Walking On Fire bare Footed at 1,000 to 1,200 degrees F , science or spirituality ?!?!?

Question

What's the possible explanation for this phenomena !?

Physics and biology cant explain this - there is nowhere in this Universe that the natures logic law of "Universal Physics" never apply , except this one. ( I guess).

simple theories of thermodynamic and thermal conductivity of the human understanding on physics at heat transfer is not applicable at all to this unexplainable paranormal phenomena !!

I witnessed it myself on a Hindu pilgrimage festive, where the devotees walked bare footed on semi-burning charcoals for an astonishing distant of about 30 meters. ( reported temperature is more or less about 1200 degrees F

Is it power of mind ( mind-over-mater control)
Is it mystical powers of fakirs and devotees
Is it a motivation factor of turning fear in to power
Is it a method for overcoming fear and phobia
Is it a spiritual experience
Is it..........................................................................
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ryoma136 , those coals are indeed hot - its measured and documented even in popular documentaries as Discoveries channels and national geography -: this activity is occurring almost everywhere in the world !!

for those who says science - I would want to say that aswell but then when I was near that scene, and I can feel the heat radiation far even from a distant - I know I will never walk even though I know scientifically I cannot be harm this and that- those who says lamely science should walk !!

J.P. while a dozen of people come unburnt where as the same amount of people register third degree burning from similar walking !!

brando4755 , I ask you , would you walk 30 meters bare footer on burning charcoals - thats about 30 -40 seconds. Everyone can pour explanation , speculations , predictions and postulations but is that all true are you willing to get your feet there. -

Mona C , I am a very scientific person and scholar and I somehow do agree with you - I saw in a Discovery documentary channels - some Hindu fire walking festive, devotees were actually dancing in trans on fire for a long time before he was pulled out.

dlbt21 , thank you -: you said it well enough -: I'll wait if answers would get any better then yours

J.P , If I could explain it, I wouldn't care to post this here . Fire walking is discounted and registered to be practiced for thousands of years - Africa , India , Mayan , Egypt China ( to name a few ) and even since then no one knew or claimed to have ruled out a specific walking method for doing it correctly without getting burnt as you claim

aphroditeofknido ,yes I've certainly seen it but how can it be explained when a 5 years old kid do it with a metal rod going through his lips and tongue - no blood no sign of pain or fear - the kid I saw was walking on fire as if he was so relaxed ( they told me the kid is in trans )

J.P , Discovery magazine had their explanation on how possibly it could have been possible in scientific term. ( not the truth) If you see " Discovery Magazine" - they will demonstrate with scientific instruments and testing and one of the commentator will try himself to walk on fire only to find later he end up with 2nd degree burns.

Answer 1

I have seen many of these acts in my life time. I have seen a Hindu priest breath on a piece of parchment and set it on fire, no sparks, accelerator's or trickery. I have seen Shaman touch Poison Arrow frogs with their bare hands and feel nothing, while anyone else would die from the experience.

Acts such as these certainly defy science, and must take a certain measure of control over ones own body. Trust me, these things happen and are very real. The power of the mind is a wondrous thing.

Answer 2

Friend,

I too have seen it.But most people say that it is fake,or coals are not that hot, before entering the Charcoal bed they wet their feet and a layer of water vapour protects them etc etc.

But,It is the faith,Bhakti and fearlessness in the devotees.They before doing this feet do so much of rigorous disciplined works.They practise Brahmacharya,they take some prescribed diet and do poojas etc.They calmly walk,not run on the fire bed with burning charcoal.

There are persons who have mastered with their Tapas(penance) the Fire and they, the Yogis are are capable of doing Pooja in Homagundam with fire flames rising to more than 20 feet high.They stand in the middle with flower garlands and neither their smile,nor the flowers fade.They do all the pooja and after being there nearly about 30minutes they come out as they entered..
The Hindu scriptures in Yoga say this is possible.

