[net.followup] Firewalking Revisited

trb@drutx.UUCP (07/16/84)

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Let me say a little more about the purpose of firewalking.

I have never said there is something "mystical" about walking across
coals.  OBVIOUSLY there is a law or laws of physics that allow us to
not get burned.

In addition, firewalking is EASY - it's certainly less dangerous than,
say, free-fall sky-diving, or mountain climbing, or race-car driving.
BUT, we all know that those things can be done.  Someone may be more
terrified than anything else to jump out of a plane, but in the back
of their minds, there is no doubt that it can be done - they've grown
up seeing people do it.

Firewalking is different.  We may even be willing, but in the back of
our minds, we KNOW we'll get burnt.  Even seeing other people do it
doesn't overcome that fear.  There is a tremendous mental leap one
must make before they can walk across the coals, and that's the whole
purpose.  Walking on the fire to me was anti-climactic, after I
reached that state of mind.

To those of you who poo-poo firewalking and those who have done it,
all I can say is try it, and then decide if it was no big deal or not.
I have never tried to prove anything to anyone but myself by doing it,
and it was WELL WORTH the experience! (I should also add that you need
a half-way open mind, which excludes 95% of the people on the net!)


P.S. - I've enjoyed hearing from those of you around the country
who have also firewalked.  Keep it coming, and I'll try to answer
all the mail!
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Tom Buckley
AT&T Information Systems
...drutx!trb

ijk@houxt.UUCP (07/17/84)

I remeber seeing an ABC news artice (perhaps even 20/20) several
months (perhaps a much as a year ago).  What the reporter stated
was that the wood used seemed to be special (so as not retain
heat, I think).  As you quickly walked across the coals, your
feet snuffed out the flames, and the coals themselves were not hot.
Take it for whatever you want.
Ihor Kinal
houxt!ijk