Indian man 'survives without food or water for decades'

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Page last updated at 18:35 GMT, Thursday, 29 April 2010 19:35 UK

Indian man 'survives without food or water for decades'


A team of doctors in western India is carrying out a study on a hermit who claims to have survived without food and water for 70 years.

The holy man claims that he derives energy through meditation.

Sanjoy Majumder reports from Delhi.


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[FastTadpole]

Interesting find nik, to say the least. I wonder how this guy feels about being treated like E.T. in being poked and prodded and kept under military guard. He didn't seem too thrilled but this guy looked healthy - weird they didn't give a name, maybe to dehumanize him so the guinea pig experiments are more acceptable.

Interesting symbol for Jainism, I saw it near the end of the clip on the temple -- where have I seen that before ...

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Man claims to have had no food or drink for 70 years
Indian military scientists are studying an 82-year-old who claims he has not had any food or drink for 70 years.


By Dean Nelson in New Delhi
Published: 11:02PM BST 28 Apr 2010
Indian military scientists are studying an 82-year-old who claims he has not had any food or drink for 70 years.
Indian patient Prahlad Jani (Mataji), who claims he has survived without food and water for more than seven decades Photo: AFP

Prahlad Jani is being held in isolation in a hospital in Ahmedabad, Gurjarat, where he is being closely monitored by India's defence research organization, who believe he may have a genuine quality which could help save lives.

He has now spent six days without food or water under strict observation and doctors say his body has not yet shown any adverse effects from hunger or dehydration.

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Mr Jani, who claims to have left home aged seven and lived as a wandering sadhu or holy man in Rajasthan, is regarded as a 'breatharian' who can live on a 'spiritual life-force' alone. He believes he is sustained by a goddess who pours an 'elixir' through a hole in his palate. His claims have been supported by an Indian doctor who specializes in studies of people who claim supernatural abilities, but he has also been dismissed by others as a "village fraud."

India's Defence Research Development Organisation, whose scientists develop drone aircraft, intercontinental ballistic missiles and new types of bombs. They believe Mr Prahlad could teach them to help soldiers survive longer without food, or disaster victims to hang on until help arrives.

"If his claims are verified, it will be a breakthrough in medical science," said Dr G Ilavazhagan, director of the Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences.

"We will be able to help save human lives during natural disasters, high altitude, sea journeys and other natural and human extremities. We can educate people about the survival techniques in adverse conditions with little food and water or nothing at all."

So far, Mr Prahlad appears to be standing up to scrutiny. He has not eaten or drunk any fluids in six days, and similarly has not passed urine or a stool in that time. He remains fit and healthy and shows no sign of lethargy. Doctors will continue observing him for 15 days in which time they would expect to see some muscle wastage, serious dehydration, weight loss,and fatigue followed by organ failure.

It is common in India for Jains and Hindus to fast, sometimes for up to eight days, without any adverse affects, as part of their religious worship. Most humans cannot survive without food for 50 days. The longest hunger strike recorded is 74 days.

According to Dr Sudhir Shah, who examined him in 2003, he went without food or water for ten days in which urine appeared to be reabsorbed by his body after forming in his bladder. Doubts were expressed about his claim after his weight fell slightly at the end of the trial.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnew...years.html

[JFK]

(05-02-2010 02:04 PM)FastTadpole Wrote:  Interesting find nik, to say the least. I wonder how this guy feels about being treated like E.T. in being poked and prodded and kept under military guard. He didn't seem too thrilled but this guy looked healthy - weird they didn't give a name, maybe to dehumanize him so the guinea pig experiments are more acceptable.

Interesting symbol for Jainism, I saw it near the end of the clip on the temple -- where have I seen that before ...

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

Quote:Archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates from the Neolithic period in Ancient India. It occurs mainly in the modern day culture of India, sometimes as a geometrical motif and sometimes as a religious symbol.

Looks to me like the Indians had that symbol first.