According to the Guinness Book of Records
the longest time a human has survived without water is 18
days.[16]
Bomjon, on the other hand, does not appear to break his meditation
to eat or drink.
Skeptics point out that claims of surviving after several month
fasting are unsubstantiated [17]
as a screen was placed in front of him between dusk and dawn; they
also claim that, besides the lack of proof, such a feat would be
physically impossible. Bomjon was observed remaining at the tree at
least during the daytime, though no one was allowed to approach him
too closely. Under such circumstances, he could have eaten
at night when no one could have witnessed his doing
so.
Some supporters believe that claims of inedia are less relevant than
Bomjon's undisputed ability to remain nearly motionless in the same
position day after day, with no regard for extremes of weather
including a cold winter and a monsoon season. For example, American
writer George
Saunders visited Bomjon and observed him through
a single night, and was impressed by Bomjon's perfectly still
stature, even during an evening climate that seemed unbearably cold
to the much better clothed journalist.[18]
In December 2005, a nine-member government committee led by
Gunjaman Lama watched Bomjon carefully for 48 hours and observed
him not to take any food or water during that time. A video
recording was also made of this test. However, they were unable to
approach closer than 3 meters or take readings of his vital
signs.[19]The
Nepalese government planned a more careful scientific study, but
the study was never carried out.
In 2006, Discovery
Channel showed a 45-minute
documentary titled The Boy With Divine Powers. One of the
aims was to establish whether Ram was indeed abstaining from all
sustenance, water included, by filming him continuously for four
days and nights. On their first attempt, in January 2006,
the film crew was required to stay outside a guarded barbed-wire
fence, and their camera's infrared capabilities did not
pick up evidence of a body at the base of the tree where Bomjon sat
during their non-stop recording. On a second attempt a few weeks
later, however, the film crew was able to film Ram
continuously for 96 hours, day and night, during which time he did
not change his position and did not drink any fluids or eat any
food. As Discovery Channel's commentator concluded: "After 96 hours
of filming, Ram has defied modern science by continuing his
meditation and remaining alive." According to
scientists on the documentary, an average person would be
expected to die from kidney failure after four days without
drinking any fluids (although cases of inedia lasting for a
whole week have been observed and the recorded Guinness World
Record of inedia is eighteen days). The boy showed no signs of
classical physical deterioration caused by dehydration. A close
inspection by the film crew of the area around the tree where Ram
was sitting revealed no hidden food supply or water
pipes.
In 2008, Min Bahadur Shakya of the Nagarjuna Institute of Exact
Methods in Kathmandu, stated that Buddhist priests have yet to
investigate Ram.[20]
