Fasting : an Exceptional Human Experience

Fasting An Exceptional Human Experience Since prehistory, fasting has been used in various ways as a means of transformation. As a spiritual practice, it is the oldest and most common form of asceticism and is found in virtually every religion and spiritual tradition. In psychology, studies have suggested that fasting can alleviate the symptoms of some psychiatric conditions, including depression and schizophrenia. In medicine, fasting is one of the most promising therapies, with research suggesting that fasting can cause certain drugs, such as chemotherapy, to work better while reducing drug side-effects. Hunger striking, sometimes called political fasting, may be the most powerful application of fasting. Proof of this occurred in 1948 when Gandhi's hunger strike caused millions of Hindus and Muslims in India to cease their fighting. As a practical guide, Randi Fredricks, Ph.D. provides detailed information on the different types of fasting, where people fast, the physiological process of fasting, and the contraindications and criticisms of fasting. Using existing literature and original research, Dr. Fredricks focuses on the transformative characteristics of fasting in the contexts of psychology, medicine, and spirituality. The relationship between fasting and transpersonal psychology is examined, with a focus on peak experiences, 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. Fasting: An Exceptional Human Experience Copyright Contents Note Dedication Foreword Introduction 1 Types of Fasting 2 Planning a Fast 3 The Physiological Process of Fasting 4 Research on Fasting in Medicine 5 Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Fasting 6 Research on Fasting and Mental Health 7 Fasting and Transpersonal Psychology 8 Fasting and Depression 9 The Practice of Asceticism 10 Fasting in Religious and Spiritual Traditions 11 Inedia in Religious Mystics and Catholic Saints 12 Fasting, Eating Disorders, and Food Addiction 13 Hunger Artists, Fasting Girls, and Breatharians 14 Hunger Striking and Political Fasting 15 Criticisms and Contraindications of Fasting 16 Suggestions for Future Research on Fasting and Psychology 17 The Psychospiritual Effects of Fasting References