New Delhi: American podcaster and AI researcher Lex Fridman, whose interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created a buzz on social media, revealed on Saturday that he undertook a 45-hour fast before recording the podcast. He described this as a way to get into the right mindset and a tribute to the conversation.
“It has been 45 hours, just took water, no food in honour of this conversation, to get into the right mindset, get into the spiritual level,” Fridman stated before asking PM Modi about his views on fasting and its impact.
PM Modi, appreciating Fridman’s gesture, elaborated on the benefits of fasting, describing it as a scientific process deeply rooted in traditional and Ayurvedic practices. He emphasized that fasting sharpens the senses, enhances mental clarity, and instills discipline. He also explained that proper hydration before fasting aids in detoxification, and rather than causing fatigue, fasting boosts his energy and work efficiency.
Recalling his early experiences with fasting, PM Modi shared a childhood memory of participating in a one-day fast inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of cow protection.
“During my school days, there was a movement inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s vision, his vision of cow protection. At the time, people across the country observed a one-day fast by gathering in public places in silent protests. We were just kids, probably had just finished primary school. Something inside me said, ‘I should be part of this,’ and that was the first time in my life I experienced fasting,” he recalled.
He further noted that despite his young age, he neither felt hunger nor a desire for food during the fast but instead experienced a heightened awareness and a surge of energy.
With IANS inputs