But people are willing scientific proof.This is beyond science.So believers may believe and other may say it trash.

But some conquer water and can stay under water for days.
Some conquer Fire.
If the scriptures are read with reverence and open mind the powers of Mind will be understood.

there are Asta Sidhis (eight Sidhis).the interested may read in Yoga Shastra and practice under the guidance of a Guru who is talented in the field and learn.

Answer 3

Science.

I've done fire-walking before. It's nothing particularly spectacular, and yes, it's well explained with physics and biology.

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Sooooo... if it's a spiritual thing, care to explain how I can do firewalking even though I'm an atheist and a nihilist?

And you say people got seriously burned -- so what? It just means they hadn't mastered the walking technique. There's a very well documented step pattern necessary for avoiding being burned, and it takes practice.

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Both Discover Magazine and the Discovery channel have had articles/segments on exactly how this is done.

The science is precise and well described.

To continue to assert that there is no scientific answer tells me that you are a liar. There is no truth in you, and thus you are not worth my continued time.

Enjoy your fairy tale.

Answer 4

Heat transfer is not intuitive. The coals may in fact be hot. But to transport the energy to your feet is another matter. Certain types of coals (not charcoal briquettes, but certain wood types) can get very hot but actually hold a small amount of energy. It is hard for them to heat up your foot. In fact, the feet may actually put them out if they are sweaty enough.
Temperature and heat energy are not the same thing.
Next time, ask them to do this on a 1200 degree piece of sheet metal. Their feet would literally melt since the metal stores lots of energy and can transfer it fast.


When chefs want to cook meat on a grill but not scorch the outside, the trick they use is to place the meat directly on the coals. What they are doing is not allowing the radiative heat transfer to happen, but instead only conductive heat transfer. The radiative heat transfer will scorch the meat (or your flesh) while the conductive heat transfer can't transfer as much energy.

I encourage you to try this on your grill with hot coals and a two pieces of meat (something similar in size, and thickness to your foot). Plase one a few inches above the hot coals. Then also place one directly on the coals. I've seen people leave the meat (Alton James, Good eats) on the coals for 5-10 and have it come out cooked through, but not scorched. Meanwhile meat cooked above the coals is uncooked in the middle, but sorched on the outside. Alton suggests you cook Fajita meat this way. The surface of the meat that was held over the coals got to a much higher temperature than the one held over the coals. The high temperature is what causes the burns.

I beleive you will see that firewalkers keep their feet in contact with the coals all the time. They don't hold them over the coals.

Would I try it? I woul rather put a thermometer into the piece of meat placed on the coals and check its temperature.

Answer 5

The exercise should confirmed precisely by attaching a temperature sensor on the soles of the fire walkers and then we can definitely find out what temperatures are involved.

Perhaps a represent of the Guiness Book of World Records should witness the demonstration so that the "hottest walk" award can be officially given out.

Answer 6

You have a great deal of curiosity!
Take the time and search the words, Siddhis or Siddha.
These super-normal powers have been practiced in the east since before the time of Patanjali.

They have to do with the Yoga Sutras.
These practices are not for the foolhardy!

Answer 7

Lol. Trust me, it's science. Imagine a cake in the oven. The metal pot could be scorching, but the cake itself does not conduct heat well. The surface of the stones are not as hot as you might think.

Now go to the Hindu festivals where they drive metal hooks through the skin in the back...that's purely psychological, and probably painful as hell.

Answer 8

we feel wonder, because our mind is working in a definite frame of explained knowledge. there are many more things which are yet to be explained or not within the knowledge of human kind. the one which you are quoting now is the best example. this is not explained in any text book of science. that is why, it looks like wonder or magic.

Answer 9

It's the way they walk, and those things are always at night. That is physical, the physical and the spiritual have nothing to do with each other.

Answer 10

Science - dozens of skeptics have done this, the explanation is simple, look it up! For a clue, note that ash is a good insulator, and you don't see them walking through flaming coals, do you?