'Starving yogi' astounds Indian scientists

[Kieran]

Kieran,

Yes, it is a hoax, and not all that big of one actually. Perhaps someone else can explain it to your satisfaction. However, if you are so willing to take unsupported and dare I say unsupportable claims such this at face value I'll say you need to work on your standards of evidence there fella.

When the "doctors" produce a peer-reviewed study of the "miracle man" and have their findings confirmed I'll retract my "its a lame 'holy man' con game" statement and revise my conclusions about it. Until then it fits the pattern of a folk religious confidence game which are commonly run in India.

Well your entitled to your opinion. But the doctor i mentioned is well-known Doctor in India, he in fact work's for the Indian government. Have you looked at the link i provided?

There is documentation and evidence to prove this findings, the doctors are just awaiting results back, the DNA analysis for example, results of hormone tests , enzymes tests results, energy metabolism results, genes results and other things. This tests only took place recently in the last month or so, give the doctors a chance. This new tests were undertaken by the "India's defence Institute of physiology and Allied sciences, the people who work here, are not the kind of people that would be easily fooled or tricked.

There is always a possibility water got into his beard and he licked it, but for two weeks, the doctors claimed he never ate, drank, or went to the toilet. The claims of him doing this for seventy years that can not be tested by anyone. Bobby sands a republican prisoner went on Hunger strike in Northern Ireland in the 1980's. He eventually died but he lasted for 70 days with no food, granted he took a sip of water, but it was very little to keep him going for as long as he did.

 

[trainedobserver]

Like I said,
When the "doctors" produce a peer-reviewed study of the "miracle man" and have their findings confirmed I'll retract my "its a lame 'holy man' con game" statement and revise my conclusions about it. Until then it fits the pattern of a folk religious confidence game which are commonly run in India.

This is idiotic nonsense to be just real plain about it.

 

[Xylo]

Anecdotal evidence counts for what now?

Please cite some references for people surviving for "10 days, 2 weeks, and sometimes longer" without water please. I'd love to see them.

Just a quick google search will get you these.

No accounting for rainfall used as drinking water though.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/shipwreck-survivors-forced-to-endure-ride-home-on,3435/

http://desperatejourneytheallisonwilcoxstory.blogspot.com/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/shipwreck-survivors-three-men-in-a-boat-430798.html


One PINT of water a day for a week.

http://www.cdnn.info/news/science/sc060820.html

4 Days with no water, floating in the ocean.
http://www.ussindianapolis.org/woody.htm


Like I said, your chart is a nice guideline, but not an absolute.

 

[Kieran]

Like I said,
When the "doctors" produce a peer-reviewed study of the "miracle man" and have their findings confirmed I'll retract my "its a lame 'holy man' con game" statement and revise my conclusions about it. Until then it fits the pattern of a folk religious confidence game which are commonly run in India.

This is idiotic nonsense to be just real plain about it.

I not even sure the study was about getting it peer-reviewed. Have to wait and see. The Indian military undertook this study to see how Indian Astronauts could cope without the need for food and drink, the doctor i mentioned seems to be part of India's mission to go to the moon. But i checked up on it this and i can verify this for sure. The doctors are still awaiting results back from there testing of this YOGI MAN.

---------- Post added at 05:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:33 PM ----------

Just a quick google search will get you these.

No accounting for rainfall used as drinking water though.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/shipwreck-survivors-forced-to-endure-ride-home-on,3435/

http://desperatejourneytheallisonwilcoxstory.blogspot.com/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/shipwreck-survivors-three-men-in-a-boat-430798.html


One PINT of water a day for a week.

http://www.cdnn.info/news/science/sc060820.html

4 Days with no water, floating in the ocean.
http://www.ussindianapolis.org/woody.htm


Like I said, your chart is a nice guideline, but not an absolute.

It's not like the the study was done over a long period, people dismiss this, yet it was only a two week study according to the doctors.

 

[trainedobserver]

So none of your examples have anyone living for "10 days, 2 weeks, and sometimes longer without water." None.

What was your point in posting them I have to wonder?

Like I said, in not so many words before, the story is absolute bullshit and I pity anyone who actually falls for this sort of thing.

All human beings (and other living things) suffer tremendously and then die without the regular intake and elimination of water. All.

If someone is claiming to just be living just off the air they breath they are liars and are involved in a scam. The fact that there are people out there who are ready and willing to believe the most outrageous claims imaginable have kept confidence men and religious hucksters like this feed and watered for centuries.

 

[Kieran]

So none of your examples have anyone living for "10 days, 2 weeks, and sometimes longer without water." None.

What was your point in posting them I have to wonder?

Like I said, in not so many words before, the story is absolute bullshit and I pity anyone who actually falls for this sort of thing.

