Is it possible to walk on coals

The cake, Danforth said, has the consistency of the coals in a well-prepared fire walk. Even though the cake is hot, it can be touched for brief periods without causing a burn.

He promotes himself as the creator of the U. Public by offering fire-walking classes that anybody could attend," he said. Burkan dismisses the idea that the low conductivity of coals is a reason that fire walking is possible.

As evidence, he points to an incident in which members of his institute successfully walked repeatedly on a heated metal grill without getting burned. According to Burkan, the basic physical principle behind fire walking is the same that allows an egg to boil in a paper cup when placed atop red-hot coals. The boiling water keeps the cup at degrees Fahrenheit degrees Celsius —hundreds of degrees cooler than paper's burning point. Burkan says that circulating blood likewise keeps the flesh on a fire walker's feet from reaching its burning point—as long as the walker is relaxed enough to allow strong blood flow and as long as the walker keeps walking.

Willey, the Pittsburgh physicist, said such mind over matter theories have nothing to do with why fire walking is physically possible. He allows, though, that self-confidence is required to take that first step.

Danforth, the Bates College anthropologist, said that scientific explanations do not "debunk or diminish or invalidate the value of the ritual.

It can change lives, give confidence, all kinds of things," he said. All rights reserved. Fire-Walking Theories David Willey is a physics instructor and an expert on the science of fire walking at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. Conduction is the main way heat is transmitted to a person's feet during a fire walk. Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London.

Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London Love them or hate them, there's no denying their growing numbers have added an explosion of color to the city's streets. India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big. Environment Planet Possible India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big Grassroots efforts are bringing solar panels to rural villages without electricity, while massive solar arrays are being built across the country.

With the right approach and adequate preparation, how to walk on hot coals is not only possible, but well within your reach. Their low thermal capacity means that it would take them a while to do any damage. The same principle applies to hot coals. When analyzing how people walk on hot coals, keep in mind that those who do it successfully know that constant motion will keep them from getting burned. Running will cause your feet to sink further into the bed of coals and increase your chances of being burned.

When learning how to walk on hot coals, a good rule of thumb is a half second or less for each step. Your mind is a powerful tool that can work for or against you depending on how you use it.

Overthinking is detrimental in all areas of your life, and firewalking is no different. Not only can it ultimately paralyze you, but it will prevent you from focusing on the aforementioned methods you need to enlist to protect yourself. However, if you practice visualizing your goal of confidently stepping across the coals, this does more than make you feel better in the moment.

What happened, exactly? The event organizers might have used a kind of wood charcoal that burns too hot. Alternatively, people might have started firewalking too soon after the coals were tamped down and before they had sufficient time to cool off. Or, in a crowd of 6, firewalkers, some stragglers might have hobbled along too slowly. The ancient ritual of firewalking usually works without pain or burning, Willey explained, because of how briefly people's feet make contact with the coals.

Coal doesn't conduct heat well, so as long as it burns no hotter than 1, degrees Fahrenheit degrees Celsius and you walk across it quickly enough, you should arrive safely at the finish line without so much as a blister.