasta's program. Here's her link:

Healing Tao Goes Breatharian!
[www.healingtaousa.com]
[www.journeytoeden.com]

You might also be interested in a thread on the 'off-topic' portion of this board, with the subject line "taoism--Kwan" where if you scroll down a couple posts you'll find a whole bunch of links about related matters (Taoist diet, bigu, etc.)

I find Tonya Zavasta's latest 'adventures' in raw food diet really interesting and I am looking forward to buying her latest book at some point.

Sharrhan:


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Thank you, thank you Wallace for more sharing. Can't wait to get my hands on those books. My body has been telling me for several years that it wants less food. My mind is defenitely clearer with less food and my energy is endless when not in detox mode.

Thanks also Kwan for your input. I will check it out.

So nice to find others who are on the same wavelength.

Cheers,
Trish

we are nothing but an amalgamation of photons
held together by forces that are both cohesive and repelling

naturally, our holographic vehicles gravitate back towards the source

day 50, 10 on 2 litres of grape juice
dreams less intense but very sleepy.


Loved your quotes kwan!

Yep its nice to communicate with people on the same wavelength.

I have huge respect for people like Doug graham but just feel for me the amount of calories he says I should eat is way too much for me!! I dont for a moment buy into this idea we need a certain amount of calories.

Its well know from longevity studies that people who eat less(walford etc) live longest.

wallace

> have huge respect for people like Doug graham but just feel for me the amount of calories he says I should eat is way too much for me!! I dont for a moment buy into this idea we need a certain amount of calories.<

I can't get into that amount of food either; for me it's just impossible, no matter how much I exercise. Graham advises that people do tons of pretty agressive exercise, which I think is probably mandatory if you're going to eat that much food. Interestingly in that regard, I read recently (I'll look for the link) that heavy aerobic and weight training exercise actually has been found to produce large amounts of free radicals in our bodies, causing cancer! The article recommended walking instead. I would add also the time-tested slow movements of yoga, qigong and tai-chi.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

kwan. Your teacher writes

Winter 2005

My interest in Bigu –or “no food” (commonly called breatharianism) is in the spirit of research and experimentation. I had read about it in Taoist texts and was curious to find out if it was legend, metaphor or an attainable state.

After being in bigu (not eating) for approximately 8 months in 1999-2000, I’m not sure what to make of it. It was definitely a powerful experience that deepened my practice. At this point I feel that this type of experimentation (I say experimentation because we don’t really know enough about it yet) is a deeply personal thing and certainly not necessary or important for every practitioner or spiritual seeker.

I feel better knowing that bigu is possible but didn't find a practical way to integrate it into my life. I like many things about eating - the sensuality of it, the grounding and relaxing quality of it and the wonderful social interactions that take place around meals. I think I will someday be in a bigu state of being again but since I ended my first period of it I haven't felt moved to stop eating.

Right now my focus is on moving deeper into a state of presence, the Now - in a solid and grounded way that includes work, eating and all the things that make up our everyday life.




In the ten days(I have done a 30 juice fast but I was consuming loads of juice) I dont feel too socially isolated as I can drink, so I at the moment dont share her concerns.

I was very interested in toaism 15 years ago but found chi-kung did nothing to have my health so I moved on. I have very limited time on the internet so if there is a book on Bigu please suggest it.(that explains the shortness of my posts folks!)

I know jasmuheen does stuff with mantak chia so when I get here books hopefully there will be references there.

I will look out for your posts Kwan!

Peace
Wallace

Yep Kwan how many Ancient Masters do you see jogging!!!

W

On tai chi:I swim in the sea most days and feel this is aquatic tai chi!!!

W

Kwan is there a book on Bigu??


A lot of this experiment is about using your mind, so I have ordered a book by Dawson church called the genie in your genes, which covers this, I include a review at the end of this post.

In fit for life 2;living for health(NH classic text) by H and M diamond page 311 "Food takes energy before it becomes a source of energy. We have stored in our bodies nutrients to live for weeks with out food, so going light for a few days certainly cannot hurt."

what I am questioning is the "weeks" part of that statment. Werner book includes a medically hospital research study that shows that is not universally true. I got the Werner book today and its an essential text that relates numerous cases of this type. I will refer to it in future posts

Encouraged I intend to continue my "experiment"

The Diamond book above has a good chapter on detox crises which they say can last 10 days or more. I am emerging slowly from my latest.

Wallace

Author Dawson Church applies the insights of the new field of Epigenetics (epi=above, i.e. control above the level of the gene) to healing. Citing hundreds of scientific studies, he shows how beliefs and emotions can trigger the expression of DNA strands. He focuses on a class of genes called Immediate Early Genes or IEGs. These genes turn on within a few seconds of a stimulus. They can be triggered by thoughts or emotions ("I loved that unexpected gift of roses Bill gave me" or "I'm so mad about what Uncle John said at the Christmas party". Many IEGs are regulatory genes turn on other genes that affect specific aspects of our immune system, such as the production of white blood cells that destroy attacking bacteria and viruses. Epigenetics thus influences our health every day.

He coins the new term "Epigenetic Medicine" to describe healing techniques with epigenetic effects. He also summarizes the science behind the infant fields of Energy Psychology and Energy Medicine, both of which offer promising epigenetic medical therapies, and describes a few of the thousands of powerful personal breakthroughs that are being achieved by therapists, doctors and lay people praticing these techniques. The Genie in Your Genes shows that there is a sound theoretical framework, based on credible experiments, for understanding these astonishing results, and predicts that the insights of Epigenetic Medicine will dramatically advance the fields of both medicine and psychology in the coming decade.

Best of all, The Genie in Your Genes demonstrates that, by taking control of our consciousness and using it to influence our genetic expression, we can sometimes bypass years of therapy, as well as harmful drugs and invasive surgeries, to, in effect, do continuous genetic engineering on our own bodies. This can produce both immediate relief from long-standing anxieties and neuroses, as well as "miraculous" healing of persistent physical conditions, especially autoimmune diseases.

Among a new crop of books that chart the way to a positive health future, The Genie in Your Genes stands out as a solidly grounded and exciting pointer to the future possibilities of a medicine that links soul to body and mind.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/2007 04:46PM by wallace.

Hi Wallace--
I know there are a couple (maybe more) books on bigu out there, but I've never bought them.

I think part of the secret, too, is unifying with the 'Big' Mind and evolving into a more complete, universal being in harmony with all life. So yes, train the monkey-mind to engage in constructive thought, and also learn how to switch off thoughts all together from time to time and become the One Mind. And a raw food diet and fasting fit in beautifully with this evolutionary scheme.

Sharrhan:


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53, day 13 on juice alone. Still in detox


The Werner books talks a lot about Jasmuheens 21 day processs to achieve living on light(without solid food) which needs supervision etc. Most people go back to solid food quite soon. I think there are other ways one of which is to do a monodiet of your favourite food or grapes (there is someone who did this on honey, then another food, in the book) until we reach a point when we dont want to eat at all.


Wallace