Fasting: an Exceptional Human Experience

FastingAn Exceptional Human ExperienceSince prehistory, fasting has been used in various ways as a means oftransformation. As a spiritual practice, it is the oldest and most common formof asceticism and is found in virtually every religion and spiritual tradition. Inpsychology, studies have suggested that fasting can alleviate the symptomsof some psychiatric conditions, including depression and schizophrenia. In medicine, fasting is one of the most promising therapies, with researchsuggesting that fasting can cause certain drugs, such as chemotherapy, towork better while reducing drug side-effects. Hunger striking, sometimes calledpolitical fasting, may be the most powerful application of fasting. Proof of thisoccurred in 1948 when Gandhis hunger strike caused millions of Hindus andMuslims in India to cease their fighting. As a practical guide, Randi Fredricks,Ph.D. provides detailed information on the different types of fasting, wherepeople fast, the physiological process of fasting, and the contraindicationsand criticisms of fasting. Using existing literature and original research, Dr. Fredricks focuses on the transformative characteristics of fasting in thecontexts of psychology, medicine, and spirituality. The relationship betweenfasting and transpersonal psychology is examined, with a focus on peakexperiences, self-realization, and other exceptional human experiences. Dr. Fredricks demonstrates how fasting can be profoundly therapeutic,create global paradigm shifts, and provide personal mystical phenomena.