“Pranic Festival” Recap

About 18 months ago I became aware that a Harvard University graduate in Applied Mathematics with Magna Cum Laude honors had attempted the “impossible”. This person had also rowed for Harvard’s NCAA Division I crew team. While it isn’t necessary to graduate from an Ivy league university or be a high level athlete in order to deem someone as “credible”, it’s a rarity to see a person with such a background to publicly push the limits of what we can experience as a human.

By the time I had been exposed to this person and their experience, I had inadvertently experienced some of my own “supernormal” phenomena that made me question what our true human potential really is. I found it completely intriguing that someone that could likely live a materialistically comfortable life would delve into the “mystical” world of the unknown. It takes a different breed of person to put aside the “regular” life in search for answers to possibly some of the biggest questions mankind has ever asked.

This is why when I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend the 2015 “Pranic Festival” in Sausalito, California… I jumped at the chance.

The gathering was created by a woman by the name of Dr. Edith Ubuntu Chan. Dr. Chan is that Harvard Graduate mentioned above who also specializes in Chinese Medicine, specializing in Endocrinology and Neuromuscular Medicine. The “Pranic Festival” would take place at a unique, boutique venue known as Harmonia Wellness. There was a total of 8 speakers… some of whom I was familiar with prior to the gathering and others who I knew nothing about. I truly didn’t have any expectations as what to expect from any of the presenters.

The first speaker of the conference was a man by the name of Peter Straubinger. He is the producer and director of the mind-bending documentary “In the Beginning There Was Light”. This film brings to our attention the concept of breatharianism. For those that aren’t completely familiar with this concept, it is the ability for some people to not only live, but thrive without the necessity for food ingestion. It appears that many subjects need little to no water for sustenance as well. As far-fetched as all of this might sound, Straubinger does a tremendous job of chronicling subjects found throughout the globe who claim to live like this. Based on the subjects and presentation, this phenomena is much more than simply “not eating”. There appears to be a spiritual component in play which Q4LT readers might equate to an underlying electrical component.

Straubinger would discuss his experiences of shooting and developing the film. He dedicated 10 years of his life to the creation of the film and noted that it’s reception in Austria was front page news. He stated that he was able to take his time making the film as he was basically the camera man, the producer, the booking guide… all in one. Apparently there are hundreds of hours of footage he was able to capture that weren’t included in the finished documentary. He spoke about his experience with high ranking officials, scientists, and doctors in the Chinese Military who study psychic phenomena in depth. He even showed extremely rare footage of some of these phenomena taking place such as a Chi-Gong practitioner sprouting seeds and popcorn utilizing their own energy. One video even showed a Chi-gong master pushing an object through a glass jar.

You could sense that Straubinger had met enough subjects and had seen enough currently unexplainable phenomena that he understood that it was no longer a question of… “is this possible?” but moreso… “how does it work?”. He creates an extremely compelling case that the field of science should take seriously and study with open books and an open mind. If science is the key to solving some of the world’s biggest problems regardless of whether profit is involved or not, malnutrition and disease are huge markets that can potentially be addressed if truly authentic research continues based on the information presented by “In the Beginning There Was Light”.

In speaking briefly with Straubinger, unfortunately it appears as though up until this moment, U.S. television networks and Netflix have not shown interest in distributing the film. Hopefully that will change in the near future as this documentary needs to be seen here in the west. For America to be known as “The Land of the Free”… let it be just that and show the U.S. population that there are different degrees of “freedom” in life.

The second speaker was a young man named Oberom Silva from Brazil. He has been living without the necessity for food since 2001. He emphasized that this was a lifestyle of being present and being happy. The ability to thrive without needing to eat food is more of a byproduct of the lifestyle. Oberom stated that it’s about “The Cycle” of nourishing oneself via living the truths in one’s heart and following it consistently. His message resonated as he spoke from his heart and gave the impression of being 100% genuine throughout. At the end of his presentation, he gave the audience a glimpse of “The Non-Time Experience” meditation. It was an experience in which he performed a guided meditation for people to listen to and he followed it up asking people about their perception of the amount of time it took.

