Traditions & Frameworks

Japan

Japanese extended fasting traditions, often practiced in conjunction with Buddhist or Shinto spiritual disciplines.

Brazil

The Brazilian Portuguese term for 'living on light', representing the growing breatharian movement in Brazil.

Latin America

The Spanish/Latin American term for breatharianism and pranic living practices, popular in Spanish-speaking communities.

India/Global

A framework based on the belief that humans can be nourished by prana (life force energy) or light, rather than physical food. Popular in Western New Age and Indian yogic traditions.

China

A Daoist practice of abstaining from grains and sometimes all food, believed to promote spiritual cultivation and longevity. Practiced in Chinese Qigong and Daoist traditions for millennia.

Russia

A modern framework emphasizing complete physiological autonomy from food, water, and sometimes sleep. Prominent in Russian-speaking communities, with practitioners claiming years without sustenance.

Global

The practice of gazing at the sun during safe hours, believed by some practitioners to reduce or eliminate the need for food. Associated with the HRM (Hira Ratan Manek) method.

Germany/Switzerland

German for "light nourishment." A European movement centered around living on light, popularized by practitioners like Jasmuheen and Dr. Michael Werner.

Japan

The Japanese approach to not eating, with a philosophical rather than spiritual framing. Practitioners like Yoshinori Akiyama approach it as a lifestyle experiment.

Global

Historical cases of alleged food abstinence, including Catholic mystics, Indian yogis, and other religious figures throughout history.