Swiss woman starves to death on 'daylight diet'

[Amicale]

Since there's no good single place to cut this very short article off, here's the entire thing:

From: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/swiss-woman-starved-to-death-on-daylight-diet/story-e6frf7lf-1226339082591

A SWISS woman starved to death after believing she could survive on light alone.

The woman embarked on the diet after watching the controversial 2010 documentary film "In the beginning there was light," newspaper Tages Anzeiger said today.

The movie centres on Swiss chemistry doctor Michael Werner, 62, and 83-year-old Indian yogi Prahlad Jani, who both claim to derive sustenance from spiritual means rather than the intake of food - a concept also known as breatharianism.

Werner claims to have lived without food since 2001, while Jani told the documentary of how he had lived for 70 years not only without food, but also without water.

The woman, from the east of Switzerland, saw the movie and decided to try to survive entirely on light, preparing for the process by reading a book by Australian breatharian Ellen Greve, who goes by the name Jasmuheen.

In line with the book, the Swiss woman, who was in her early 50s, did not eat or drink anything for a week - and even spat out her saliva - before resuming drinking in the second and third weeks.

She reassured her concerned children that she would stop fasting if it became dangerous but she was found dead by them at her home last winter.

An autopsy showed that she died of starvation, ruling out any other contribution to the cause of death, the newspaper reported.

This was the fourth known death linked to breatharianism and Jasmuheen's books since the practice emerged in the early 90s.

This is really, REALLY sad. How can someone buy into this?  This sort of spiritualism is not only BS crackpottery, it's causing deaths. How on earth anyone thinks they can survive without water and some form of nourishment, I've no idea.... and as for the men who claim they've gone years or decades without food or water, I believe they're lying through their teeth.

[AnimatedDirt]

Jesus did declare:

I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Hopefully this 'ism didn't base their belief on this. 

[DeterminedJuliet]

I could be wrong, but I think there are some yogic practices that tie into this kind of thinking. I practice yoga here and there and I remember reading some weird ol' stuff when it comes to the religous/spiritual side of yoga. There are a lot of people who think that fasting is "spiritually cleansing" and this seems like that principle taken to the extreme. 

Kind of makes me want to slap the guy who wrote the book around, though. The friggin' liar!

[ThinkAnarchy]

Edited previous post since fellow members pointed out she was likely mentally ill, which makes sense given the circumstances surrounding her death.

[Ali]

This is really, REALLY sad. How can someone buy into this?  This sort of spiritualism is not only BS crackpottery, it's causing deaths. How on earth anyone thinks they can survive without water and some form of nourishment, I've no idea.... and as for the men who claim they've gone years or decades without food or water, I believe they're lying through their teeth.

Yes.

I guess I just don't see what is supposed to be so enlightening about starvation anyway. 

[The Magic Pudding]

I see the problem here.
The air in India is much more nutritious, there's more earthy goodness in it.
And Swiss Sun is week wimpy stuff, not like the Oz stuff.

A more mainstream fasting story.

In around 2008, it was thought that starvation or fasting in animals for two or three days was a useful part of treatment against cancer. Doubters suggested it assisted the host and the cancer. Recent experiments have shown fasting makes things worse for the cancer, when assisted by chemotherapy. It's the combination of the two treatments which produces the effect. Most people can last for up to 40 days with just water. Normal cells know how to cope with starvation. Cancer cells don't. They evolved away from starvation.

[McQ]

This is sad, indeed. It seems to never matter how outrageous some claim may be. There will always be people who will buy into even the craziest stuff. I wouldn't presume to know anything about this woman, but I can't help but think she had to have been seriously mentally ill to have done this. And that is just sad.

It's the asshole lying bastards who promote this bullshit that I'd like to have a crack at.

[Amicale]

This is sad, indeed. It seems to never matter how outrageous some claim may be. There will always be people who will buy into even the craziest stuff. I wouldn't presume to know anything about this woman, but I can't help but think she had to have been seriously mentally ill to have done this. And that is just sad.

