As well, these TV stations are about...surprise...making money. The Discovery Channel has good stuff, but is also notorious for abandoning its roots at times, and running 'spooky' shows, to try and get some ratings.
So some weasel TV exec in a suit, just gives the mandate to make it spooky and ambiguous and new agey, to try and cater to the trend, to get some ratings.


Of course properly researching a Breatharian is insanely easy for TV. You get a medical expert, and then a fraud expert like James Randi. Its all been totally explored and debunked for many years. [forums.randi.org]

Then the person has to be put under total 24/7 observation. Of course the scam is you cannot do that with a minor, or everyone will go to jail for depriving the necessities of life to a minor.
And like the 60 Minutes, when the person is getting seriously sick from lack of food, then the show will have to pull the plug for the same reason.

So of course what they would have to do, is put 2 groups on the breatharian. The normal doc crew, and then a hidden doc crew, to follow the person around in secret, and catch them eating a triple Whopper at 3am. That has been done by the way, many of these FAKES have been busted already.
rationalwiki.org/wiki/Breatharianism [rationalwiki.org]

but of course, the Breatharian scam, is what is called a SUCKER TEST. Because if a person is going to believe this, then they are going to believe anything.
Its like when a cult leader claims there are aliens living under the earth, if a person believes that, they will believe anything.

Even the Conspiracy Theory folks here, totally reject and mock the ridiculous lies of Supreme Master Ching Hai and her fake aliens.
[www.abovetopsecret.com]

Its very important to publicize widely that Ching Hai promotes Breatharians, especially in the Vegan and Veggie community. As most of those folks are smart, and that will expose that in fact Ching Hai is simply trying to use and abuse the Veggie lifestyle for her own purposes.
As well, the Ching Hai nonsense about Aliens, and the other ridiculous lies she peddles.

Because Ching Hai and her people are trying to make themselves appear legit, by talking about organics and veganism.
But at the same time Ching Hai is selling her fake Aliens, and Breatharians, and who knows what else. So publicizing the ridiculous lies put out by Ching Hai, can help the average person realize what is really going on.

But unfortunately, these sects have these "crazy" aspects to them, as a sucker-test, to make sure the members will believe any lie being told by the leader.
But for the general public, exposing the lies of Ching Hai will be very helpful.

Quote
Stoic
If this breatharianism works, why has it not worked for the many millions of people who have starved to death in the periodic famines the world has suffered--and continues to suffer?

The Breatharian crooks/scammers have already answered that. Because they had bad karma, because they didn't follow the Ching Hai or Jasmuheen correctly.
Jasmuheen is an utterly ruthless con-artist, they really don't care if other people die, as long as they can sell their material. Its about money, they are selling stuff to people.
What is over the edge, is that those who have anorexia, which is a terrible eating disorder, are going to get lured into this.

And there are these "parents" doing this with children? Of course their children should be removed by the authorities, and that has happened in some cases.
-------------quote----------------------
[en.wikipedia.org]
"In reference to the death of Lani Morris, Jasmuheen said that perhaps Morris was "not coming from a place of integrity and did not have the right motivation".

"In reference to the death of Lani Morris, Jasmuheen said that perhaps Morris was "not coming from a place of integrity and did not have the right motivation".

You can't eat either integrity or right motivation.

Here you have it. Ching Hai explicitly directing her followers to leave her Supreme Master TV on 24/7. [forum.culteducation.com]
Ching Hai is issuing those orders, as she knows using technology and media-streaming TV, can function as a form of self-brainwashing. Its crude, its blatant, and it works.
Since it comes as Masters Instruction, her serious followers are going to do this, and leave it on all the time.
The most extreme cults, like Jim Jones in the jungle, did the same thing, he put his voice on loudspeakers, to hammer on people's minds all day everyday.
Ching Hai has copied these types of mind-control techniques, and is deliberately using them on her followers.

