Man Who Lives On Air Undergoes Defence Tests

[kdsingh80]

Man who lives on air undergoes defence tests

Scientists begin study on how Prahlad Jani lives without food or water. The idea is to replicate the process in soldiers, astronauts

By Ahmedabad Mirror Bureau

Posted On Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 03:19:15 AM

Dr Sudhir Shah and DIPAS Director G Ilavazhagan (centre) address the media

Prahlad Jani, who has not eaten food or drunk water for 74 years of his 82-year-old life, will be kept under observation by the a wing of the defence ministry for 15 days. The members of Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Science (DIPAS) want to understand if this process can be replicated in others’ bodies. The observation is being undertaken at the Sterling hospital.

DIPAS Director G Ilavazhagan said, “Jani was earlier tested for 10 days at the hospital in 2003. Neurophysician Dr Sudhir Shah and his team had conducted the tests to certify that Jani did indeed live without food and water. He also did not pass out urine or stool.”

Most people can live without food for several weeks, but without water, average human can survive only 3 or 4 days.

Who is Prahlad Jani

Prahlad Jani grew in Charod village in Mehsana district. He claims to have been blessed by a goddess at the age of 8. He says he has survived several decades without food or water because of a hole in his palate. Drops of water filter through this hole, he says, sustaining him.

He wears a red garment, nose ring, and gold bracelets. He also sports a ‘tikka’ on his forehead. His followers call him ‘mataji’or goddess.

Survival tactics

On why the defence ministry was interested in Jani, he explained, “We have soldiers manning border areas where food and water is not easily available. We are trying to locate Jani’s source of energy. If this can be transferred to the soldiers, or utilised by them in some manner, it will be greatly beneficial. It may help in working out strategies for survival during natural calamities, extreme stressful conditions and extra-terrestrial explorations like future missions to Moon and Mars.”

Ilavazhagan, however, was unsure what the study would reveal. “As and when a development occurs, we will reveal it to the world,” he said, adding: “Jani says he meditates to get energy. Our soldiers will not be able meditate, but we would still like to find out more about the man and his body.”

Parameters fixed

Dr Shah said, “The hospital and the defence team have formed two committees. We have fixed certain parameters including the tests that needs to be conducted on the 80-year-old. We will conduct regular echocardiogram (ECG), blood and urine tests. We will use MRI to scan his brain activity.”

Recollecting an incident that occurred during the 2003 tests, Dr Shah said, “We found his bladder contained 120 ml urine. We asked him to reduce it to 50 ml. Without passing the urine, he managed to do as asked. By evening, we asked him to reduce it to zero. And by the stipulated time, there was not a drop of urine in his bladder. A human has to pass urine to survive. If he does not, his kidneys will fails. But Jani continued to remain in perfect health.”

Earlier MRIs revealed that the 82-year-old’s brain development matched that of a 25-year-old. Dr Shah and his team is part of the study to evaluate if Jani is showing signs of aging over the past 6 years.

Life insurance

Mr Rajiv Sharma, CEO of Sterling Hospital, revealed that 35 doctors were monitoring Jani. “We wanted to insure Jani’s life. However, due to certain legalities, insurance firms refused our request. Finally, the state government insured his life so that the study could be conducted,” he said.

Famous breatharians

Hira Ratan Manek, an Indian engineer, who hasn’t eaten nor drunk for many years, was invited by NASA to study how he had survived on liquid and sunlight. Every evening, he stares at sunlight for an hour without batting an eyelid. NASA reports he survived 130 days only with water, and they even named it after his name: HRM phenomenon. He stopped to eat completely after he went on his pilgrimage to Himalaya.

Zinaida Baranova, a73-year-old Russian woman, stopped eating on March 29, 2000. She first stopped eating food and in a couple of weeks, stopped drinking water too. She claims she stopped smelling food though she could smell all other things. She says she gains nourishment from the air. Scientists of the Bauman Institute examined her body and were very surprised to find out that the woman’s biological age corresponded to 20 years.

Dr Michael Werner, a German cancer researcher, in 2005 claimed to have eaten nothing for four years. He said he derived all his energy from sunlight and drank only water mixed with a small amount of fruit juice. In his book, Living through the Energy of Light, he wrote: “I can’t really explain what is happening on a scientific level in my case, but perhaps just a little bit of faith is all that is needed.”

[kdsingh80]

"I feel no need for food and water," states Prahladbhai Jani, a seventy-six year old Indian ascetic who lives in a cave near the Ambaji temple in the state of Gujarat. Mr. Jani claims that he has not had food or fluids to drink for the last sixty-five years. At the age of seven years he left home in search of spiritual unfoldment. Jani states that at the age of eleven years he was blessed by a goddess. He claims that since that blessing he has gained his sustenance from nectar that filters down through a hole in his palate, and has not passed urine or stools since then. Mr. Jani explained, "I get the elixir of life from the hole in my palate, which enables me to go without food and water." Almost daily Mr. Jani enters a state of Samadhi characterized by extreme bliss and enormous light and strength. He says that he has never experienced medical problems. He says that he did not speak for a period of forty-five years.