Having been familiar with guided meditations prior to this exercise it was extremely interesting to feel the disconnect from time. I thought the exercise took about 7 to 8 minutes. In actuality it was 20 minutes. From a “western” point of view it felt as though I was in a state of hypnagogia throughout.

The third speaker of the “Pranic Festival” was a man named Elitom El-Amin. He spoke candidly about being overweight earlier in his life and how he transitioned his physical and mental health by changing his diet. He even spoke about how he saw benefits from initially transitioning from a traditional american/fast food mode of consumption to a vegetable based diet consisting of canned vegetables. Over time his knowledge base grew and he became a raw vegan eater. He experienced profound health optimization that many people around him didn’t quite understand.

Elitom is an interesting case as it pertains to “breatharianism” due to the fact that it appears that while many subjects undergo a transformation via a very specific, controlled environment, Elitom transitioned from veganism to breatharianism while he was working and taking care of his family. It was interesting to note that he openly admitted to having been emotionally driven to utilize food for comfort at certain points in his life. He even spoke about a time he had indulged in multiple packets of M&M’s and he had to find his way back to breatharian lifestyle. One of his keynotes that I can relate to based on experience is that in order to heal one’s body, the mind must be worked on and in order to heal one’s mind, the body must be worked on.

The next day, the fourth conference speaker was a person known as the “Ice Man”… Wim Hof. He holds 26 Guinness World Records for extreme sport challenges. He has been getting much notoriety in recent times for his ability to showcase conscious control of his innate immune system and autonomic nervous system. Most importantly he has developed a technique in which this ability can be replicated amongst the general public. This is the first time this ability has been analyzed in a prominent scientific setting with the results published in a peer-reviewed scientific journals. The emphasis of Wim’s talk was about the importance of the breath and changes that occur in the body when we raise our pH (acid/alkalinity) utilizing his breathing techniques.

At times he spoke as though he was a military general speaking to his troops that there is a battle being fought and that we must fight to show the world our true uncovered potentials. While he tended to stay away from much talk about the spirituality of his exercises, he did emphasize that his power is in the emotion of love. We can all tap into it if we just let ourselves do so.

Wim also included some deep breathing techniques in his presentation as well as an exercise of breath holding while partaking in push-ups.

Dr. Chan allowed the audience guests to ask Wim questions and I was able to ask him about his dialogue with well known dimethyltryptamine (DMT) researcher Dr. Rick Strassman. A few weeks prior to this gathering I had made an inquiry to Dr. Strassman regarding a potential study on Wim’s abilities and whether he was synthesizing DMT in the process. Dr. Strassman had stated that based on current technological limitations, it appeared as though it would be very difficult to unequivocally verify if this was the case. When I asked Wim about this he acknowledged that the conversation had taken place and that some interesting results would likely be published within the next several weeks.

It’d be ground breaking for the hard-nosed, western science community to be able to potentially tie a biological marker such as DMT with enhanced physical capabilities. As it stands right now, many people in the sciences scoff at the notion that DMT is anything more than merely a powerful hallucinogenic that causes one to see things that aren’t there. To expand further, I don’t want to make it seem as though DMT within itself is the key to expanded consciousness, awareness, and abilities. There is likely a delicate balance that takes place between DMT, Pinoline, Melatonin, and various other unnamed and possibly unknown hormones that are produced in conjunction with DMT. Our bodies are systems that can be analyzed from different perspectives such as Chi/Prana, electrical, mineral balance/imbalance, as well as the traditional cell/plasma readings. The DMT aspect would fit right in with the traditional cell/plasma readings that westerners are comfortable with.

