Breatharianism is a belief system pioneered by Jasmuheen… that postulates and claims to prove that humans can live without eating solid food. She calls this process “living with light.” She became very popular and many fans found her through her website.
Her faith was greatly tested when several of her followers began dying as they adapted to the lifestyle she promoted. Even when people die, she emphasizes her elevation of personal responsibility, always encouraging her followers to consider their own limitations and the need to make responsible decisions about the extent to which they are willing to take this course of action .
This prompted her to appear on the 60 Minutes TV show, which actually meant that she received more attention and her practice was scrutinized enough to prove for herself that the ideas she imagined in the book actually work. She’s even won an Ig Nobel, a parody of the real Nobel, which means she joins the likes of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and New Age guru Deepak Chopra.
Another popular proponent of the practice, Naveena Shine, backed Jasmuheen after a public scrutiny following the 60 Minutes interview. While she also has a lot of followers, she can’t say exactly where Jasmuheen’s day-to-day livelihood comes from. She’s also trying to maintain a public livestream to demonstrate that the process can work with self-management.
They continued their practice despite opposition, and others with similar belief systems became popular. Figures who became popular based on the system usually advocated a particular form of practice. That means people always find it fascinating, because controversy always does.
