Nutritional abstinence as a manifestation of spiritual and religious traditions and experiences
Tomasz Jankowski
2026-03-18
2 min. read
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While the clinical characterization of the disorder now recognized as *anorexia nervosa* was first documented in the 17th century by the English physician Richard Morton, analogous phenomena have been recorded in far earlier historical periods. Voluntary abstention from food consumption constitutes a recurring feature of ritualistic and ascetic practices across nearly all global belief systems, including ancient Egyptian theology, Judaic traditions, Christian austerity, as well as Islamic and Buddhist contexts. Over the centuries, the only variables that have evolved are the interpretation of this phenomenon through the lens of prevailing cultural norms, the degree of comprehension regarding its physiological and psychological mechanisms, and societal perceptions of such behaviors—ranging from veneration and admiration to condemnation or dismissal.
Anorexia or fasting?
According to this way of thinking, long-term fasting allows us to get closer to the absolute. At the same time, fasting is a method of protecting ourselves from unclean forces and evil, often associated with a lack of moderation or succumbing to bodily temptation. The best documented examples of religious fasting are the lives of the saints. We meet with many who have been practicing fasting for years, often combined with other forms of self-defense, which in the course of the religious life of the body only leads to the ultimate destruction of the soul and death.