I just finished fasting yesterday for the first time. It was a short three day fast, however, the effects were profound. I can now see why so many religions include fasting in their practices. It’s awakening. It showed me some deep insights about myself and what direction to take in my life.
A few days ago I had come back from a trip to Costa Rica. While I had a great time traveling, I came back with major confusion about what direction to take in my career. It was the classic decision of “do I continue in the same unfulfilling direction, or take a huge leap and try something radically different”. Of course, the insight I gained during the fast was somewhere in the middle.
The first thing I noticed on day one was that it was tremendously easier to meditate. (For those of you who have difficulty meditating, try fasting to ease into it). In fact, fasting puts you into a present state during the entire process; assuming you are not preoccupying your mind with mental activities. In fact, if you are going to fast, I highly recommend spending little time, if any at all, working, on the computer, playing games, or anything that preoccupies your mind.
There are two reasons for this.
One is that you are in a highly receptive state when you are fasting. What you absorb into your subconscious during this time will get deeply rooted. Especially if you are watching action movies, or playing video games; those survival based images, thoughts, and emotions will make their way into your subconscious, impacting it with more survival programming.
The second reason I recommend limiting mental activities, is that you are also gaining deep insights from your subconscious at this time. I highly recommend meditation, along with things that put you into a present state such as yoga, going for walks, taking long baths or showers, etc. I would avoid heavy exercise during a fast since you will have low energy, and it could put undue stress on your body.
This extended period of time where my mind was calm is what allowed me to receive the messages I received. I was guided on the first day to download an audio book on wealth creation since my career conundrum was apparently one based on a concern I would not make enough money. The book was The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles. Which, by the way, I highly recommend to anyone interested in how to use your subconscious mind to generate more wealth, as well as to live life more fully.
My meditative state coupled with the information in this book changed my perspective on money, and thus the reasoning behind the uncertainty with my career direction. The answer had more to do with how I was using my productive time, versus what I was doing. Something I would have never figured out trying to think my way through it.
On day two of the fast it went beyond my career debacle, and into something much deeper. I became more aware of the negative thinking patterns continuously coming up in my mind; how consistent they are, as well as how powerfully they affect my reality. As I brought more conscious attention to these thoughts, and replaced them with life-promoting ones, I began to see my reality shift instantly.
I had more confidence, clarity, and peace about who I was, and what I was doing. It’s amazing how much of our mood and perspective on life is based on the repetitive thinking patterns we feed into our subconscious, and as a result, our subconscious feeds back to us. Fasting helped me become keenly more aware of this.
Later that evening I was guided to watch a movie called The Little Prince (2015). Let me tell you, from the insight I had received earlier, along with the deep messages I got from the film, my mind was blown. In fact, I’m still assimilating all the personal messages I received during that movie. This two hours was akin to the insights I had received in the past from psychedelics, such as mushrooms and DMT.
Although the insight is difficult to put into words. It was essentially how I’ve been living way too much in my mind. Particularly with my work. How there is so much beauty to be experienced in the world and how this mental prison I’ve created for myself is preventing me from experiencing it. This of course is what led to my career uncertainty, mainly because my priorities on living were misaligned.
The third and final day was spending some time in town, and buying some fresh food at the local farmer’s market. Although nothing profound necessarily happened I was able to integrate the experiences I had during the first two days into everyday life. I could tell I was way more present with my surroundings, as well as everyone I interacted with. Essentially, this new outlook resulted in more pleasant and enjoyable experiences. This is when I could tell the fast had transformed me on a fundamental level.
All in all, if you’ve never fasted before, I highly recommend it. Some people go longer or shorter, so I recommend starting with what’s comfortable for you. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, with very few bouts of hunger. Drink plenty of water, and I do recommend isolating yourself and doing meditative activities. Start by eating a small meal the day before, and end by incorporating easy to digest foods back into your diet, such as raw fruits.
It’s a spiritual process, and one I will likely do once a month from now on as a mental reset. The health benefits are also staggering; the body shifts from using its energy to digest food, into healing any physical ailments you might have.
Your fasting experience will obviously be far different from mine, and it’s best to go into it with zero expectation. Either way, I’m absolutely sure, if done correctly, it will be a net positive for you and your life.
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