Thursday, December 1, 2011

A Wizard Did It: Pyrokinesis.

 Many people consider making fire one of the most important discoveries of humankind. After the invention of fire, we could endure cold nights and cook food that might otherwise kill us. Fire has also been important in warfare, causing massive damage and making people flee the area lest they get singed.  It's also flashy; even though we have mastered the art, pyrotechnics remain a staple of stage shows. The first person to handle fire must have been thought of as a wizard.

Second only to our admiration of fire is our desire to control fire.  We don't just mean turning on a stove - we mean the ability to create fire just by thinking about it. Matches and camphor just aren't enough anymore. We want to answer that "need a light?" situation without carrying such items around. The bad part is, for that, you'd need magic.



Qigong master Zhou Ting-Jue may as well be the next prophet. He was born in 1934 and has been practicing martial arts since he was seven. Eventually, he was let in on some of the more spiritual secrets of Chinese culture, including qigong, which is like very intense yoga. After decades of qigong, he can heal the sick, adjust his weight at will, and, apparently, heat things so hot that he may as well be setting them on fire. All of this is done solely by controlling his own energy flow.

Mind, heating things to the boiling point is not quite pyrokinesis. It is still pretty close. That towel was steaming.  He probably could ignite a match or move a candle flame by pure force of will if he really wanted to. He would have more credibility than any YouTubers claiming to be the Human Torch.

Unleash the power of the sun!


Disclaimer: The supernatural powers of qigong are still under debate, even with spectacular individuals such as Zhou around. This does not mean that one should not give it a shot. Pyrokinesis aside, qigong is very good at reducing stress, improving mood, and keeping one in good physical shape. It does not promise giant ki blasts, but hey, results may vary.

Even so, ki mastery is NEVER like this.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment