Fasting in Judaism

Epstein’s depiction describes a phenomenological construct of fasting that occurs across all religions: the ability to tap into the collective consciousness of others who are presently fasting and those who have fasted before us. Fasting does this by removing the barriers that block this connection. Obstacles include feelings of fear, grief, and depression. Without these obstructions, the faster has the ability to connect with the collective consciousness, often through the use of prayer and meditation.

Another reason that fasting increases the ability for connection with the collective unconscious has do with the meditative qualities of fasting. In the summer of 1993, researchers claimed that 4,000 meditators reduced the crime in Washington, D. C. by 20% through the use of Transcendental Meditation (Hagelin et al., 1999). According to the study’s authors, meditation techniques allow access to a larger field of consciousness that has always been there, beyond the conscious thinking mind. This same phenomenon occurs during fasting primarily because it is commonly combined with meditation, as demonstrated by numerous historical figures, including Buddha, Gandhi, Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad.

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