Bree

LOL no, no fasting driver will be heading towards LA. The person in question isn't a driver technically - he's a driver supervisor who each day rides out with a driver and tells them what they're doing wrong . It's still scary because he's still driving a vehicle - but he's also technically my superior (though in a different department). Ah well.

The Diet of Daniel is supposedly based on what Daniel ate while in the lion's den. Now, I don't recall anything in the Bible along these lines, but the people who follow the diet say that it allows only fresh fruits and vegetables, water, and natural juices. Some other Biblical diets follow Deuteronomy (like Toto posted) and still others are based on a stupid book (can't think of the name) where you only eat foods that Jesus could have possibly eaten.

There's probably no scientific evidence to back this up, but I personally think it's difficult for someone in this day and age to be able to follow a diet such as the ones mentioned above AND stay healthy. We just aren't living the same lifestyle that people were 2,000+ years ago.

DamagedGoods

When I was a theist, and spent much time forcing myself to be interested in bible reading, I recall remarking to myself that the 'visions' of several prophets only seemed to manifest themselves after weeks of fasting. Even then, I wondered if it was more of a physiological/psychological thing than a mystical "I didn't eat for a long time so God will take me seriously now and give me secret knowledge" thing. I wonder how many holy wars and wacky rules and traditions have come about because of fast-induced hallucinations.

As thebeave said, Jesus didn't have Jamba juice, and somehow I'd bet he didn't start off with a lot of excess body fat - certainly not as much as your classmates are likely to have. So they should be able to go for months and months.

AtomSmasher

I'd like to personally recommend the diet of John the Baptist. Locusts and Honey... hell yeah. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the potential derangement that accompanies starvation. I remember when I was 19, I had an apartment and lived 1000 miles from my parents. At one point I so poorly managed my funds that after paying the bills I had no money left over for a whole week, and no food, so I figured I could go a week without eating. I actually went about 4 days before a friend helped me out, but around the 3rd and 4th days I started noticing some unusual things.

At first it was just low energy, then depression and anxiety, but soon I began to experience what I could only consider halucinations. I remember being in my apartment working on my computer when I heard my front door slam. I jumped up and checked the apartment and the street to see if it was one of my friends but nobody was there. It happened twice and both times I swear I heard it clear as day. Other times I would hear someone say something to me, even call my name. I would respond and then find that nobody was there. Sometimes I'd get strange or frightening sensations like water dropping on my arms or sometimes like a bug crawling on my skin. I could only describe it like being "high" on some kind of drug. I don't know anything about the physical side effects of fasting but I know from personal experience about the mental effects. After fasting for 3 or more days I wouldn't trust my own judgement, or anyone elses.

Azathoth

I would wait to see if Satan offers to make your friend the king of the world.

Depending on your attachment to the fellow,you could document his progress,and send in the results to www.darwinawards.com

Posthumously,of course.

abe smith

Back during the reign of Ronald reagan (I am now so old I can scarcely recall what all-that was about frcrisesake.) I decided to mfast; and to picket in front of the Winsted, CT postoffice = the local Federal site, my local connection to My Government).

As I recall (There was a local newspaper record article about this w/ a photo; I could look it up in my jrl...) I did get out w/ my picket sign at middays and walked back & forth there for about 2,3, hours a day. I believe my handmade sign (yes, I remember the photo.) had a large red boulevard STOP sign on it, saying
"STOP Reagan's war against Nicaragua."

I did this for at least 21 days (I forget now!) and the back of the picket sign said

" Fasting to change YOUR mind"

During that period I did indeed fast; of *all* inputs except hot (black) tea, plain, without any milk or sugar. I did CHEAT one time during that period (in the 2nd week I think); I ate a 6 oz can of tunafish (unadorned, out of the can) at one sitting. (During this I attended an anti-war rally at a spanish RC church in Hartford; Peter Rosazza's home parish.)

During that roughly 3 week period I lost about 24? pounds = roughly a pound a day. My intention was to fast "as long as it
takes"; quite plainly , to my death.

However, *to my forever shame*, when the guys who had been fasting on the US CApitol steps came down , I also stopped. The first food I ate was a pint & a half of plain
braised yellow onions w/ a little salt. Probably my reason was that my fellow countrymen obviously were not giving a shit; and I thought there might be some more useful effort I might undertake.

I remember a couple of bodily effects; a wonderful natural "endorphic"? HIGH! I did not feel depressed at all! I felt (interiorly) "naked" and open, as if the wind were blowing through me!