It's the asshole lying bastards who promote this bullshit that I'd like to have a crack at.

Exactly. It's not her I would have had any issue with. I feel bad for her and her family, and when I read it, I thought 'she must have been mentally ill', so that just makes it very, very sad. It's the people who write absolute BS and prey on others I'd also love to have a crack at. Specifically, I'd like to take the people who claim they don't consume water or food, stick them in a bright sunlit area surrounded by a high electric fence so they can't escape, and see how long it takes before they break down... admit they were deceiving and preying on people... and then beg for water. Their BS would fly out the window fast.

Then again, I won't discount the possibility that the folks who claim they survive without food and water are also equally mentally ill. In which case, that's also sad, and they need to be evaluated and worked with in a therapy setting so they can get over the cognitive dissonance. If this were the case, I'd just want to get them help, rather than trying my little experiment on them. Mental illness, I understand all too well. A totally sane person deliberately messing with people in order to look spiritual or holy, I do not.

[Hector Valdez]

Horrible. Simply Horrible.

[Sweetdeath]

I'm sorry but fasting is fucking idiotic.
Denying your body food and water..wtf. I wake up at 8am for work. If i skip breakfast (in a rush) i get a headache by 10am. 

My dad wanted to do a 30 day fast. I laughed in his face. If he died, it wouldnt be the worst thing. I'm sure he wanted to be like moses. He believes his spirit is stronger thsn his body.

[AnimatedDirt]

I'm sorry but fasting is fucking idiotic.
Denying your body food and water..wtf. I wake up at 8am for work. If i skip breakfast (in a rush) i get a headache by 10am.

Some people get this same feeling from not smoking so a headache is probably not the end-all argument against fasting.  I'm sure abstaining from food for a short time is beneficial to a degree and doing so does not make one a "fucking idiotic" person.  

My dad wanted to do a 30 day fast. I laughed in his face. If he died, it wouldnt be the worst thing. I'm sure he wanted to be like moses. He believes his spirit is stronger thsn his body.

Hmm.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

A more mainstream fasting story.

In around 2008, it was thought that starvation or fasting in animals for two or three days was a useful part of treatment against cancer. Doubters suggested it assisted the host and the cancer. Recent experiments have shown fasting makes things worse for the cancer, when assisted by chemotherapy. It's the combination of the two treatments which produces the effect. Most people can last for up to 40 days with just water. Normal cells know how to cope with starvation. Cancer cells don't. They evolved away from starvation.

Interesting. I've heard this before. There's nothing wrong with a fast for a day or two to assist in ridding the body of toxins.  Drink plenty of clear liquids and don't engage in too much physical activity. But even if it meant the difference between life and death, I'm not sure I could fast much longer than that, even to beat cancer. 

[Sweetdeath]

I'm sorry but fasting is fucking idiotic.
Denying your body food and water..wtf. I wake up at 8am for work. If i skip breakfast (in a rush) i get a headache by 10am.

Some people get this same feeling from not smoking so a headache is probably not the end-all argument against fasting.  I'm sure abstaining from food for a short time is beneficial to a degree and doing so does not make one a "fucking idiotic" person.  

My dad wanted to do a 30 day fast. I laughed in his face. If he died, it wouldnt be the worst thing. I'm sure he wanted to be like moses. He believes his spirit is stronger thsn his body.

Hmm.

Not eating on purpose and forgetting to eat cuz you're in a rush?/so busy are two different things.

Thinking you can survive on faith and sunlight alone is fucking idiotic.

[AnimatedDirt]

Thinking you can survive on faith and sunlight alone is fucking idiotic.

I can agree to a lesser degree that it's not the smartest thing to do or think, however that's not what you mentioned previously.

[Amicale]

While it's indeed silly to try to survive on sunlight alone (even plants need sunlight and water to survive!), there's nothing wrong with fasting occasionally, for a limited amount of time. Some do it for personal reasons, some for medical. I've done it for both. If you continue to drink water, you're just fine for a few days. I don't personally see this as an idiotic choice. Fasting can have some good benefits.