December 1983 FIRE DANCING IN GREECE Dr. Vittoria Manganas* Athens, Greece All over the world there are some people who have the exceptional capacity to dance, walk or even stand unharmed on burning coals. This feat must not be confused with shows organized as tourist attractions which can easily be spotted as frauds. In Northern Greece there are a few small towns where Anastenarides, as fire dancers are called, gather every May 21 to dance on burning coals for three consecutive evenings. Anastenarides live in nearby villages or cities and are feared, admired and generally tolerated by their neighbors, but excommunicated by the church as heretics. They are normal family people, mostly simple workers of low educational level. They consider themselves healers of all the community. Before confronting the fire, they prepare themselves all day long in the house of their leader, dancing to the sound of monctonous, primitive and highly suggestive music. But the basic preparation takes years, and more specifically begins about a month before the celebration with strict adherence to moral principles, moderate food intake (generally without meat) and abstinence from sex. The ritual dancing takes place over burning coals spread over a circular area of about 4 to 8 meters, until all the coals are reduced to ashes: the temperature of the coals at the perimeter is 220°C, at the center it reaches 450°C [2,9]. Following a close study of Anastenarides for two consecutive years, the following remarks are offered: - They are not in a state of hypnosis or trance since they are able to answer to the slightest external stimuli and generaily are very irritable; ~ Although they do not have the technical knowledge, they have achleved some kind of self-regulation, similar to * The paper was originally presented at the Symposium of Radiaesthesia and Bioenergotherapy in Warsaw, September 24- 25, 1983. Approved For, Release 2003/09/1 : OF-RDRI6 -00792R000700860002-5 PST RESEARCH autogenic training, that enables them to have greater control over body functions than usual; ~ They reinforce this before the fire dance by means of tituals, special day-long dancing (always to the same music), and group dynamic techniques. The latter are very interesting from the psychologist’s point of view. In the preparatory stage, they enact in a kind of psychodrama, all their personal and minority-group conflicts and problems, reaching a highly charged emotional state in which anger is one of the strongest components. Thus the fire to be conquered is the symbol of everything that is evil. By triumphing over the fire with the help of Saints Constantine and Helen (celebrated on May 21) they reach a catharsis for themselves and for all the community. This also means good health, rich harvest and future protection from calamities. The group offers the enhancement of self- suggestion and support in overcoming fear of the fire, ~ The crucial point is the absolute faith in the possibility of doing it. Greek, Philtppinos, Mohammedans, and Indian fire dancers use different kinds of religious faiths to achieve the Strength of absolute belief. In this context, the firewalking experiments of the Soviet Valery Avdeyev are very important and enlightening. In a press interview he explained that he had trained himself in self-regulation techniques and was able to walk unharmed over a big bonfire, when the thought and the will to overcome it "consumed all" of him. On another occasion, when he could not enter into the proper state of mind, he was burned [3]. We can see that the common points between the Anastenarides and the Soviet firewalker are the previously achieved capacity of some kind of self control and the absolute belief in being able to do it. Anastenarides have been subjected to almost all current medical and psychiatric tests, even injections of endorphin antagonists, without conclusive results [1,2,4]. In this study high-frequency photography was used as in previous psychiatric research, because of its potential for revealing Approved For Release 2003/09/40 : CIA-RDP96-00792R000700860002-5 80 ae Cee spe ete — eager 81 am net coset ements ane
Approved For Release 2003/09/1q : CheRRBQG-09333R000700860002-5 PSE RESEARCH - ‘December 1983 SI RESEARCH tangible proof that the range of psychophysical potential of bioenergetic states and changes in living organisms [5,6]. man is much wider than officially believed. It ‘should be : Kirlian photographs of hands and feet of Anastenarides investigated with a scientific mind and all the means at our (total 11 subjects) were taken during preparation, fire disposal. dancing and everyday life (after 3 months) on Kodak Ektachrome T slides 10x12 cm and 13x18 cm. The images were References compared with those of special states, such as hypnosis, yogic meditation and autogenic training (AT), before and — - Ballis, T., Beaumanoir, A, & Xenakis, Cc. “Anastenaria," during these states. In all the above conditions, including Hellenic Armed Force Medical Review, Vol. 13 (1979), p. fire dancing, an increase of the corona discharge can be 2. observed, compared to the cotresponding rest conditions, as 2. Xenakis, C., Larbig, W., & Tsarouchas, E. "Zur Psycho- is to be expected if the assumption that they all imply an Physiologie des Feuerlaufers," Arch. Psychiatr. increase of the bioenergy field is correct. In the high- Nervenkr., Vol. 223 (1977), frequency images of the hands during fire dancing a pattern 3. Maisyuk, A. "Know Yourself," Psi Research, Vol. 2, No 1 similar to those of intense emotional arousal is seen, (March 1983), pp. 106-109 [Translated from Tekhnika- different from the color and pattern of relaxation states Molodezhi, Moscow, No. 9, 1982], (hypnosis, yoga, AT). The Kirlian photos of the feet show a 4, Xenakis, C., & Holtman, W. "Zur Psychophysiologie des remarkable increase of the length and density of the + Feuerlaufers," Arch. Psychiatr. Nervenkr., Vol. 227 streamers and sparks of different colors. This is not (1979), _ dependent on the mechanical act of dancing, since the same 5. Manganas, V., & Zachariades, N. "Corona Discharge Photo- image was given while at rest. graphy in Psychiatry," Psychoenergetics: The Journal of At this point I would like to express the hypothesis Psychophysical Systems, Vol. 4 (1982), _ that in firewalking not only there is an increase of bio- '6 Manganas, V., & Zachariades, N. "Corona Discharge Photo- energy as in other special states, but that a kind of bio- graphy as a Mean of Early Assessment in Psychiatry," energetic protective shield is formed. Victor Inyushin and Proceedings of World Congress on Medical Physics, Alexander Romen postulate that, in special extreme condi- Hamburg (1982), tions, man can display exceptional capacities by increasing 7, Adamenko, V.G. “Electrodynamics of Living Systems," (voluntarily or not) his amount of “biological plasma," as International Journal of Paraphysics, Vol. 4, No. 4 can be seen in a high-frequency field [7,8]. In the case of - (1970). fire dancers, the "bioplasma" protects from burns because 8. Inyushin, V.M., & Chekurov, P. Biostimulation Through the charged particles or free electrons that form it produce Laser Radiation and Bioplasma (Alma-—Ata: Kazakhstan, a state of superconductivity of the skin [9,10]. 1975). . What is remarkable is the fact that the soles of 9. Katkov, A, "Autosuggestion and Bloplasma," Inter- Anastenarides during fire dancing are paradoxically cool and national Journal of Paraphysics, Vol. 15, Nos. 1/2 dry. It is also well known that they never go into the fire (1981), pp. 20-23, | unless they feel ready. Some refer to this feeling of 10. Romen, AS. Self-Suggestion and its Influence on the readiness as "the call" from the saint, others as a special Human Organism, A.J. Lewis & V.F. Forsky, eds. (Armonk, feeling like being pushed, i.e., from the nearby wall or the NY: ME. Sharp, 1981), floor. Could it be that subliminal information about the completion of a protective energetic shield reaches the 13-15 A. Metaxa St. consciousness? 106 81 Athens, Greece This study is far from complete. Fire dancing is Approved For Release 2003/09//0 : cane tiienadaeaaeadanad ean 82