r2i forum

This swami claims he has survived 70 years by gaining strength from meditation. How do these guys get on the headlines of the world? Why is the defense ministry researching this guy for survival skills? Why are doctors making statements calling this a miracle? People who have taken the path of scientific beliefs should stick to it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8652837.stm

From god/ganesh drinking milk, petrol from water, to swami's living on meditation, people buy into everything. We need some convincing rationalist- comedians who can come out on the main stage - mock them, & shut these guys up before they take the main stage. I hold nothing against this swami, but the docs and so called scientific believers who claim to be baffled by such things are a national embarrassment.:cry:

It is interesting to note that the person studying him is Ilavazhagan, the Director of Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Delhi, India. In Tamil, it means "Handsome Youth" :)

I am seeing some logic as to where this Dr. Shah who has been investigating this mystery from 10 years is getting to. He has approached several institutions including NASA for funds, to investigate this mystery. This Dr. should surrender his degree, for being such an idiot, & not being able to solve this "mystery" from 10 years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1274779/The-man-says-eaten-drunk-70-years-Why-eminent-doctors-taking-seriously.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

If people with common sense do not stop these crazy godmen from taking limelight, things like this are bound to happen. http://www.rationalistinternational.net/article/2010/20100222/en_1.html
Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I have my closest relatives play key roles in the Indian Rationalist Association. Please do not view my posts as India bashing. They are certainly intended to bash superstition, religion, and spiritual fraudsters.

Interesting video of Union minister debating with Sanal that the power of river Ganges can restore life into a deadbody tied to a banana tree. http://www.youtube.com/rationalists#p/u/1/nB7_yoCviLs
Unfortunately Sanal is not the greatest debater, he gets flustered. But to hear a former minister sit there and argue that the sacred river can restore life is painful.
For more funny/painful videos visit http://www.youtube.com/rationalists

This is not the first time that such claims are made. In my hometown another sadhu (incidently jain) was said to never eat. And there was this young sadhvi in my town who managed to turn herself into ashes because of general sins of people (as per her letter). People created a shrine for her and those ashes were kept in a golden pot on a altar.
It turned out that she had eloped with her driver.

To OP,

define miracle?

and based on your definition tell me why the doctors should not have used that term to easily explain to layperson what they discovered... simplification of science and its discovery seems to happen all the time in the media?

mn_op,
a korean scientist cheated big time and was a big issue in science circles.. must I assume that all scientists are cheaters..

the issue here is scientists did a controlled test and got unexpected results...

focus on the data and I gues that is what science does..

OzChennaiGuy;287754To OP,
define miracle?
and based on your definition tell me why the doctors should not have used that term to easily explain to layperson what they discovered... simplification of science and its discovery seems to happen all the time in the media?

There are no godly miracles, there is magic/trick/illusion, superstitions and scams. When a deadman thrown into river Ganga walks out, its not because of the power of River Ganga dropping out of Shiva's head, but because someone did a bad job by declaring him as dead. One in a million incident, lots of luck and chance, but no miracle. There are several things around us that do not have a full explanation, we should not credit the ignorance of mankind to godmen.

When Narayan Pillai said he could make petrol out of water, that was a miracle?
When Ganesh idols drank milk, that was a miracle?

These exams have been done by the same Dr from 10 years, for periods of upto 15 days. Not by independent scientists/doctors. These claims are clearly not from a Dr. who understands science. He is truly an idiot to come out and make statements to mainstream media, and ask for funds to do continued research. Such so called doctors are an embarrassment to the country when we are trying to promote modern medical tourism.

Do you seriously believe this swamy can survive for a month on solar energy, and meditation?

prasadee;287913Do you seriously believe this swamy can survive for a month on solar energy, and meditation?

Yep. Whatever Indians do is never right. It took whites to accept yoga, for rational Indians to come back and appreciate it. Atleast give guy a chance to search for reasonable explanation. Is anyone stopping independent scientist to go there and look for answer?