How fasting can be spiritual?

[Pouya]

I mean, because of the discipline that it requires (which you can get used to it anyway) or another reason?

[erik8lrl]

For the observation of desire and ego.

[Arnold666]

You will also swing in moods. Fast. One moment you'll euforic, next you're annoyed with your spouse that she kisses you too much. You can see the way emotions arise and passes, you enter in and out of states of consciousness like that. It's really fun to see how you pass through so many different metafisical realities, if you don't identify with the body and the hunger. If you do, it will be hell for you and people around you. Anyway, if it's your first time just make your objective to survive and not get into fights with your partner, friends or family, you will get better at it in time and then you can start your scientific endeavors witnessing your emotional shit storms. 

[Recursoinominado]

Fasting can show you how attached you are to food to stuff emotions down and numb yourself all the time. When you strip this mechanism, all that stuff will surface, this will be brutal at first but a GREAT spiritual exercise. Much humility comes from doing it, you realize how fragile you really are and how little is needed for you to get unstable. I mean, it is not a survival thing, most people can do a 40-day water fast without dying, why would you lose your shit with fasting for one or two days? It's an addiction. 

A good way to transition is to eat only raw fruits and vegetables, then you go for only fruits, then monomeals, then juices (without the pulp), then grape and lemon juices, then water fast, then dry fast. 

This will start a strong detoxification process, physically, mentally and emotionally/spiritually. 

[Inliytened1]

Yeah...fasting can be a form of intentional suffering because the ego wants to load up on junk food because it provides short term pleasure but long term suffering.  

So it takes discipline to fast..if it was easy everyone would be thin and healthy.  So that will grow you spiritually.   Up front suffering leads to better life and peace and less suffering in long term.  It's just the ego can't see it.

Edited May 31, 2019 by Inliytened1

[Anton_Pierre]

@Pouya It allows your stomach to move how it should so you can breathe into your lower lungs/upper belly. Overeating can negatively affect this proccess from my experience.

Edited May 31, 2019 by Anton_Pierre

[Ampresus]

I have the same question man. I am participating in Ramadan and so far have encountered (I think) a few mystical experiences. Fasting + my loneliness + boredom for hours = me sitting on a chair in the park looking at animals and see stuff collide. You forget you are hungry or thirsty for a few seconds. I wish to relive those experiences everyday and so visit my local park a lot now. Impala's are funny. Atleast, I think they are impala's. They always just lay around and eat. Not much to do, just really simple.

However, I don't know how fasting can do more for me then just a few mystical experiences. It sometimes felt like awakening, then again I have never ''awakened'' and so don't know how that feels.

[Rilles]

Try and youll see, EGO will manifest itself, thats the point of most ascetic practices, to see clearly, its hard to see your ego when youre comfy and distracted

[outlandish]

It's interesting to note that some form of fasting is a part of nearly every spiritual practice/religion. Lent, Ramadan, Yom Kippur. Theravada Buddhists do intermittent fasting during meditation retreats, various Hindu sects practice various fasts.. and so on.

[Nahm]

@Pouya Fast, as in stead-fast in being.