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As part of Tony Robbins’ motivational seminar “Unleash the Power Within” participants can opt to walk across a field of hot coals, which can reach temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Firewalking is always an unforgettable experience, but especially so for some firewalkers at Robbins' conference on July 19 -- 21 participants suffered second and third degree burns.
Yet most people who walk across fire do not suffer from burns -- that's because coals are poor conductors of heat.
“There is not much energy on the surface of the coals -- as long as you do not linger, [you won’t get burned],” explains Jearl Walker, a professor of physics at Cleveland State University.
“You want to walk at a moderate pace and you do not want to run,” because running kicks up embers, resulting in burns.
Some reports indicate that some of the injured people from the Robbins event hesitated when crossing the fire. Standing on the coals too long or walking across freshly raked coals also increases the chance of sustaining burns.
Walker, who has firewalked seven times for classes and on his PBS show “Kinetic Karnival,” is one of the few experts on firewalking. While most of his firewalking experiences went off without a hitch, the third time he crossed the coals, an ember got caught under his toes and he carried it across the four feet of hot coals, causing third-degree burns.
Why would any rational person decide to walk barefoot across fire? It’s simple -- firewalking provides a high.
“(Y)ou meet the challenge and then feel good about yourself. It gives you a rush,” Walker says.
Prior to traversing a bed of hot coals, people step on wet grass, which protects them from burns. (Although Walker admits he is normally so nervous his feet are sweaty enough to provide a layer of moisture.)
The dampness protects the skin because of a phenomenon called the Leidenfrost Effect. Walker says people can easily observe this in the kitchen. If one sprinkles water on a hot skillet, at a temperature of less than 100 degrees Celsius, the water sizzles and evaporates. But if the temperature exceeds 100 degree Celsius, the water spreads, causing a vapor layer, which actually prevents the water from evaporating quickly. This also happens when people with damp (or sweaty) feet walk across the coals: “When you walk over coals [the water] might produce a vapor layer and you avoid a burn because of that,” Walker says.
Also, frequent firewalkers stroll around without shoes to build up calluses on their feet. (Pro tip: avoid pedis prior to a firewalk.)
“If you get really thick calluses and you burn part of them … you are not going [feel it],” Walker says.
Six thousand people turned out to walk 10 feet over coals heated between 1,200 to 2,000 degrees for an event hosted by motivational speaker Tony Robbins. Of those who participated, 21 suffered second and third degree burns. NBC's Ron Allen reports.
Related:
- 21 treated for burns in 'firewalk' during Tony Robbins seminar
- Fire-walking inspires a real heart-to-heart
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Leave a Comment:
Release the sucker with cash. This guy is an 80s huckster and firewalking is a cheap parlor trick. I can't believe that suckers are still paying this guy.
Robbins is a snake oil salesman. If you want to feel good about yourself set a long term goal and work hard achieving it. That "high" will last your lifetime which is something a quick gimmick won't give you.
I plan to attend his seminars when he starts offering "firewater" to participants
...as opposed to "firewalking" (ouch)
Robbins isn't forcing anyone, but to me it's for the same kind of people who find religion. People lost, desperate, or hurt in some way and looking for answers (they have no real good mates to help then sort it out or unable to find the answers themselves and need magic or think it's about something outside themselves). The idiot in the video stating they got burnt because they did not believe in themselves makes me laugh. He is the type Robbins love to influence since he thinks it really matters whether you believe that keeps people from burning. They must have believed to do it in the first place. Unfortunately, science and bad technique took over.
You don't have any idea of what you're talking about. Investigate the guy; he is not a motivational speaker that is a tab those who don't understand him or know him placed on him.
So what exactly is he then ed? Whatever label you put on him it all amounts to the same motivation...squeezing money out of the suckers who attend his gatherings.
People like this need to be exposed by skeptics. They are the reason skeptics exist in the first place.
"There's a sucker born every minute," as said by David Hannum (not P.T. Barnum) seems to apply here.
I know for a fact that I will never burn my feet while firewalking. There is no one on earth that can motivate me to even think about trying to firewalk.
Fits me perfectly: "My parents got second degree foot burns at the Tony Robbins seminar and all I got was this stupid tee shirt." Thanks dad. Hope you get better soon.
Hmmm... A quote from Forrest Gump in 1994 comes to mind, "Stupid is as stupid does."
Another quote: "He who hesitates gets burned." Sorry, but in this lifetime, firewalking will not be one of my experiences.
@Soapbox: How about if you're naked in a burning building and the only path to safety is walking over some coals?
I was going to try this once... but I got cold feet.
That would have been a plus.
It's better then getting a hot foot. Think about the ones who got injured trying to walk around with burnt feet.
Those with a burning desire to do it usually wind up with "coaled" feet.
I don't know a sole who would try that!
