A Walking Medical Anomaly
Posted on Apr 25th, 2006
by 
Jeff Mishlove
Jeff Mishlove
My friend, Victoria Alexander (shown on the left, obviously), seems to be living proof that an individual can defy science -- on a daily basis. Here she is having dinner with nuclear physicist Edward Teller. The interesting thing to note, however, is that -- while he has a plate of food in front of him -- she does not. I have known Victoria well now, in the five years that I have lived in Las Vegas. I have shared many meals with her -- but I have never seen her eat more than a single potato chip.
You see, Victoria lives on a less-than-500 calories daily diet consisting (since 2000) of egg whites. And, she does not take vitamins. This fact is confirmed by her husband, Col. John Alexander, a well-known expert on non-lethal warfare methods -- and also a specialist in remote viewing and other ostensible paranormal phenomena. When John first introduced me to his wife, at a restaurant, he explained her dietary habits by saying that she has "anorexic-envy." (Anorexic Envy is the title of a book in progress Victoria is writing.) But, I have no sense, whatsoever, that there is anything unhealthy about Victoria's amazing diet (or lack thereof).
You can see from the photo that Victoria is quite healthy-looking -- and is, clearly, not suffering from the malnutrition that one would expect from her diet. In fact, she and her husband are world travelers. In the past few years they have visited Peru, Brazil, Antarctica, Mali, Nepal, Turkey and Argentina -- just to name a few exotic destinations. She attributes her excellent health to her beliefs and her state-of-mind.
I have no idea how she manages to remain to active and vital on her miniscule diet. Perhaps it is related to the fact that she once lived in a yoga ashram in India. It seems unlikely to me that, if she were secretely binging while no one was watching, her husband would be totally unaware of this -- after years of marriage. But, the only way to really research this anomaly -- to the satisfaction of skeptics -- would be to keep Victoria locked in a facility and monitored 24 hours a day, for many weeks at a time.
Victoria is also a talented writer. Here is a link to her regular column, The Devil's Hammer. You can always count on her to express unorthodox, provocative views. She specializes in film reviews -- but has even written a fascinating comedy screenplay called BeDeviled (about a woman whose sister is having a love affair with the devil). She has nearly 500 film reviews on the influential film site RottenTomatoes.com.
She is also a student of mysticism and of the South American ritual use of ayahuasca. She has allowed me to persuade her to post on the web a fascinating paper she has written on this topic.
Access: PublicTagged with: diet, yoga, india, remote viewing, victoria alexander, ayahuasca, mysticism, col john alexander, the devils hammer, edward teller, medical anomaly, antarctica, mali, turkey, argentina, peru, brazil, ashram
antarctica
July 2008
600 calories a day … hmm. That would put her even below the caolric amounts suggested by those who feel that calorie restriction is the surest way to expanding the human lifespan (based on rat studies, mainly). But as you say, Victoria looks quite healthy and robust, which those eating severely reduced diets tend not to. Thus, there must be something different and special about her.
“Inedia” is the technical term for reductions in eating. I would suggest going to the John Curtis Gowan Memorial page for some fascinating information. In Gowan's book Operations of Increasing Order, he speaks about “inedia” at http://www.csun.edu/edpsy/Gowan/chpt3bz.html, and says the followiong:
3.62) Inedia or Independence from Food and Drink
In some cases of devout persons, it appears that they are able to subsist without food or drink (in the case of Catholics, the Host is excepted). Some other method of obtaining energy is adopted (in the case of at least some mystics this appears to be from the sun). Inedia is a siddhi resulting from samyama on the trachea given by Patanjali's sutra 30 (Ayrana 1977:342).
Jung (Stern, 1976:50) described the enigma of a Swiss saint, Brother Klaus, of whom it was said that for twenty years he had touched neither food nor drink. Jung accepted this fact as “corroborated by reliable witnesses.” Yogananda (1977:422) devotes a chapter to the mystic, Therese Neumann, who took no food except the Host. Concerning this matter of inedia, he says (ibid:539):
The non-eating state attained by Giri Bala is a yogic power mentioned in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras III:31. She employs a certain breathing exercise that affects the visudda chakra, the fifth center of subtle energies located in the spine. The visudda chakra, opposite the throat, controls the fifth element, akash or ether, pervasive in the inter-atomic spaces of the physical cells. Concentration on this “wheel” chakra enables the devotee to live by etheric energy.
Farges (1926:560-1) describes the inedia of several saints:
Blessed Angela of Foligno remained for twelve years without taking any nourishment; St. Catherine of Siena about eight years; Blessed Elizabeth of Rente more than fifteen years; St. Lydwine twenty-eight years; Blessed Catherine of Racconigi
(page 185)
ten years; Dominic of Paradiso twenty years; in our own day, Rosa Andriani twenty-eight years; Domenica Lazzari and Louise Lateau fourteen years.
In order to prove the authenticity of these facts Benedict XIV drew up very severe rules of criticism. But we must not think that before his time these marvels were accepted with naive credulity without previous inquiry. The more astonishment they raised, the more they provoked mistrust, suspicion, watchfulness, and often unbelief.
