I was going to write about how Thanksgiving is the time for families to get together to share love and a good meal. It was going to be all gooshey, and sticky sweet, like many other posts written this time of year. To me, it’s the best holiday of them all because you have the family together and lots of good food as well. But there was a detour somewhere in the process, and I promise that the title is not misleading. There are those who do believe all you need is love.

What happened? I was rifling through some old paper files, looking for anything that would help me write my piece when, upon grabbing a file titled, “1984,” a pamphlet fell out. I picked it up and remembered that my first encounter with this piece of paper was in 1984 when I plucked it from the windshield of my car where it was lodged beneath the wiper blade. How fortuitous! What a subject to breach just before the greatest pig-out holiday of the year. It had to be Opposite Day.

The pamphlet was all about Airitarianism. I searched the term and found it had changed to Breatharianism. I wondered why, but my main thought was, “They must have survived to have changed their name. So, what is it all about?

Imagine you have invited a stranger you saw on the street to Thanksgiving dinner. They sit down with you, and you pass them the cranberry sauce. They pass it on without spooning any of that tangy sauce onto their plate. You think, “They must not like the tartness of the cranberry. Then you pass them the dinner rolls and they pass them on without taking one. You are thinking, “Gosh, I guess they are gluten free.” They do the same with the turkey and you muse that they must be vegetarian, so you pass them the green beans which they don’t take any of.

“Aren’t you hungry?” You enquire.

“Oh, no,” the person responds, “I’m a Breatharian.”

“Well, I breathe too, but I need to eat.”

“I don’t. I have plenty of Prana.” They take a sip of water, and you wonder what planet you have just transported to.

No, I’m not pulling your leg. Yes, this group of people does exist. Some of them have even died while practicing their belief, which is not surprising. They live on watered down fruit juice, taken sparingly, air, and an occasional small meal. Oh, I forgot Prana, a spiritual component of their belief similar to love that comes in from who knows where and you can’t see it.

Intrigued to find out more about this belief and practice, I sought out a member of the cult. I had some questions burning inside of me. I tracked a Breatharian down on the internet and he agreed to meet with me for an interview. Luckily, I didn’t need to travel very far. He lives in Portland.

“Do you eat at all?” I asked.

“Yes. I find it necessary to eat once every week or so.”

“What do you eat then?”

“I have a bowl of broth. The air, a little water, a small amount of fruit juice, and Prana sustain me between meals.”

“What is Prana?”

“Prana is a spiritual force that enters you. It’s the main force of the Universe.”

“Is it love?”

“Yes, Prana encompasses love.”

“What brought you to Breatharianism?” I asked, thinking it might be a tale of woe where one wandered the streets with no money and nothing to eat when fortune smiled, and they ran into a guru.

“I lived in a nice house. We had more food than we could eat. The table was always full of many different foods. One day, I started feeling sick of eating animals. I didn’t see how we could kill beings like us just to satisfy our supposed need for food. It seemed so cruel. Then I met a Breatharian while taking a yoga class, and it changed my life. No longer did I need food. I learned that it is possible to live on Prana alone.”

“Did you become a vegetarian in the interim?” I asked.

“No. I can hear the plants scream. How can I eat a being who is screaming?”

I left the interview wondering how someone could live on just Prana, something not detectable by your senses, the air around you, water, a little fruit juice and a bowl of broth every now and then.

I went back to the internet to see if there was something I had missed. Sure enough, I found a report that a Breatharian guru with a large following had been spotted by one of his followers consuming a Big Mac and fries at a McDonalds. When caught red-handed, he claimed that Big Macs were ambrosia, food of the gods. Needless to say, the guru lost a large portion of his following.

That was enough for me. Thanksgiving will go on as usual. I will consume great quantities of food along with a lot of air and some water. I will enjoy every minute of it not thinking about how some of my meal was killed so I could eat and how some of it will be screaming as I shovel it into my mouth. I suppose I will also be consuming some Prana, but don’t quote me on that. My chakras haven’t been checked lately to see if I can accept Prana.

As for you folks out there, thank you for reading. Have a happy Thanksgiving. Give thanks for all you have. Pray for those who don’t have as much as you. Enjoy the food and the company of friends and family. Don’t forget to bring some love to your gathering. It may not be all we need, but it is sorely needed. Peace and happiness to you all!