Anyone fasted for 40 days and 40 nights?

833 Views | 13 Replies | Last: 4 days ago by ramblin_ag02
Bag
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AG
I am interested in pursuing this for a variety of reasons, physical and spiritual. I am curious what your experience was and what I can expect.

TIA
Serotonin
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What kind of fast? My only advice would be to do this under strict medical and spiritual guidance.

Medical for obvious reasons and spiritual because fasting can easily invert from being a significant positive to a significant negative without the support and guidance of a spiritual elder or counselor.

As with a prayer rule it's probably best to start off small and build up over time but maybe you have done this.
CrackerJackAg
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The answer is no. No one here has done that.

I find fasting to be one of the most difficult things to be successful at.

It's not the lack of food that's the problem, but getting into the proper spiritual mindset

If fasting is done correctly I don't think there's an amount of time required.

It's not a legal thing and the more you do of X then the more of Y you get. Quantity of time spent should not be your concern.

I don't know to what level of fasting you have done. I don't know all of your reasons for fasting, etc..

I may be giving advice to somebody much further along than me so I apologize if that's what I'm doing .
BonfireNerd04
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I've done 24-hour fasts as a gesture of solidarity with Israel for Tisha B'Av.

And I've gotta say: It's weird that we call it "fasting" when the time feels like it passes s-l-o-w-l-y.
Zobel
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What do you mean by fasting?

If you mean, abstaining from certain foods - then yes. The fasting rule of the Orthodox Church on general fast days is no animal products (meat, eggs, dairy), no alcohol, and no olive oil. Or put another way, eat simply, avoid rich foods, and do not eat to fullness.

The Church does prescribe strict or "black" fasts on certain days of the year - for example, on the first three days of Lent, Good Friday, the eve of Nativity, and the beheading of St John the Forerunner.

If you mean abstaining from all food altogether - then no, and I don't recommend it. Fasting like anything else is a discipline, both spiritual and physical. Taking something like that on should be done with humility and under the guidance of a spiritual father. In general, extraordinary or extreme acts of asceticism should be taken with caution, because they offer temptations in both success and failure disproportionate to their spiritual benefit.

I am no spiritual father, but I can tell you 100% what mine would say. Keep the typical prayer rule of morning and evening prayers, and follow the fasting rule of the church as you have the strength - for example, abstaining from meat only on fasting days - for one year. If you can do that, glory to God! and move on to higher levels of asceticism.
Bag
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Serotonin said:

What kind of fast? My only advice would be to do this under strict medical and spiritual guidance.

Medical for obvious reasons and spiritual because fasting can easily invert from being a significant positive to a significant negative without the support and guidance of a spiritual elder or counselor.

As with a prayer rule it's probably best to start off small and build up over time but maybe you have done this.
agree 100% I recently completed a 5 day fast, after 36 hours I moved into a period of tremendous energy and clarity, it has me really really wanting to extend out to 21 days and then, eventually a fast of 40 days and 40 nights
Zobel
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why?
Bag
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Zobel said:

why?
why fast?

there are a ton of physical and spiritual benefits to fasting that have been well documented for centuries,. for me personally I am always looking for ways to push this amazing gift (my body) that God has given me, sometimes that is challenging physical activities like extended hikes, sometimes it is yoga and moving meditation daily for an extended period time, but given the positive vibe I was in for my 5 day fast I am looking to see how far I can take it.



Zobel
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i mean why fast for 40 days?

i'm asking because if you're talking about spiritual benefits, i don't think it is necessary or good for you to do this. that's not the fasting discipline of the Church, which has been kind of like a spiritual lab for making holy people for centuries. you'd be better off - and likely much more challenged - keeping the discipline of the Church for a year than trying to fast for 40 days.

and if you're talking about physical benefits, i suppose i don't really care or have an opinion other than to say i think it's dangerous and risky to your health.
Bag
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Zobel said:

i mean why fast for 40 days?

i'm asking because if you're talking about spiritual benefits, i don't think it is necessary or good for you to do this. that's not the fasting discipline of the Church, which has been kind of like a spiritual lab for making holy people for centuries. you'd be better off - and likely much more challenged - keeping the discipline of the Church for a year than trying to fast for 40 days.

and if you're talking about physical benefits, i suppose i don't really care or have an opinion other than to say i think it's dangerous and risky to your health.
I guess 40 days does seem arbitrary, but it was more in reference to the amount of time Jesus fasted.
CrackerJackAg
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Jesus didn't fast 40 days to glorify his body that God gave him.

There would be no spiritual value to 40 days I can imagine.

40 days day would be detrimental to your health. Probably long term.

1-5 days can be great.
dermdoc
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I am not Orthodox but fast a day almost every week for different people and prayer requests.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
canadiaggie
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Not for 40, but for all of Ramadan, certainly.

I was surprised to find out that fasting in most traditions is just giving up food, or certain types of food, but not water, which is what makes Ramadan fasting particularly difficult.
ramblin_ag02
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I've seen people do this and I would not recommend it. I've had to nurse a couple people back to health after fasts longer than one month. They did not talk to be about it beforehand. You get terrible intestinal atrophy and your pancreas stops working. Also really ups your risk for gallstones and other gallbladder complications that can be very serious and require emergent surgery. Even if you make it through the fast, it's about a half year recovery peroid before you can eat normally again.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
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