Pope Innocent VII, during his sojourn at Perugia, had a judicial inquiry made into the case of Blessed Colomba of Rieti, who had taken no nourishment other than the eucharistic bread for more than twenty years. In 1659 the famous shepherdess of Laus was taken to the Bishop's house at Embrun in order to be more easily submitted to an inquiry respecting her visions and abstinence; she was guarded day and night for a fortnight. In 1813 Catherine Emmerich, whose abstinence was no less remarkable, was watched and guarded day and night for ten days by order of ecclesiastical authority. The twenty burghers entrusted with this prepared a circumstantial report, which was also confirmed by her physician, the famous Dr. Overberg.
In 1868 the abstinence of Sister Esperance of Jesus was officially confirmed by the Bishop of Ottawa, assisted by two physicians, one, Dr. Baubien, a Catholic, and the other, Dr. Ellis, a Protestant. She was subjected to most rigorous supervision for six weeks, locked in a room and guarded and watched by sisters who never left her. At the beginning of the experiment she weighed 113 pounds; at the end, in the presence of the Bishop of Ottawa, her weight had reached 124 pounds. The venerable Dr. Landry, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Quebec, who came to Royau in 1880, also testified to this in the presence of Dr. Imbert.
From October 25 to December 7, 1877, the abstinence of Josephine Reverdy was examined in like manner, as related in detail in the Apparitions de Boulleret, chapter V. She was constantly watched by ten women or girls, five by day and five by night, and the authenticity of the fact was recognized.
Moreover, there is another kind of control which goes to confirm the first and does away with any doubt. Not only do these abstaining saints eat nothing secretly, but they can no longer eat anything without throwing it up again immediately. It is not merely that they are exempt from the hunger common to
(page 186)
all men, but also unable to sustain any earthly nourishment other than the Holy Eucharist.
Here, for instance, is the testimony of Blessed Raymond of Capua with regard to the inedia of St. Catherine of Siena, whose confessor and biographer he was. At first her extraordinary fasting had produced murmurings against her from her companions and from all who knew her. She was accused of wishing to surpass the fast of our Lord, of seeking after singularity, and so on. Raymond himself was alarmed at these murmurs, and feared lest he were mistaken in his direction of this soul. In order to cut short the scandal he desired to force her to eat. Through obedience she did so, but very soon threw up all that she had taken with atrocious suffering, even to the vomiting of blood.
very interesting. i'm not surprised though because mysticism literature abound with people who can get by without food. some yogis “claim” to only eat “air” and there are Christian saints who just fed on holy “host” (aka body of Christ). even Christ did it for 40 days and 40 nights.
but what's interesting here is that Victoria still looks very “healthy” and seem to be doing quite well. i wonder what she had learned with myticism that enables her to do this. her using gothic (aka. devil's hammer) theme just increases the mystery and interestingness of her pesonality. that's why i bookmarked her site.
but for what it's worth, i like Victoria because we seem to have the same taste in movies:
Victoria's review of Silent Hill
~C4Chaos's review of Silent Hill
i'm rambling now. so i'll stop here.
im quite curious to do an analysis in adobe photoshop of victoria.. i have already years ago down an analysis of her 'infamous' husband john.. who is a non human.. lizard to be exact.. i would imagine with their combined talents and interests in death.. that victoria is a vampire who prefers to drink blood sans eating so called human food… such is the life of those who would FOOL those of the bird tribes who are hu_man with human dna.. when i have the page finished i shall install a link here.. for all of you.. until then.. adios
ah ho Wiolawa
The 600 calories a day is merely a non-dramatic representation. The truth is I eat 6 to 9 EGG WHITES a day. (15 calories per egg white). That's about 99% of what I eat every day. 99% because I do not want to be held to it in case I want to eat a few salt-free crackers or have some candy - my downfall. I used to have 2 cups of coffee with milk and sugar every day but since I am going to an ayahuasca retreat next week in Peru I dropped the coffee last month.
I have maintained this diet for years and cut out all salt in 2000 as a requirement for the ayahuasca ceremonies I attended. I have maintained this eggs-only diet in Tibet (on a trek), Nepal, India, Bhutan, Mali, on African safari, Brazil, on an Antarctica cruise!, and even black tie gala affairs.
I used to eat twice a year on my birthday and wedding anniversary but I dropped that a few years ago.
I am very interested in stopping eating altogether. The smell of food has been bothering me lately. It makes me sick.
What I do think is that a lifetime of dieting has made my body accustomed to working on and thriving on a small amount of food. Or, is it that everyone else is just eating too much unnecessary food?
I never lose weight, even at Base Camp at Mount Everest where the lack of oxygen makes everyone lose weight! (My husband lost 17 pounds in 21 days. Everyone in our group lost considerable, noticeable weight - except me.)
Who is Wiolawa? Who is this nutty person who keeps insisting my husband is Dr. Death now Lizard Man and I am a vampire. She/He posted some crazy stuff on her/his website and now I see she/he has done the same under Jeff's blog. Unfortunately, this person is barely literate.
See my column The Devil's Hammer on FromTheBalcony.com. I comment on Wiolawa's claims.
Victoria
Victoria,
You look strong and healthy. I see no problem with what you are doing. The human mind/body/spirit interface is almost infinitely flexible. You rock, woman!