All human beings (and other living things) suffer tremendously and then die without the regular intake and elimination of water. All.

If someone is claiming to just be living just off the air they breath they are liars and are involved in a scam. The fact that there are people out there who are ready and willing to believe the most outrageous claims imaginable have kept confidence men and religious hucksters like this feed and watered for centuries.

Ya we are all fool's mate, yet i bet you haven't even looked at the information i provided to you, because if you had you wouldn't be so dismissive of it.

 

[trainedobserver]

Ya we are all fool's mate, yet i bet you haven't even looked at the information i provided to you, because if you had you wouldn't be so dismissive of it.

Well you are wrong there, I'm just apparently not as easily impressed as you are.

 

[Kieran]

Well you are wrong there, I'm just apparently not as easily impressed as you are.

I'm impressed with the calibre of people on the panel doing the press conference, it adds credibility to what there saying. I can't be sure that is what happened, nobody can, but i like to see and await the tests back to see how this YOGI man done this alleged feat. Remember this was an Indian military paid for study not a civilian one.

 

[trainedobserver]

I'm impressed with the calibre of people on the panel doing the press conference, it adds credibility to what there saying. ... Remember this was an Indian military paid for study not a civilian one.

This is the logical fallacy known as the Appeal to Authority. It does nothing to prove the validity of the claims. And like I said, you are apparently easily impressed.

I can't be sure that is what happened, nobody can, but i like to see and await the tests back to see how this YOGI man done this alleged feat.

What we ARE SURE of is we have is an outlandish story that common sense tells us is untrue until a real scientific study is published that proves otherwise. What we ARE SURE of is that human beings require water and food. Anyone claiming to be able to survive without food or water has been proven to be a liar up to this point in human history. That is something that anyone should BE SURE of at this point until proof to the contrary is produced.

Like I said ... When the "doctors" produce a peer-reviewed study of the "miracle man" and have their findings confirmed I'll retract my "its a lame 'holy man' con game" statement and revise my conclusions about it. Until then it fits the pattern of a folk religious confidence game which are commonly run in India. I can pretty much guarantee this will not happen.

A quick study of the Indian sub-culture of religious chicanery should put some perspective on this for folks if they care to look into it.

 

[Kieran]

This is the logical fallacy known as the Appeal to Authority. It does nothing to prove the validity of the claims. And like I said, you are apparently easily impressed.



What we ARE SURE of is we have is an outlandish story that common sense tells us is untrue until a real scientific study is published that proves otherwise. What we ARE SURE of is that human beings require water and food. Anyone claiming to be able to survive without food or water has been proven to be a liar up to this point in human history. That is something that anyone should BE SURE of at this point until proof to the contrary is produced.

Like I said ... When the "doctors" produce a peer-reviewed study of the "miracle man" and have their findings confirmed I'll retract my "its a lame 'holy man' con game" statement and revise my conclusions about it. Until then it fits the pattern of a folk religious confidence game which are commonly run in India. I can pretty much guarantee this will not happen.

A quick study of the Indian sub-culture of religious chicanery should put some perspective on this for folks if they care to look into it.

Well if you have read any of my post's since you joined the forums. You know that i don't appeal or look up to Authority unless it is well-deserved. Like i said before, your entitled to your opinion. I'm finished with this discussion until new data can be looked at that we can debate.

 

[Xylo]

So none of your examples have anyone living for "10 days, 2 weeks, and sometimes longer without water." None.

First off I'm at work and don't have time to research this properly...

Secondly, I also provided a link to "The Onion" which tells you how seriously I take this line of conversation.

All human beings (and other living things) suffer tremendously and then die without the regular intake and elimination of water. All.

If someone is claiming to just be living just off the air they breath they are liars and are involved in a scam. The fact that there are people out there who are ready and willing to believe the most outrageous claims imaginable have kept confidence men and religious hucksters like this feed and watered for centuries.

I don't disagree with the "suffer tremendously" and eventually die aspect. Never said I did.

Lastly, I don't disagree that "breatharians" are conmen and liars.

I'm not really sure what your point was. I'm saying that the chart which you so kindly provided is nice, like the golden rule, but it's not absolute.

 

[trainedobserver]

Well if you have read any of my post's since you joined the forums. You know that i don't appeal or look up to Authority unless it is well-deserved.

So ...based on your authority as a person who doesn't make appeals to authority that are not "well-deserved" I should find this appeal to authority an acceptable argument? You must be kidding. Please tell me you are kidding.

I'm finished with this discussion until new data can be looked at that we can debate.