If dimethyltryptamine is ever directly linked to Wim Hof’s technique and abilities, it could potentially be one of the biggest bombshell’s in western medical/scientific history. It possibly opens the floodgates for other phenomena such as breatharianism to be linked as well which wouldn’t be surprising based on the eerily similar techniques of breathing and meditation utilized by all parties.

The fifth speaker of the conference would be a man named Akahi Salas. He has created what is known as the “8-day process”.

(This is the original video I saw about Dr. Chan, Akahi is in it as well)

He spoke about his life in Ecuador and how he was always drawn to the artistic aspect of life but wasn’t particular immersed in a quest for spirituality. He spoke about a family friend who visited his property in the hopes of a place to experience the “21 day process” to breatharianism. Akahi hadn’t been familiar with the concept prior to this encounter but was intrigued by the process and thus the seed had been planted.

He vividly recapped going through his own process to breatharianism in which he felt himself literally dying. At that point, he knew that rushing to the hospital wasn’t an option and he embraced the moment. He stated that he felt himself die and he transitioned to the “unknown”. During this moment of peace he heard a voice that clearly and forcefully said the word “breathe”. He followed the directions and from that point on, he saw the world from a different perspective… a deeper perspective.

Akahi would close out his presentation with some breathing exercises as well as a display of energetic transfer.

The sixth speaker was a woman by the name of Camila Castillo. Camila was the previous speaker’s (Akahi) wife and she spoke candidly about the experience of going through her two pregnancies as a breatharian. This was truly mind blowing within itself being that western society is so ingrained to believe that a pregnant woman must consume high levels of nutrient dense food consistently to provide an optimal environment for the growing fetus. Camila stated that she didn’t know what to expect when she became pregnant but that if her body told her to eat food, she would listen and deviate from her adapted lifestyle. However, surprisingly enough she would maintain her breatharianism throughout her first pregnancy and the baby developed healthily with no issues. She even mentioned that she failed to experience any anemia during her pregnancy while many of her close friends who were pregnant around the same time frame and very diet conscious experienced varying degrees of anemia.

At this point in the festival, I felt like something was beginning to click in terms of understanding how these subjects lived as they did. There was an honesty, a full-fledged belief, and a trust in oneself and body to derive nutrition from a source that has yet to find a definitive biological marker western science can wrap it’s head around. Earlier this year we made a case for abnormally high levels of the hormone Melatonin as it pertains to the foundation for breatharian lifestyle. After having been in the presence of these individuals, I believe that there just might be an aspect of the heart and/or thymus gland that can help us understand the phenomena in a more comprehensive light from a western perspective.

Camila would continue describing what it felt like to be a young mother with different experiences and beliefs than most. She spoke about letting her children interact with food as they wished and not forcing anything upon them either way. It was refreshing to hear as sometimes it can seem that the “rules” and rigidity of child raising in modern society can potentially inhibit the magic of life especially for a young child. I commend Camila for her bravery in sharing her experience with the world as the skeptics are so quick to jump to unfair conclusions.

While one might think that the best scientists to study this phenomena of breatharianism might be those steeped in nutrition and metabolic fields of science, I believe that backgrounds in endocrinology, psychology, acupuncture, and possibly even those involved in psychedelic research might have more relevant perspectives to bring to the table.

The final day of the “Pranic Festival” would begin with a man known as Max Christensen. Max has apparently cheated death multiple times even having been bitten by a cobra and subsequently “toe-tagged” only to wake up in the cold room where they store dead bodies. Famous mystics such as Sathya Sai Baba and Edgar Cayce experienced bodily trauma at an early age on their life path to enhanced abilities. I’ve been quite interested in those that have had near death experiences as it appears that there is a potential correlation between various “supernormal” abilities and NDEs. Max’s background of studying with the Apache/Navaho, Taoist of the Shang-ching/Wudang, Shamans of Mongolia, Peleku/Kanelu tradition of Hawaii, and Egyptian Yogis is a true, almost unbelievable rarity.

