This past weekend, the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints invited the world to participate in a special Fast on April 10, 2020, to help us to reach a solution to the Coronavirus and its effects. This invitation was to everyone, regardless of religion, creed, nationality, or overall belief system, and in response, citizens from around the globe, have all come together in support of the health and well-being of this world we share.
This has, understandably, resulted in questions from those who are not members of the LDS church:
I am not a member of your faith, can I still join?
Am I worthy to fast as well?
I want to add my support, but how do I fast properly?
I am in awe of the outpouring of love and support from around the globe, and feel to offer my thoughts, based on my experience and study, to help those who are wanting to join with us.
Three years ago, I wanted to better understand fasting (abstaining from food, water, etc.), both the physical aspects of it, and the spiritual results. I did a two-week experiment: the first seven days, I abstained from food and water for 22 hours per day, allowing myself to eat or drink for only 2 hours each morning. For the second seven days, I abstained from food entirely, consuming only water and un-sweetened herbal tea. I began my experiment by having a conversation with God, detailing what I was doing, and letting Him know that I wanted to understand the philosophy and the effects of fasting. I spent the two weeks taking notes on my experiences, my thoughts, and my musings, all while living my every day life as a married father of 5 children. The lessons I learned were surprising; in a nutshell, I learned that maintaining my health requires far less food than I thought, most bodily desires are more mental than physical, and that when I am focused on just living my life, the intentions I put in the forefront of my mind are answered naturally.
Since then, I have made fasting a regular part of my life. When I have questions I want answered, when I have a problem I can't seem to solve, or when I want to help someone but can't, I fast in order to find the answers. While there are a myriad of health benefits to fasting, I have become fascinated with the psycological effects and benefits that result from choosing to abstain from food and drink, and doing so with a specific purpose.
While the lessons I learned were many, I will share the two simple principles which apply to fasting, whether I am doing it for religous purposes or not.
Intention and Consciousness
Intention
Fasting, whether for health, religion, or any other reason, is never a just a matter of not eating. Fasting begins with a specific intention, a purpose that you want to bring to pass. I have relied on a peculiar principle that I have named Brain Thunder.
Thunder, as we know, is the sound of lightning - the shock wave caused by a massive bolt of electricity forcing its way through the atmosphere, forcing molecules in the air to smash against each other until it reaches our ears as sound. We can't see it, but that shock wave of thunder interacts with everything in its path; if it interacts with something that matches its wavelength, or resonance, that object will have a more severe reaction than the objects around it. And when several shock waves of the same resonance meet, their effects are even wider spread.
This is what happens in our brains, with our thoughts. Every thought we have is a small bolt of electricity, shooting through our neurons, causing a small burst of thunder that resonates out into the world. Most of our thoughts are just background reactions, keeping our bodys running through our every day routine.Thoughts that we add additional meaning to, the ones we are really intent on, shoot through our brains with greater force, and greater frequency, causing stronger shock waves to radiate out from us; the effects of these thoughts interact with everything in their path - the cells of our bodies, the air around us, and the people we are close to. When the wavelength of our thoughts, or intentions, match those of another person, they resonate more powerfully. This resonance can create greater clarity of mind, allow new ideas to form, or solutions to become clear or "fall into place". They can alter the way our bodies function, the way we breath, the way we think, and the way we behave.
When people gather together and share an intention, a pattern of thought, or a purpose, they are creating a ripple of Brain Thunder that interacts not only with each other, but everything and everyone around them. Have you ever been so close to someone, that you just knew what they were thinking, or you seemed to have the same idea at the same time? Have you ever needed help, and had someone just show up suddenly, to offer just what you needed? That is the one of the effects of Brain Thunder - an intention was sent out, and resonated with someone who was able and willing to help.
Fasting does not require a lengthy, formal prayer to a deity in order to work. It does require that you choose a specific intention, even if the intention is simple: "I am fasting so the world will heal". The intention will resonate through your brain, through the cells of your body, and out, to interact with the intentions of the rest of the world. Somewhere, that intention will resonate with someone who will be able to answer the intention (though, admittedly, not always on the timeline or in the way we expected).
