For today’s WTF news, we have self-proclaimed “breatharian” Ana-Maria Stefania on the docket. Because her claims are not only ridiculous, but extremely dangerous, I thought it’d be pertinent to share.
Breatharianism is the belief that one can survive solely on energy from sunlight and air (read: prana), sans food and water. Breatharianism followers – also known as breatharians – are advised to slowly transition from vegan, vegetarian, and raw foods and fruit before relying on a purely liquid diet.
Stefania claims her discovery of breatharianism was “love at first sight.”
“The less solid food I consume, the better and more present I feel,” Stefania, a Cyprus-based health coach and hypnotherapist, said.
While many religions require fasting – Christianity, Islam, and Jainism – breatharianism is one long, endless fast.
Breatharian leader, Jas Jasmuheen author of “Living on Light: The Source of Nourishment for the New Millennium,” says she has spent more than four decades nourishing her body without food, claiming she can go “for months and months without having anything at all other than a cup of tea.”
After a quick Google search, I found a concerning number of forums dedicated to the breatharianism lifestyle.
Many users say their journey began when they realized they had an “addiction to food.”
“This is my first day on a dry fast and I will see how long it last. Afterwards, I hope to stay with only liquid intake for a while. I am 48 years old and have a wonderful family. I wanted to come here for support. Even though my family is wonderful they struggle with the same perception on the need for food that society has embedded in us,” user SkyeRose writes.
This “cult” has surprisingly been recruiting more and more followers since it broke wind in 1999.
Obviously, this lifestyle is not realistic.
“Anyone advocating that we can live largely without food or fluids is giving dangerous advice,” Professor David Oliver, the clinical vice president of the Royal College of Physicians, said. “Living on air and sunshine will provide no caloric or fluid intake. Anyone who claims to be maintaining a steady body weight on such a diet is unlikely to be telling the truth.”
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