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So, just how is firewalking possible?

When you put your feet onto a bed of coals, you walk, depending on type of wood, on up to 1000 C. The modern methodology of Firewalking outside of a religious and historical context all over the world today, has prompted academic physicists trying to explain the phenomenon of Firewalking in scientific terms. Many explanations have been put forward in order to explain how people can walk on fire without burning.

One popular explanation is the Leidenfrost effect; which purports that the feet are somehow protected by a layer of moisture. There is also the conductivity theory; which claims that the coals do not conduct heat deeply or quickly enough to burn, hence if you put your hand inside an oven you dont burn because the air has poor conductivity as opposed to if you touch the metal. These physicists have still to answer several questions.:

Firstly; among firewalkers it is well known that people actually stand still in the coals for prolonged periods of time, sometimes several minutes. This surely is enough time for the coals to conduct heat into the foot sufficient to burn, but that doesn´t happen.

Secondly; even on a relatively small bed of cooler coals people can and have sometimes burned badly when firewalking. How come these people were not protected by the law of physics?

Finally; it is much easier to burn stepping on a coal accidentally or firewalking for the wrong reason (for instance group pressure) than it is when you make a deliberate decision to walk on coals with the right mindset. Now if pure physics had been the explanation, what is the difference?

We believe it is about the very special firewalk state of mind.

For many, the Firewalking procedure in itself was the tool. The priests and shaman who facilitated the ancient firewalk knew however that it was the belief system - the actual perception of reality - that had to be changed, a state of mind and a state of being. The purpose was to make things that looked out of reach, be accessible and within reach. This meant expanding reality and extending boundaries. This is a central teaching of the firewalk and sits at the very core of the British Firewalk Association teachings and seminars.