From: Tim.ONeill@english.utas.edu.au (Tim O'Neill)
Subject: Re: Firewalk
Organization: University of Tasmania (Australia)
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 00:59:12 GMT

In article <2HZmoB4w165w@brewich.uucp>, donal@brewich.uucp (Donal) writes:
> 
> Tim.ONeill@english.utas.edu.au (Tim O'Neill) writes:
> 
> > In article <15523@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, darsie@eecs.ucdavis.edu (Richard Dars
> > > This past weekend I shared a truly transcendent experience with
> > > about 25 other people. We attended a firewalking seminar.
> > 
> > Well Richard, the group support may have had a great deal to do with
> > your plucking up the courage to step into the coals, but it had nothing
> > to do with the lack of third degree burns to your feet. That was due to
> > basic physics. The coals in a fire-walkers' pit can get up to 400 C,
> > and if you were to heat up a steel plate to this temperature and try
> > to walk across it you would soon find yourself in hospital. This is not
> > the case for wood-coals, because they are much less efficent *conductors*
> > of heat than steel. So long as you walk reasonably briskly, the coals 
> > are not in contact with your feet long enough to burn you. If you were
> > to *stand* in the coals, however, you would soon know about it!
> > 
> > I'm interested to know if the organisers of this session told you that
> > it was some form of paranormal power which kept you from being burned,
> > and if you were charged money for this session. The organisers of such
> > firewalking workshops have had the perfectly mundane explantion of how
> > this feat is achieved explained to them many times, but many of them
> > continue to tell people that 'there is no scientific explanation for
> > this' and assure them that it is some kind of mental power or mystical
> > energy which protects the walkers' feet. Several have also been 
> > challenged to try the stunt on a steel sheet heated to half the 
> > temperature of the coals. Oddly, they have always declined. Positive 
> > thinking sessions are great, but con-men who use cheap parlour tricks to 
> > make money are not.
> > Tim O'Neill 
> 
> Tim, I am amazed that you could post something like this!? Have you no 
> sense of the profound effect that the walk had on the poster?

Did I question the profundity of the experience? All I did was point out
that it had a perfectly mundane explanation. I have no doubt that stepping
out into a pit of glowing coals and walking across them would be deeply
impressive, even if you did know why it worked. In fact I wouldn't mind
trying it myself sometime. I saw a fantastic disply of the Aurora Australis
the other night. I know the scientific explanation for that as well, but
it is still a deeply profound experience.

> Do you 
> realize that at that moment, Ciaran could have done ANYTHING???

I realise nothing of the sort. He could *not* have walked across a steel
plate heated to the same temperatures without burning his feet very, 
very badly for example. If he, or anyone else, claims that they can, 
then this can be easily tested and I can be shown to be wrong. Shall 
we arrange an experiment?

> I forget 
> who but someone once asked, "What would you do if you KNEW you could not 
> fail?" The scientific explanation does nothing to invalidate Ciaran's 
> experience. All the firewalk did was confirm the truth the walker already 
> knew, that we are limited by nothing but the limits we pla{_ce on 
> ourselves.

Soory Donal, but I see no reason to believe that we aren't limited by the
laws of physics. You can prove me wrong, of course, by taking up my offer
of a test. I like to be shown that I am wrong because that's how I learn
new things. Until you give me some good evidence, however, then I am forced 
to go with what has been demonstrated. A walk across poorly conducting
wood coals proves nothing except that its possible to walk across poorly
conducting wood coals, which everyone knew anyway. Show me someone doing
something impossible through mental powers and I'll change my tune. 

> Ciaran, please do not let Tim's doubts or scientific explanation reduce 
> the power of your vision. Do what you would dare, and know that you 
> CANNOT fail.

Indeed Ciaran, but don't walk across 400 degree steel unless you never want
to walk again.
Tim O'Neill
Newsgroups: alt.pagan