Fasting, Longevity, and Immortality PDF
Preview Fasting, Longevity, and Immortality
LONGEVITY, AND m IMMORTALITY W. Charles Johnson, Jr. Fasting, longevity, and immortality RM 226.5 .J65 4 7 6 86 illlililii Johnson, Charles W. CIIS LIBRARY and Souls? FASTING, LONGEVITY, AND IMMORTALITY W. Charles Johnson, Jr. Calif. Institute of Integra] studies foo Ashbury San Francisco, CA 94117 Calif. Institute of Inte' • ..js 765 Ashbu ^ ' CA San Francisco, b-ill? "Alas for you (social leaders), who have taken away the key to knowledge: You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others — going in who wanted to" Jesus Christ, as quoted in Luke 11:52. It should not be necessary (but in today's legal climate it isTto point out that the reader assumes the credits for any benefits he may gain from fasting or from reading this book. The reader also assumes the blame for any "bad trips" he may get out of fasting, or out of reading this book. This author believes that the benefits of fasting/or outweigh the risks. I have tried to record both the good news and the bad news about fasting. — Much more research is needed. It isn't being done. So you're on your own. Good luck. Anypart of this book may be reproduced for educational, inspirational, non-profit purposes, no strings attached. (Proper credit might constitute an additional service to the intended recipients of such reproductions, however.) In particular, it is hoped that the fasting-inspired poems in the appendix may be considered part of the public domain. Praise God, Charlie Johnson 'x. Copyright © 1978 by Charles W. Johnson, Jr. Published by SURVIVAL, Turkey Hills, Haddam, Connecticut 06438 PREFACE In the 1940's, experiments proved that rats live significantly longer if they fast every third day of their life. In the 1920's experiments with cattle demonstrated that cattle can fast for as many as 21 days with little loss of strength or psychological stress. However, cattle on halfra- tions become both physically weakened and seriously stressed psychologically. In 1912, a Malta attorney came to America and proved to Boston scientists that his I.Q. went up during a 31-day fast. For more than a hundred years a dedicated but small group of health cultists have been try- ing to tell us that fasting will cure many of the diseases with which we are presently afflicted. Since the beginning of recorded history, most religions have testified that fasting enhances our psychic powers, leading to divine inspiration, accurate prophecy, healing of disease, and physical or spiritual salvation for individuals, groups, cities, and even nations. Does fasting rejuvenate the cells of our body and promote greater longevity? Does fasting promote PANS (Parasym- pathetic Autonomic Nervous System) dominance over SANS (Sympathetic Autonomic Nervous System) and thereby promote the good emotions of faith, hope, love, and tranquihty over the bad ones of doubt, despair, hate, and turmoil? Will fasting develop and bring forth our psychic abilities as many religious traditions insist? Can fasting erase the scars of life planted in M-RNA (memory-type ribonucleic acid) by wrong eating and environmental pollu- 111 DDT tion? Can it remove from our body's fatty tissues, cholesterol deposits from our artery walls, and viruses from their hiding places of mischief? Could fasting be used to help isolate a long sought "psychic" energy, and can this help us demonstrate a scien- tific case for man's potential immortality? These ideas are explored in this book. Evidence is collected to help the reader reach his own conclusions. A plea is made for research into all these aspects of fasting. Why has the religiously important discipline of fasting fallen into almost complete disuse? Is mankind really that spiritually degenerate? Are we really that uninterested in our own physical health? Perhaps this book will help you turn the tide in mankind's favor. Perhaps it will even inspire you to improve your physical and spiritual life through fasting. The author hopes so! '^*W IV TABLE OF CONTENTS — Chapter One Introduction 1 — Two Chapter Fasting in the Bible 6 — Chapter Three Personal Fasting Experiences 13 Table of Fasts of the Author 69 — Chapter Four Review of the Fasting Literature 72 Life's Important Opposites (poem) 128 — Chapter Five Fasting and — Immortality Speculations 129 — Chapter Six Summary and Conclusions 161 Some Fasting Clinics 168 Fasting Bibliography 170 General Bibliography 174 Author's Biographical Sketch 178 Fasting Photos 180 Appendix: Fasting-Inspired Poetry 185 About Fasting What do you know aboutfasting? Is it goodforyour immortal soul? Will it help you live life long-lasting? Will it help you achieve life's goal? Will it heal health and rejuvenate? Will it add grace to your decision? Willfasting even remunerate By adding strength to precision? Will it add to the power ofprayer And lead to a prophetic voice? Will it help you to dispel despair And guide you to just the right choice? Will it heal the mind and the body For today and all time to come? Will it change a life that is shoddy And in all ways improve you some? Will it increasefaith in your maker, Give you peace and solace serene? Will it make you a best partaker In all that the world comes to mean? Yes, fasting can improve society, Add to the worth of the world, And provide a greater propriety For all worthy causes unfurled. So learn all you can aboutfasting And practice it eagerly, too. It can lead to life everlasting, And make you a person more true. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The poem About Fasting may be an example of the over- advertising we are so guilty of as a society. I say "may be" because I believe that the significance of the fasting phe- nomenon is potentially very great in today's world. Many questions remain unanswered. Many mysteries of fasting remain unsolved. Much research remains to be done, and little interest is manifest in accomplishing this research. I would like to express the speculation that our many world problems exist because we deserve them. We cannot — solve these problems political, economic, medical, moral — until we are deserving of their solution. Perhaps we can become more deserving through the physiological and psy- chological improvements that we can experience through We fasting. may also benefit from longer, healthier lives, and from an increased chance for "immortality." To substantiate these claims in part, I am about to record my my still-incomplete research in fasting. I do this before research is complete because I may never be satisfied enough to call my research complete. In addition, I hope that you, the reader, may be able and willing, by your own my personal fasting experiences, to add something to searching efforts in this fascinating area. You may benefit greatly and help the discipline of fasting "break loose" from social stigma into its potential place of great social usefulness. From my own experience I am convinced that, as in most 1 research, the ''Hterature survey" must be augmented by "laboratory experience." I urge the reader to view suspici- ously those experts, either pro or con, who have little or no personal fasting experience. They appear to be a best source of bad information. It must be confessed that the testimony of experienced fasters also contains a great deal of contradiction. Fortunately, there is, none the less, a strong stream of consistency holding this testimony together. An important characteristic about the fasting experience must be stressed. Although it would seem to be a very physical type of experience, tradition leads us to believe that it has important spiritual aspects. The very subject of fasting arouses such an emotional reaction that it is difficult to write about it or read about it in an objective manner. In- deed, most of what has been written about fasting emo- tionally expounds its value for health or for spiritual benefits, but not for both. "Fasting for health" exponents usually deny that fasting fosters spiritual growth, while "fasting for spiritual enrichment" exponents often feel that fasting for health is a misuse and desecration of a spiritual exercise. Perhaps this book can help the reader decide the issue. Fasting's subjective connotations are so strong that it is almost a forbidden subject within the most "legitimate" circles of our society. In modern vernacular, fasting is re- jected by the "establishment," even as a topic of popular publication. Only the larger libraries have any books listed under "fasting." (Even these are often listed under "Fasting and Feasting"! Almost no "establishment" — — publishing house has an "in print" or out of print book to offer on the subject of fasting (1973). Shouldn't we seriously question how this can come about, when the fasting tradition is an important part of all great religions? Has a Godless element surreptitiously woven its way into the very core of our communications network? As this literary effort evolves, it will perhaps appeal most
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