root@boulder.UUCP (Boulder Rootsie) (03/12/85)
First, to recap. I recently attended a seminar in Denver Colorado which
taught us, among many other things, how to walk on red hot burning coals in
our bare feet. I have received many questions about it. Here is a reply to
most of them. If you still have any questions call me, Burt Wagner, in
Boulder at 303-494-0462 or send mail to me at:
{hao,nbires,cires}!boulder!UCBACS!clipr::bwagner
This was posted by a friend, so please reply directly to the address above.
I have plenty of written information on this subject and I will
mail (US postal) it to you if you give me your mailing address. I am sorry,
but I dont have the time to answer all of your computer mail individually, but
I will try to get to as many as I can.
-The seminar is not about firewalking per se. It is about a relatively new
technology called Neuro-Linguistic Programming or NLP for short.
-The firewalking part of the seminar is only a very visible demonstration of
the power of the NLP techniques.
-Using a technique called modeling, which is ONE of the NLP skills taught at
the seminar, YOU can easily learn to do anything that anyone on the planet
can do. Tony Robbins has simply modeled someone who knew how to firewalk
and can teach this to anyone else using NLP techniques in a very short time.
-Modeling can be applied to ANYTHING. He also modeled someone who knew how
to do a karate move called the "six inch break" one of the hardest moves in
karate. (you put you hand next to the board, close your hand to make a fist
and break the board from six inches away) Within 2 hours of modeling this
person he was able to do it AND teach it to ANYONE ELSE within minutes!
-The firewalking segment of the seminar is not just watching "masters"
firewalk. Most (>95%) of the people who go choose to participate, that is
walk across the bed of 1000-2000 degree coals provided, once they KNOW they
have mastered the necessary skills.
-There seems to be some confusion as to how long it takes to master these
skills. The firewalk is only one night out of the four day Mind Revolution
Seminar. It is taught the FIRST night as a demonstration of the power of the
NLP skills that are taught during the next two days.
-Using NLP it takes about 5 hours to teach this particular skill (firewalking)
to a large (>300) group of average, ordinary people from all walks of life
who come from a large variety of backgrounds. To teach this one on one to a
single individual would require from 5-30 minutes (approx) depending on the
individual.
-This is not EST. I have never done EST but from what I have heard the two
are worlds appart. EST starts from the axiom "EVERYONE is an asshole." This
is based on the assumtion, among others, that "people always do the best they
can with the resources they have". (Personally, I can hardly wait to take my
NLP skills to an EST seminar and reframe them.)
I have received numerous theories as to why peoples feet dont burn. I would
like to reply to some of them. First, as far as I know, there is NO
scientific explaination for firewalking. We know how to do it but have no
pat explaination as to why the feet dont burn.
Some of the theories presented were:
-Speed. You run across quick enough to not burn. We have done 40 foot
firewalks at a normal walking speed. Some very aged people have
taken incredible amounts of time to walk across.
-Sweat. You perspire fast enough to form some sort of "vapor lock" that
protects your feet. This is like licking you finger and puting
it on something very hot for a brief time. (see above) Also it
still works if you completely dry you feet off before you do it.
-Callouses. Thich layer of dead skin insulates the feet. Anyone can do this
within hours. People have done it walking across on their hands.
-Burning. This theory says that my feet are burned and I am simply blocking
the pain (?)
-Ashes. The soot and ashes insulate you from the heat. Anyone know the
insulating properties of ash? I know that soot is one of the
best approximations to a black body there is. Black bodies
always radiate as much energy as they receive. ZERO insulation.
-Hypnosis. I (and the 300 others there) were all lead to believe that we
walked on the coals through "mass hypnosis". People with this
theory still have to explain to me video taped closeup of peoples
feet crunching through the coals. Seen on NBC news for example.
Any other theories are greatly appreciated.