Consciousness
The principle of Brain Thunder works the same with every thought that we have - conscious or unconscious; our strongest and most frequent thoughts send out the strongest and most frequent shock waves. The trick is to convince our brains to keep our chosen intention in our consciousness for as long as possible. Throughout a day of normal life, though, our consciousness is often pulled in different directions - family needs, work demands, bills, media - and we may find it difficult to keep a single intention regularly in our thoughts. Fasting is an excellent way of keeping an intention in the forefront of the mind, as often as possible, and with added power.
One of the remarkable aspects of the human brain is that, when it makes a decision, it will do its absolute best to prove itself right. When setting an intention and choosing to fast for 24 hours, you are making a decision, and by doing so, you are telling your brain what is important, and it will start collecting evidence to prove you right. Throughout the day, your consciousness will be pulled in different directions, as it always is; the difference will be, whenever you experience something would make you break your fast (being offered food, feeling fatigued or "hangry") the intention you set at the beginning of your fast will flash into the front of your consciousness again. Each time you remember it, and recommit to it, your brain will count it as evidence, and you will have added emotional attachment to your intention. This will send out new shockwaves throughout the day, each more intense than the last; these waves will resonate with the waves of others who are sharing the same intention, growing and covering more and more area, and interacting with more people.
Now, imagine millions of people, fasting together for the same or similar intentions, repeatedly sending shockwaves of emotionally charged thoughts and intentions into the world. What will be the result of that kind of power?
Just as the right frequency of thunder can shatter glass or topple a building, the right frequency of thought and intention, shared by millions of people around the globe, does have the power to create massive change. This is why we want you to join with us, whatever your life circumstances may be. This experience will create new thoughts, drive people to more diligent action, and give people the motivation and clarity to make the changes that will help us to overcome.
We don't know what those changes will look like, or how quickly they will come, but come they will. I believe that this is one of the ways that God works with us. Whether you are religious or not, whatever deity you do or do not believe in, when we all join together with the intention to heal and help each other, miracles will happen, and it will be because we had faith in each other, and our ability to overcome our adversity.
I am committed to your success, and that is why I am fasting, and why I invite you to join with us on April 10th.
One of the remarkable aspects of the human brain is that, when it makes a decision, it will do its absolute best to prove itself right. When setting an intention and choosing to fast for 24 hours, you are making a decision, and by doing so, you are telling your brain what is important, and it will start collecting evidence to prove you right. Throughout the day, your consciousness will be pulled in different directions, as it always is; the difference will be, whenever you experience something would make you break your fast (being offered food, feeling fatigued or "hangry") the intention you set at the beginning of your fast will flash into the front of your consciousness again. Each time you remember it, and recommit to it, your brain will count it as evidence, and you will have added emotional attachment to your intention. This will send out new shockwaves throughout the day, each more intense than the last; these waves will resonate with the waves of others who are sharing the same intention, growing and covering more and more area, and interacting with more people.
Now, imagine millions of people, fasting together for the same or similar intentions, repeatedly sending shockwaves of emotionally charged thoughts and intentions into the world. What will be the result of that kind of power?
Just as the right frequency of thunder can shatter glass or topple a building, the right frequency of thought and intention, shared by millions of people around the globe, does have the power to create massive change. This is why we want you to join with us, whatever your life circumstances may be. This experience will create new thoughts, drive people to more diligent action, and give people the motivation and clarity to make the changes that will help us to overcome.
We don't know what those changes will look like, or how quickly they will come, but come they will. I believe that this is one of the ways that God works with us. Whether you are religious or not, whatever deity you do or do not believe in, when we all join together with the intention to heal and help each other, miracles will happen, and it will be because we had faith in each other, and our ability to overcome our adversity.
I am committed to your success, and that is why I am fasting, and why I invite you to join with us on April 10th.
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