Using my super-human yogi powers I developed during a lunch break meditation session today I predict this will not occur, no new data will be forthcoming, no scientific papers or studies will be published on this, and the Indian space program will not uncover mystic hibernation techniques for space travel. Ummm-goobby-obbbby, Seeem-sali-beam! Sheesh.

---------- Post added at 01:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:58 PM ----------

I'm not really sure what your point was.

My point is simply this. Anyone saying that human beings can go for prolonged periods of time (days) without water are simply full of crap and are either extremely naive or ignorant of some real basic facts of life.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Just a quick google search will get you these.

No accounting for rainfall used as drinking water though.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/shipwreck-survivors-forced-to-endure-ride-home-on,3435/

http://desperatejourneytheallisonwilcoxstory.blogspot.com/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/shipwreck-survivors-three-men-in-a-boat-430798.html


One PINT of water a day for a week.

http://www.cdnn.info/news/science/sc060820.html

4 Days with no water, floating in the ocean.
http://www.ussindianapolis.org/woody.htm


Like I said, your chart is a nice guideline, but not an absolute.

You do realize you're linking to"The Onion" right? I like the Onion as much as the next guy, but that's like using Mad Magazine as a trusted new source.

Anyway, this guy has probably trained his body to live on very little food and water, but not none. All we have to go on is a two week half-assed study and his word.

 

[Gareth]

So I guess the uptake here from some readers here is that this is case closed: magic exists!
I love the idea of just not reading those pesky skeptics with their science and so forth. Hear no evil, eh?

Is it any wonder that paranormal belief exists mainly as low-rent entertainment?

Lance

No, it really isnt.

Im starting to remember why you got banned the first time

 

[Xylo]

You do realize you're linking to"The Onion" right? I like the Onion as much as the next guy, but that's like using Mad Magazine as a trusted new source.

Anyway, this guy has probably trained his body to live on very little food and water, but not none. All we have to go on is a two week half-assed study and his word.

Sure do, I even mentioned it in the following post. Apparently I was the only one that thought it was funny.

 

[Kieran]

The standard for evidence is quite low among some folks. I don't know why that is but I suspect that people just WANT to believe.

Lance

Like i said, to Trainsdobserver, i will await and see the results from this study that will be published in the next few months. People in fact have survived without food for longer than a month and survived, Yet granted i find it hard to believe a Human being can survive without having water for more than a few days. So i understand the doubters.

I would've dismissed this straight away myself, if wasn't for the fact the "Indian Government" and some of their Top doctors investigated his claims and after all they claimed the Yogi man done this "NOT ME" So i paused to think just because of that fact.

The Indian military and some of their Top Doctors have staked their reputation on man they think is a faker? Is that a realistic assumption? There was in fact over 20 doctors involved in this study Angel, so it was far from a half-assed study, so come of it, please research articles that don't have a western bias of viewing things please.

 

[trainedobserver]

The Indian military and some of their Top Doctors have staked their reputation on man they think is a faker? Is that a realistic assumption?

It seems unlikely that these officials are knowingly promoting a hoaxer but there are a couple of likely scenarios that could explain the apparent situation.

1. The news story is a complete fake or portions of it may be incorrect or exaggerated.
2. Practiced hucksters have fooled "experts" in the past. Any sufficiency rigorous scientific investigation will reveal the hoax eventually however.This may be similar to Uri Gellers's hoodwinking of numerous investigators.
3. Some combination of 1 & 2.

It is highly unlikely that there is any validity to this story for several reasons:

1. The history of religious chicanery in India.
2. The history of the failure of "breathairians" to prove their claims in the past.
2. No real scientific data has accompanied the story.
3. Medical Science has proven that the human body cannot survive any longer than a few days without water and only for a few weeks without food. This man claims to have gone for over 70 years without food.

Given these facts what is the most likely the truth about this story? The most likely truth is that this is far from a "holy man" but rather a "confidence man" in a well established Indian tradition of god-men, holy men, swamis, and other religious hucksters.

 

[trainedobserver]

 

[tyder001]

 

[Ron Collins]

Just a quick google search will get you these.

No accounting for rainfall used as drinking water though.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/shipwreck-survivors-forced-to-endure-ride-home-on,3435/

hahahaha.... did you honestly just cite an article from the onion to support your point? WOW. Thats too damn funny. Do you know what the onion is?

Just look at eh headlines below the article.

"New Law Forces CEO's To Humbly Shrug Before Receiving Massive Bonuses"
"EPA: Stubborn Environment Refusing To Meet Civilization Halfway"

It is a satirical site. Made to look and feel like actual news but is in fact comedy.

They even have a channel on you tube.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheOnion

Very funny stuff. Though, not exactly helping your overall point. BTW, I have no real opinion on this. I fit in the solid grey area until I see real verifiable data either way.