Any person that I have spoken with about this lifestyle expresses concerns about “going public” with what they are doing. In the world within which we currently live, it is common for people who are different and express different perspectives to be attacked and ridiculed. It can sometimes be difficult to separate this type of reactive attack from the intelligent, evocative questioning that is a vital part of a thoughtful learning process.

At the time I was preparing to experience the 21-day process at the turn of the millennium, there was a very tragic event that was publicized in the media. A 49 year-old woman who had read of the process in Jasmuheen’s book, was found dead by a fisherman in November of 1999. According to Newswire (England), Monday November 29, 1999, Verity Linn had been camping by herself, and entries in her journal indicated that she was doing a “spiritual cleansing program.” Friends provided the information that what she was doing was associated with Jasmuheen’s work. Verity Linn was also a member of the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland. Her family didn’t press any charges.

The media used this and another death in 1998 that had been linked to the same teachings, to launch a personal attack on Jasmuheen and the practice of breatharianism as described in the 21-day process. For my friends and family who knew what I was planning, this information added extra energy to their fear for me. For many people, these events were evidence of the belief, “If I don’t eat, I will die.” It meant that the people that love me had to struggle to find a way to believe in me regardless of what their heads were telling them. Some of my friends made this transition, many of them didn’t.

For me, the events in the media gave me more motivation to be very honest about my own beliefs and to make sure that I was not in denial about the objective “reality” of the possibilities. They helped me to focus on the necessity of absolutely empowering my belief in myself and in my own intuition.

Yes, it is possible that death will be the result in this 21 day process if the belief structure around food has not been completely addressed and resolved. One of the reasons that powerful, esoteric spiritual practices have been protected through the centuries, buried in secret rituals for the duly initiated, is the concern that they would be dangerous in the possession of the unprepared. It is a big leap to determine when it is the right time for humanity to assume our true individual sovereignty and responsibility for ourselves. It is a big step for us to be trusted to use our intuition and personal wisdom to determine what is right for us and when we are ready. We are used to being told what to do, when to do it, what is right and what is wrong. It’s one of the ways we have been kept in a place of disempowerment and enslavement.

I learned early on in my practice as a therapist the wisdom of not telling people what to do. If you do tell people what to do, and it works, they become dependent on you. If you tell them what to do, and it doesn’t work, people will blame you or sue you. Perhaps this training has helped me to determine for myself that the people who offer powerful practices and techniques to the world are not responsible for every way in which those teachings might be used or misused. For myself, I have decided that I am ready for the truth of who I am and what my capabilities are. I believe that we are all as ready as we can be, and as more and more truth, tools and technology are made available to us, we will grow into that space and mature. The transition into personal sovereignty may not always be smooth, but better to have difficult transitions than to remain in places we have outgrown. This is just my opinion.

The media has called the teachings of breatharianism irresponsible in a culture where so many people suffer with anorexia. This is possibly a way for the media not to own their own accountability in the creation of the phenomenon of rampant eating disorders among our young people, especially young women, through the practice of glamorizing unhealthy thinness. People who practice and teach about breatharianism stress the vital importance of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and strength as the measures of preparation for this path. I have heard of people who have used the study of this practice as a means of identifying and healing dysfunctional relationships with food usually grounded in painful childhood experiences. Family of origin therapy, education regarding media influence and practicing a healthy diet are all ways to bring these issues to light for healing. Breatharianism is not a spiritual goal. It is a tool on the path of consciousness in the Divine.

Another concern about this information is that it challenges traditional religious beliefs about God and our relationship to God. Most religions teach that God is a personality that lives in another place and is watching over us, rewarding us and punishing us according to our adherence to and breaking of the rules. These rules can vary according to the rulebook that is followed. The philosophy of breatharianism teaches that any person can attain higher states of consciousness and physical mastery, and actually discover truth for themselves outside the guidelines of the “rules.” Since this idea can be threatening to tradition and a church’s ability to control it’s members, it has been categorized as “metaphysical” and therefore, in some circles, of the devil. The followers of metaphysical practices have often been criticized and ostracized by family and friends because of differing beliefs. We have been made to feel evil and/or out of touch with reality, or crazy. These are all techniques and strategies used since humanity’s beginnings to suppress personal power. People who think “outside the box” have many opportunities to strengthen and clarify truth in the face of harsh criticism from others. James Guilliland, a noted researcher in the field of human initiated contact with extraterrestrial intelligences (the CE5 Initiative), is often the target of attacks and attempts to discredit his work. His usual response to his attackers is, “As you wish.”

The power in this practice of living a breatharian lifestyle and all other personal, spiritual journeys, is in not convincing anyone of anything. The power is in living and having ours lives become an observable demonstration of our truth. “By their fruits, shall ye know them.” Let us strive to live our lives in a manner such that our fruits are attractive to those who seek nourishment.

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