-------------------------------
[forum.culteducation.com]
Quote: "Master's instruction to all the initiates."
Quote: "Fwd: leave the SupremeMasterTelevision on all the time"

Master’s Instruction:
" Everybody should leave the SupremeMasterTelevision on all the time (satellite TV or online internet TV) to help generate positive energy, even if they are not watching it."
------------------------

SMCH's believe system is based on SANT MAT
For SMCH's followers wish to be free from that believe system, the following website has a good debate and challenge on that believe system. [hinessight.blogs.com]

Anticults is right about some very devoted SMCH’s disciples will sacrifice anything for SMCH including forfieting their lives. As serve for God/God’s project/divine missions is honorable deed for many religious followers. This ex-premiere (another Light &Sound meditation group) experience made me feel sad. [www.ex-premie.org]
I feel sorry for those left their husbands/wives/children/old parents just to do SMCH’s ludicrous projects
to build SMCH's empire.

Quote
Stoic
'the "documentary" intentionally avoided to take a stand by concluding if it was true or fake.'


I think that it is wise to accept that even so-called 'serious' documentary makers generally avoid making such strong and rigid conclusions on behalf of their audience. You could see that as the media having a primary function to entertain not educate, or maybe having the grace to allow the audience to arrive at their own individual conclusions, or even to spark curiosity and whet the audience appetite for some further investigation of the phenomenom.

I found the film interesting as reportage-- admittedly I thought it a scam of some kind and was looking for evidence of that.

I think that it is wise to accept that a lot of people (in asia AND in western countries) tend to believe anything as far as it is "seen on TV". You don't, and you "are looking for evidence". But you should not ignore that for many people, the simple fact something is seen on TV is already an evidence.

I don't know where you got the idea that a media have a primary function to entertain, not educate. That's just your point of view. Anyway, even if I agree about the fact it's good to allow the audience to arrive at their own individual conclusions, I think this can apply for general matters like social or politic matters. But not for matters that are not already well known by the audience. And particulary not for matters that involve public health, in which people have to be educated, not disinformed or confused.

You should have a look on the comments under each videos, and you'll see that among the mockeries, many people take that documentary very seriously. Not all people have enough education about medias to understand what the game is about here. And that is also a reason why this documentary is taken as a reliable source by a cultish groups like Sunlightment [sunlightenment.com]

------------------------- Exemple of comments -------------------------
Where can I learn to do something like that?
WeAreL3gion il y a 11 mois

This is why I am Buddhist. This is the spirit and mindset of which every buddhist and myself believe in. He is pure buddhist in its highest form.
CypressHillsMembrane il y a 1 an
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So, my point is :
Ching Hai is using breatharianism to make her audience captive, and so make profit.
Discovery Channel is also using breatharianism to make it's audience captive, and so make profit.
But...
Ching Hai is watched by disciples only (who are already drown in an ocean of scams)
Discovery Channel is watched by a very very large audience all over the world, which implies much more power, and so much more responsibilities.

Quote
Wikipedia
Discovery Channel is currently the most widely distributed cable network in the United States, reaching more than 92 million households, part of its global audience of 431 million homes in 170 countries and territories. Versions of the channel are seen in Latin America, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, India, Malaysia and other countries.

That's why I assume that on some particular subjects (like those whom concern public health), that kind of so-called scientific entertainment channels are wrong in getting people into cunfusion.

It's ridiculous to imagine that one member of the filming crew could have possibly believed one second that the boy was not feeded during the night, when it's impossible to look at him. But the documentary doesn't even imply that fact. The documentarist is still talking about a possible miracle, and so is denying the scam possibility by continuing to film as if it was still a scientific experiment that would prove anything... Of course most of people will notice the incoherence to keep filming when you can just see half of the scene, but a part of the audience will not. That's why I call this documentary a scam, and up to me, that scam is much bigger and more dangerous than just the Boy himself and his familly's scam.

Quote
Ocean_Of_Lies
Discovery Channel documentary on breatharian Prahlad Jani

[sunlightenment.com]

Part 1: [www.youtube.com]

Part 2: [www.youtube.com]

Part 3: [www.youtube.com]

Part 4: [www.youtube.com]

Part 5: [www.youtube.com]

I've watched these videos a few years ago, to be honest, I was quite inspired and wanted to meditate more...There's another story about an India holy man lived without eating for decades. [news.bbc.co.uk] Perhaps, supernatural phenomenon do occur. If people do it based on the faith (wishful thinking), it would be dangerous to result in deteriorating health or even death.

