[solarmist]

Really? My understanding of religious fasting was it was a form of devotion. To show how dedicated you were to that cause. Or to show that you could overcome your biological instincts.

In other words to demonstrate fortitude, strength of will, and discipline, and thus become closer to an ideal that is mostly considered non-biological or rather transcend the biological (God/Nirvana/etc). Or to empathize with suffering/deprivation of others.

So, while I guess those could be considered benefits, I don't really see it.

[agumonkey]

Funny, I'm not religious and from my distanced POV I never took fasting as a sign of devotion, more an old fashioned detox/cleanse with a sense of minimalistic life (which is not far from empathizing with deprivation).