Max would present a photo album of some of the phenomena he has experienced with some of his teachers. Some of the pictures showcased a transition of de-materialization of the body. It was eye-opening and mind blowing to say the least. He would touch upon the fact that Russian scientists had studied him and they found that he generated Gamma EEG waves when in his deep states of meditation. He also drew a diagram outlining 8 different segments of the brain that his system of Kunlun is based on opening. He also mentioned DMT as being released during spiritual states.

Following his presentation, I posed a question to Max that I’ve been quite interested in but have found little to no current information on. In the early 1900s, a French physiologist and Nobel Prize Laureate named Charles Richet would study the phenomena referred to as “ectoplasm”. It’s official definition is… “a supernatural viscous substance that is supposed to exude from the body of a medium during a spiritualistic trance and form the material for the manifestation of spirits”. From Max’s experiences and interaction with those entrenched in the spiritual arts, he stated ectoplasm to be a type of cold plasma with a negative electrical charge that is between the spiritual and the physical. He stated that some of his students in Japan have observed this phenomena directly and have seen it emanate from the crown of one’s head during the dying process.

We also briefly touched upon the substance known as “Amrita” which is derived from the cerebral spinal fluid. He stated that it contains DMT and is generated when in blissful states and strengthens the person when ingested.

Max Christensen is an interesting man to say the least.

The final presenter of the “Pranic Festival” is considered one of, if not the originator of the breatharian lifestyle in modern times known as Jasmuheen. She created the “21 day process” outlined in her book. She would speak eloquently about the importance of emotional state and living through one’s heart as a necessity for the breatharian lifestyle.

Being a pioneer is no easy task as she endured much hardship throughout her life as she shared her gift to the world. She would speak about what it was like to be at conferences around the globe were scientists, critics, and the media seemed to want to break her from sharing her discoveries. The fact that she is still openly discussing her experiences publicly is a testament to her own will and truths. In speaking briefly with her, she is well aware that the breatharian lifestyle is largely based on operating in an altered EEG from the “normal” beta and instead maintaining a “theta” wave range. She believed that an “alpha” EEG was likely not enough to maintain the lifestyle consistently.

Jasmuheen is also aware of internally produced DMT and it’s effects on the brain as it pertains to dual hemispheric function with subsequent effects on the body. She stated that she has had discussions with scientists but it appears not many are truly willing to honestly study her and the breatharian lifestyle in depth. According to her research over 55,000 breatharians exist in the world today. It appears as though the movement is picking up steam and Jasmuheen seems motivated to build upon this with expansion and synergistic relationships in China.

Overall the “Pranic Festival” was an excellent presentation of subjects with “supernormal” phenomena. The presenters were candid, vibrant, and seemed 100% genuine with their stories. Much credit needs to go to Dr. Edith Ubuntu Chan and her staff as they produced a historically significant event from a global perspective. Not many people are willing to challenge their own beliefs and education by trying out processes that might awaken them to the greater reality.

It’s time for western science/medicine to take an honest look at the breatharian phenomena as many of the subjects are open and willing to be studied. The movement will likely continue to grow regardless of whether western science probes the lifestyle or not but based on the huge potential for optimal body and mind health, it should not be discarded. Daring scientists who think outside of themselves and have a deep ingrained motive to change the world can start here.

Perhaps DMT is a starting point that can sprout different branches of comprehending the spiritual aspect of life from a traditional perspective. Dr. Chan exudes a passion for expansion of our understanding of life. She has immersed herself in creating particular experiences and she has now created a platform to share it with the world. This is the next step in our human evolution whether we want to believe it or not.

It just is.

The question is… when will you be open to the possibilities?

For a more extensive look at the potential effects of DMT synthesis within the body and how they correlate with externalized and internalized experiences read “Measuring DMT Formation in Humans”, 6-part Series on DMT & Gamma Waves as well as the “Wild Theories” series.

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