Living On Light Leader Under Fire As 'Dangerous'

Newswire, April 05, 2000

A new-age leader whose movement has been blamed for the death of a devoted follower in the Scottish Highlands today claimed she had existed for the past seven years on less than three hundred calories a day.

Jasmuheen, an Australian woman whose real name is Ellen Greve, told GMTV she survived because she was able to "tap into an alternative source of nourishment that everybody has within them".

She said: "For seven years I have lived on less than three hundred calories a day because I am able to absorb nourishment direct from a creative source."

But her teachings were attacked by the show's Dr Hilary Jones as "dangerous".

Ms Greve, who admitted to enjoying a "good cup of tea", said it was an extremely disciplined lifestyle which took years of practice and people needed to be physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually fit to attempt it.

Her philosophy is based on "breatharianism" which promotes the idea of "living on light" and almost entirely without food or liquids. But she denied it was a cult.

Her teachings sparked controversy last year when 49-year-old Australian follower Verity Linn died after giving up food and water in accordance with a 21-day spiritual fast.

The body of Ms Linn, who was the third person to die after following Greve's teachings, was found last September by a fisherman in a remote area of Sutherland.

Ms Greve today denied she was a leader of a cult.

"There is no such thing as a Breatharian cult," she said. "I am an author, I have written 14 books one of which was my personal journey about how I came to be free from the need to eat food.

"We don't have followers. There is no such thing as a cult - that is just media hype.

"What we promote is meditation, prayer, programming, vegetarian diet, exercise, spending time with nature, acting with kindness and compassion to each other and also using chants and singing devotional songs."

Her claims of being able to live off divine light were described as "nonsense" by Dr Jones who also claimed she was a "fraud".

Dr Jones said: "When we have an epidemic of eating disorders in the Western world you saying you can live off divine light and less than three hundred calories a day is frankly dangerous and I wish you weren't in our country.

"I enjoyed reading the story about your leader in 1983 who claimed he hadn't eaten for 19 years and was found sneaking into a hotel for a chicken pie."

But Ms Greve attacked this as rubbish.

Ms Greve is due to give a lecture on breatharianism at Edinburgh University's Chaplaincy centre later today.Ms Linn was the third person whose death has been linked to the movement's teachings.

The first was Timo Degen, a 31-year-old kindergarten teacher from Munich who died in 1997, and the second was Lani Morris, 53, from Melbourne, who died in 1998.

Professor Michael Lean, head of human nutrition at Glasgow University, said he believed Ms Greve's teachings were dangerous and expressed concern that they could lead to people becoming anorexic.

He questioned Edinburgh University's decision to allow her to give a public lecture on its premises and said: "Nobody minds a magician playing tricks - that is just good clean fun.

"But this woman is certainly not all good clean fun and from what I understand a number of people have driven themselves to death through not eating because they believe the wretched woman."

An Edinburgh University spokeswoman said: "University premises are generally available for external hire and the chaplaincy centre is among those premises. It regularly receives requests from external groups and this particular lecture is one such request."

She said the lecture was not a university event and added: "The fact that the university has given space in its premises on campus to this organisation to express its views does not mean the university should be seen as institutionally endorsing any of the views expressed."Ms Linn was the third person whose death has been linked to the movement's teachings.

The first was Timo Degen, a 31-year-old kindergarten teacher from Munich who died in 1997, and the second was Lani Morris, 53, from Melbourne, who died in 1998.

Professor Michael Lean, head of human nutrition at Glasgow University, said he believed Ms Greve's teachings were dangerous and expressed concern that they could lead to people becoming anorexic.

He questioned Edinburgh University's decision to allow her to give a public lecture on its premises and said: "Nobody minds a magician playing tricks - that is just good clean fun.

"But this woman is certainly not all good clean fun and from what I understand a number of people have driven themselves to death through not eating because they believe the wretched woman."

An Edinburgh University spokeswoman said: "University premises are generally available for external hire and the chaplaincy centre is among those premises. It regularly receives requests from external groups and this particular lecture is one such request."

She said the lecture was not a university event and added: "The fact that the university has given space in its premises on campus to this organisation to express its views does not mean the university should be seen as institutionally endorsing any of the views expressed."