I recently came across the following press article that detailed Burger Kings disastrous experience with firewalking.

http://www.miami.com/herald/content/news/local/dade/digdocs/074897.htm

I have since found out that numerous companies and individuals in the UK both practice and use firewalking as part of either a personal or business development strategy.

I am incredulous at some of the claims I have read for firewalking but I am always willing to be convinced. My own research into this field indicates that walking over a bed of glowing embers and not getting burnt is nothing to do with mind over matter or spiritual development, it is merely an aspect of basic physics which stops burning happening (in most cases!). The following web sites will testify to this:

http://www.pitt.edu/~dwilley/fire.html

http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~btcarrol/skeptic/firewalk.html

http://home.xnet.com/~blatura/skep_6.html

http://www.skepsis.no/english/subject/firewalk/kpreemp1/

http://www.skepsis.no/english/subject/firewalk/

http://www.csicop.org/si/9911/willey.html

http://www.klab.caltech.edu/~seckel/firewalking.html

So what I am interested in finding out is whether there is any hard, verifiable evidence for the practical use of the firewalking experience? I have received numerous e-mails from people assuring me that there are huge benefits both to the individual and the host organisation. When I ask for verifiable evidence they all evaporate. My suspicion is that firewalking is of little benefit other than financial to those selling the process.

I am willing to be proved wrong – so where’s the hard evidence that I can verify? Anecdotes and stories alone are not sufficient.

Garry Platt