One thing that is for certain, these fake Breatharians, and so-called Indian Holy men doing this for decades...
Its fraud.
Its deception.

Because anyone making a claim like this, its up to them to PROVE IT, with hard evidence.
They can't just make a claim, they have to prove it.
If they don't, then its simply fraud. They are making money off it too, its not just a claim, they charge people money, so its a Breatharian business.

No one has ever proven the claim of the Breatharian.
Again, it would be very easy to prove it, if they could do it.

Just go into a university lab for a month, and be monitored 24/7. But they won't do it, as they are frauds.
Or they will try something like using a TV crew, for entertainment TV. Anyone living in the US knows that TV these days is absurd, if the TV execs think it will make money, they will air it. They do not care if its true or lies, if they think it will make money on TV, that is all that matters to them.

Bottom line, these Breatharians make a claim, they have to prove it.
If not, they are not credible.

Carl Sagan has a great Baloney Detection Kit. "The following are suggested as tools for testing arguments and detecting fallacious or fraudulent arguments" [www.xenu.net]

Breatharianism is simply baloney, its a lie, a fraud, a scam.

But people like Ching Hai have made millions of dollars, because she is smart enough to know that huge numbers of the public will in fact believe almost anything. Ching Hai is clever in that way, she knows what works.
She knows some people want to believe in that stuff, so she will lie to them, to give them permission to believe in it.

And Ching Hai understands "brainwashing" too.
Ching Hai knows if she can get her followers to believe in Aliens and Breatharians, then they will believe anything else. Because she has trained them to believe in violating the laws of Nature, without any proof.
So once a sect leader has trained their followers to believe anything, she can do anything she wants with them.
That is why there are so many of these culty leaders, as its pretty easy to be a culty leader, if you have charisma, and are will to lie to large groups of people.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2011 06:29PM by The Anticult.

'It's ridiculous to imagine that one member of the filming crew could have possibly believed one second that the boy was not feeded during the night, when it's impossible to look at him. But the documentary doesn't even imply that fact.'

The documentary stated that fact several times--where else did you get it from?

'But you should not ignore that for many people, the simple fact something is seen on TV is already an evidence.'

I don't ignore that--however, I was responding to the sentiments expressed in your post in particular, not proposing a remedy for every ill in the world.


'I don't know where you got the idea that a media have a primary function to entertain, not educate. That's just your point of view.'

It is not in fact my point of view. I was giving you three alternative ways to consider the problem of the stark black and white thinking of the division of the world into true/false, good/bad. I see from your aggressive response and argumentative assumptions that you have already decided what my point of view is and that you are not prepared to think any further than that.

That is your point of view and you are entitled to it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2011 07:05PM by Stoic.

Its really horrifying if one searches Google just for the word:

Breatharian

There is a string of organized businesses, trying to make money off this. Here is the horrifying thing. Many people do starve themselves temporarily, to try and lose weight.
There are online Anorexia communities for those with anorexia, and they share "tricks" with eachother, about how to eat, then vomit the food up, and the rest of the nightmare.
And sadly, some of these folks who dream of being skinny, are getting lured into the Breatharian scams, and buying the books, and taking the workshops.
Like a starvation diet, which is the most unhealthy thing a person can do.


Ching Hai cut some sort of business deal with the Breatharians like Jasmuheen.
Jasmuheen book on Google books (Biofields & Bliss Trilogy) contains the entire fake life-story from Ching Hai's website. So obviously Jasmuheen cut a deal with Ching Hai to promote her in her book, and for Ching Hai to promote Jasmuheen on her website.
Its cross-promotion, its business.

Hopefully more people will being to realize that in fact there are con-artists out there, professional liars who will say anything, and hide behind a fake spiritual mask.

Its good that this website has started an archive on Breatharians. www.culteducation.com/groups/breat.html [www.culteducation.com]

France keeps watch on 'breatharian' retreat [www.culteducation.com]