In November 2003, after over a year of coaxing, Prahlad Jani was finally persuaded to participate in a scientific research study. A medical research team of twenty-one specialists, headed by Dr. Sudhir V. Shah, had Mr. Jani under twenty-four hours of observation for ten days at the Sterling Hospital in Ahmedabad. The team's research expertise included cardiology, neurology, urology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, renal function, pulmonary function, ENT analysis, psychiatry, general medicine, and other specialities. A series of investigations were done on Mr. Jani in each of these areas according to a pre-determined protocol, and additional tests were carried out as per suggestions of the team. At the conclusion of their intensive investigations the team's doctors were left with an unexplained mystery, unable to disprove Mr. Jani's claims.

Mr. Jani was initially kept in ICU for the first twenty-four hours. For the next nine days he was kept in a specially prepared room with a sealed-off toilet and a glass door. The room was also equipped with video surveillance to continuously monitor Mr. Jani. Additionally, staff persons were assigned to stay in the same room with Jani round-the-clock to make sure that he did not eat, drink, or pass urine or stool.

To assure researchers of no possible intake of water, Mr. Jani agreed he would not bathe during the medical investigation. Mr. Jani was permitted a small measured quantity of water to use as a mouthwash. He then spat the water into a beaker to verify that none had been drunk. An ultrasound, which was made of Mr. Jani's bladder twice daily, indicated that there was urine accumulation, which subsequently decreased on its own without passing.

At the end of the ten days of observation, the team of doctors verified that Prahladbhai Jani had not taken food or drank fluids. (The average person cannot survive without water for more than four days.) The team concluded that Mr. Jani's health had not deteriorated during this study. Also, according to the hospital's deputy superintendent, Dr. Dinesh Desai, "A series of tests conducted on him show his body mechanism is that of a normal person." Mr. Jani's survival without food or fluids remains one of those unexplained mysteries.

The following are excerpts from the research team's concluding report:

1. The protocol was strictly adhered to.

2. Mr. Jani had not passed or dribbled urine during these 10 days.

3. He has not taken anything by mouth or by any other routes not even water for 10 days.

4. All his parameters remained within the range determined by the committee.

5. He has shown evidence of formation of urine, which seems to be reabsorbed from his bladder wall. However, at present the committee does not have any scientific explanation for the same but the help of senior scientists and medical personnel of the country is being taken for the same.

We are surprised as to how he has survived despite above particularly without passing urine for 10 days and remaining generally physically fit. However, it should be made very clear that we have confirmed the claim over 10 days only and we as scientists and responsible doctors cannot say anything regarding validity of the claim of his sustaining without food, drinks, urination and excretion of stools over several years.

Dr. Sudhir V. Shah (Consultant Neurophysician, Sterling Hospital/Associate professor of neurology at K. M. School of PGMR, Ahmedabad) headed the research panel of doctors who performed this study. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Sudhir V. Shah for providing the Case Summary of this study along with the photos of Mr. Jani. To view the Case Summary of Mr. Jani in its entirety please go to: P. Jani Medical Report.

Another similar research study, also headed by Dr. Sudhir V. Shah at Sterling Hospital, was conducted on Hira Ratan Manek. Mr. Manek claimed not to have eaten since 1995. Mr. Manek was kept under scientific observation round-the-clock for 411 continuous days. During this time Mr. Manek subsisted only on boiled water. This study also left researchers baffled. Dr. Sudhir V. Shah kindly provided a copy of his article about this study which was published in Gujarat Medical Journal – March 2001. To view this report online please see: Mr. Manek Medical Report.

[Mithar]

Men like these have lived in India for thousands of years. Many stay hidden away from publicity. Swami Rama and Paramhansa Yogananda mention many great Yogis with extraordinary abilities in their autobiographies. Even spiritually advanced Gursikhs acquire Ridhi Sidhis but most keep them hidden.

[SAadmin]

Sometimes Vahiguroo himself pargat these great souls to the public and god miracles through these souls so that faith in vahiguroo himself can be restored. Take a classic example of suleman tape - what are chances of someone in sangat having rare tape recorder when suleman(ghost) spoke out in the sangat and share gyan of unseen world ??. That was in 1965, having a tape recorder in remote village around that times its like one having access to mani(diamond) of a snake.

[bhooliya]

I have no doubt that these great souls do exist but there are so many who are just fakes. Please be aware of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2Kz8FzruvQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwOecpMkHH0&feature=related