Fighting fire with focus

Reports on psychologist Ronald J. Pekala's new proof of the power of mind over matter, after giving six hours of intensive training to 71 virgin firewalkers. Firewalking is possible through one-point focusing. 'Cool moss' technique; Growth of firewalking in appeal to motivational trainers; Ancient ceremonial custom; More.

By PT Staff, published on January 01, 1993

Firewalking

THEY TELL YOU TO THINK nice thoughts. Thinking "cool moss" can actually help you parade over a flaming pit of fire without getting burned. And if you don't break your concentration at all, you'll suffer not even a blister.

Ask the average person how firewalking's done and you'll hear something about a self-hypnosis gimmick. But hypnosis has nothing to do with it, insists psychologist Ronald J. Pekala, Ph.D., executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Education Institute in Westchester, Pennsylvania. Firewalking is possible through one-point focusing. "It's an alteration of attention, not an alteration of state of consciousness," says Pekala.

He recently got hot new proof of the power of mind over matter, after giving six hours of intensive training to 71 virgin firewalkers. They learned how to focus their attention on a single image - mainly, cool moss.

Then the eager crew jogged to a vacant lot out back, the theme from Rocky blasting, and lined up in front of a 12-foot-long, four-foot-wide pit of fire. Eyes closed, deep breath, internal dialogue began: Cool moss, cool moss, cool moss...one by one, they crossed over to the cheering group who had made it uncharred.

Ten days later, 27 of the firewalkers were hypnotized, and they also spent time sitting quietly, eyes closed, thinking about anything they wished. On a questionnaire comparing sensations, subjects reported greater joy, arousal, and self-awareness during firewalking than during hypnosis or the quiet state. They felt more in control, and more clearly remembered the experience. All of them attributed their successful walk to "total absorption." In fact, the three who suffered minor blisters did so only after breaking concentration and peeking at their feet in curiosity - before swiftly returning to a more focused state and finishing the walk with no further singes.

An ancient ceremonial custom, firewalking is growing in appeal to motivational trainers in the United States, who see it as a way to help people conquer their fears and free them for achievement. If you can walk through fire, the thinking goes, you won't have a hard time convincing yourself to do anything.

PHOTO: IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, CONCENTRATION CONQUERS SINGES. (INCREDIBLE FEATURES, L.A.)