Walking on fire is bad....and stupid. And people pay money for this? Remember when your mom told you when you were little to keep away from the burners on the stove because they might be hot? She wasn't lying. Common sense please.
In other words - its a gimmick.
Exactly. If you walk across without burns, you've released "the power within." If you get burned, you just didn't have enough faith.
And this guy rakes in bucks off people's hopes of boosting their self-esteem and trying to change their lives.
Reminding of the method to test whether someone is a witch or not.
How did that work? Snap the neck with a rope and if that person is not death, she is a witch.
Also about vampire, stab the heart and see if that person burst in flame or not. Tell me which creature on Earth actually survive from a stab to the heart, lol.
People are dumb!
And not just a small number either. 6,000 at one session! Holy crap! Stupidity is apparently endemic. Yes, 6,000 people can be wrong.
In the words of Forrest Gump - Stupid is as stupid does!
Heck, why not have people jump from airplanes without parachutes while they're at it!
Because that will result in certain death while this SHOULDN'T result in anything bad, so long as you do it right.
I don't think I would get a high from feeling good about myself for accomplishing this - I think I'd feel like and idiot and think what the he-- did I do that for that was stupid. Why on earth does anyone NEED to do this. Stupid lemmings. Peer pressure is stupid.
I'd only feel lucky if I made it across the coals without burning the hell out of my tootsies!
Myth-busters did try this. It all comes down to the way you walk on them do it the correct way you won't get burned.
As I recall Adam Savage got burned on the show while the others were okay. His issue was that he tried to hurry too fast and stomped down on the coals which cause some to stick to his feet.
they also tested the Leidenfrost Effect by dipping a wet hand in molten lead, nobody got burned.
LIsten, anyone reading this who might be thinking
"I think I'll try that neat trick of putting my hand in molten lead-"
FORGET IT! YOU'LL LOSE YOUR HAND DUMB ASS!
When will people realize that they will feel no better about themselves or their abilities by leting this or any other huckster separate them from their money?
What ever became of EST? (Erhard Seminar Training?) I guess they all converted to coal-stomping.
Why doesn't he walk out the door of a 747 at 35,000 without a chute. That would take care of this insignificant man.
Hmmm... what was that ol saying... oh yeah, "play with fire and you'll get burned!"
There is another one, "a fool and his money are soon parted".
Do the people who got burned get their money back? I suspect those people got "burned" twice!
Firewalking expert? lol. Am going to put that one up there with sharkswimming expert and bearpetting expert.
For only $100 each I will come to your house and kick you in the groin as hard as I can LOL
You simply cannot protect people from themselves. When you pay money to let a huckster like Robbins walk you over hot coals, you're just asking for it.
And deserve what you get... thinner wallet and burnt feet.
those people are stupid.
People climb mountains (Everest, Kilimanjaro and the likes) knowing they may not come out alive. At most for fire walking, all you get is a burn. Do not down the experience unless you have tried it
Irregardless I still find fire walking to be pretty stupid.... I'll be keeping my shoes on and staying away from hot coals on the ground.
Let's see, I drive my car daily, climb mountains, fly in planes, dive in the ocean, take boating trips and wake up every morning knowing that I might not make it through the day alive. I don't need to pay a scam artist for exhilaration and second degree burns.
I've never known of a chicken, pig, cow or goat that felt good about themselves or experienced an emotional high from their time spent on the fire. Nor, for that matter, do I know of a case where a chicken, pig, cow or goat turned over hard-earned cash to Tony Robbins. So just where does that place humans on the mammalian intelligence scale?
Uh...okay, what is the problem? These people go to this thing, knowing there is possibility that if they walk on fire-hot coals they are going to get burned and when they do get burned, they are surprised? And whose fault is it? Mr. Robbins' fault? What? Come on! This is laughable.
Indeed, just as laughable as Mr. Robbins himself!
Hey, here's a fact that everyone seems to be missing: 5,979 people DID NOT get burned.
More people get burned trying to fry a Turkey every year. Ridiculous how sensationalized this was.
These dumbazzes deserved to get burned. Friggin idiots
As a former student of Tony's I'd like to say this, if you have not read Tony's material or participated in one of his seminars you need to stop running your mouths. First of all Anthony Robins is not a motivational speaker, he is a "Life Coach", Tony has no desire to make you feel good about yourself, that's your responsibility. What he does do is provide tools for a person to achieve their goals and master the five areas of life, Physical, emotional, financial, psychological, and spiritual.
Tony has helped NBA basketball players, the U S Military, and a ton of fortune 500 companies’ achieve success. Before attacking an individual read and understand who and what you are attacking. It is horrible to see things written about someone based solely on what people "think" they know about a person. Try looking into Tony's success's and you will understand he is not a motivational speaker but a person just like you and I who understands and has successfully completed goals he has set for himself, his family, and his company. He is extremely open and honest with those who are willing to talk with him instead of attacking him, and he will tell you point blank he is no different than anyone else, he simply has put together programs that help people succeed and provides tools that he has gathered over the years from extremely successful folks who have mastered certain areas of their lives.
He is a teacher, life coach, and successful entrepreneur. Stop the attacks until you know the man or at least view his successes. It is one of the things that drive me crazy in our society; we can't wait for someone who has succeeded to make a mistake so we can attack them and feel better about ourselves. Look in the mirror open a book and become educated about the guy you’re so quickly ready to demonize.
Yes, he gets paid for what he does, and he is extremely good at what he does. When did that become a bad thing? Ask any number of people Tony has helped including Presidents, athletes, entertainers, business owners, and people like me who have taken what Tony taught applied it to my life and have overcome incredible obstacles. Stop the attacks and check out the truth.
<yawn>
No , what he has achieved is taking stupid peoples money from them!
Gee, I feel just fine about myself, and I've never given one cent to Old Horse Teeth Robbins.
ed-1967814.......
Do you remember "EST"? See: http://www.strippingthegurus.com/stgsamplechapters/est.asp
Werner Erhard (aka John Paul Rosenberg) became famous (now somewhat infamous) during the 1970's and 1980's with his "communications and self-empowerment workshops".
Erhard Seminar Training (EST) has been likened by many to a form of unvarnished indoctrination. Others see it as a sort of mass hypnosis. Really, it became, for its adherents, a cult. Such "gurus" come and are gone as regularly and reliably as any garden variety quack.
Most people who submit themselves to the will of others are predisposed to do so on account of low self-esteem. That group forms a continuum from a subset of ordinary conforming followers to, at its extreme, cult zealots. But, they all will defend the personality (Robbins in your case) because, as one who has subordinated him/herself to the will of another, doing otherwise is tantamount to an admission of having been deluded.
Human beings are fallible. Some are also VERY persuasive. When susceptible individuals unreservedly subscribe to the life plans of others, they put themselves at risk of: adapting to a fundamentally flawed plan, adopting a plan suitable for some but not for themselves, or choosing to follow a personality down whatever path the cult leader whims.
Never look for easy answers. There are many hucksters all too willing to sell you theirs all wrapped up in pretty paper and bows. The better course is to listen to a wide variety of happy and successful people and take the ideas and principles they offer only to the extent they make sense in your own life. Even more important is the willingness and ability to honestly listen to your own unique self. Allowing yourself to be molded (even disfigured) by another is a sure path to ultimate confusion and loss of self respect.
Many misplace their confidence in demagogues, charlatans, quacks, and other such deceivers. Look no further than the proud nation of Germany during the post WWI years for evidence of this. Usually, those deceived succumb serially and to multiple manipulators. The evidence for that is here on Newsvine.
"Life Coach"? Get over yourself, all he does is take what should be common sense to most people and put it in a slick wrapper. The sheeple all gather at his feet saying how smart he is, because other sheeple say it is so, therefore it must be true, right?
I want to get in on this racket - here's my 'Life Coach" advice:
Life is tough, and success doesn't just happen to most people, they make it happen. Nothing truly worth having is easy to get or comes to you quickly without working for it.
Plan, think, and stop blaming other people for your own shortcomings. Stop making excuses. Be honest with others and yourself when you screw up. Oh, yeah - you will screw up, don't want to forget that one. Its OK as long as you learn from it.
You aren't perfect, don't try to be perfect for anyone else, and don't expect other people to be perfect, either. Forgive and forget. Never take a smile away from anyone. Talk before you yell. Be a better friend to your friends. Help people less fortunate than you. Pet a dog or cat as often as possible. Vote.
There, that's about it. Did I miss anything? What do I need some slick 'life coach' for?
A "life" coach you say? And does he have assistant coaches to teach how to breathe, chew & swallow, poop & pee, wear clothing, pick your nose?
Does he also teach you how to pick other peoples' pockets as well as he does? He is a fricking huckster!! If he was even 1/10 as brilliant as you seem to think he is, there would be no reason for him to be running infomercials at 2AM! If he was 1/10 genuine, he'd need to hire Blackwater security services to protect him from all the people begging to shower him with their money.
You need a "life," all right--but that's not what Tony Robbins is doing for you, there's a different 4-letter word for that.
Mark L. : you missed the last three entries on page 16 of the 'Almanac of Good Advice': Gambling is the surest way of getting nothing for something; Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned; Never play backgammon with a centaur.
So it was written in the 1500's: at least the first two are still relevant.....
Didn't he have to file bankruptcy (before the recession) and got a divorce...... Doesn't seem like the type of person that needs to BE a life coach, more like he needs one
Who's paying the medical expenses for these morons!! They should have been left with the task of dressing, caring for and paying for their own wounds!
Remember that line from "Forrest Gump"?... "stupid is, as stupid does."
Yet another fine example of sheelple...dumbasses!
Almost as bad as joining a Military.