In the Beginning was Light

If you think you have unusual eating habits, then you will be proved wrong by the protagonists of the documentary "In the Beginning was Light". That's because the documentary, which director P.A. Straubinger shot in eight countries over a five-year production period, features people who claim they don't eat conventional foods, but simply light.

Incredible? Certainly. But the documentary not only lets doubters have their say, but also the people who claim to be "light eaters". There is, for example, the Russian pensioner Zinaida Baranova, who, according to her own statements, has been taking neither food nor liquids for ten years now. Or Prahlad Jani, also called Mataji, an over 80 year old Indian who has been living only on light food since an appearance of three goddesses at the age of 7. An unbelievable claim, which was tried to be disproved by an intensive investigation in 2003 - without success. And finally there is Ellen Greve, who only calls herself Jasmuheen, and only eats a piece of chocolate from time to time, so as not to forget the wonderful taste, but otherwise lives only on "Prana" or light food.

Whether one believes the claims of these people, whether one considers the research shown and discussed here to be authentic, or whether one rather believes the scientists who consider the whole thing to be completely impossible, is up to each viewer. Straubinger cleverly avoids being overly judgmental in presenting the arguments of one side or the other. What he does achieve, however, is to set thought processes in motion. Thought processes that move the viewer to question all too entrenched opinions and world views. Because even if the so-called light food should not exist, then the spirituality, to which these people have dedicated themselves, still causes something that common sense can not explain.

The film shows how important it can be to expand your mind and be open to new things. Whether you are a spiritually inclined person or not. Because life has all kinds of wonders to offer, just aside from the well-worn paths, that are worth discovering. Admittedly, some of these miracles sound like outright nonsense - and maybe they are. But freeing the mind from the shackles we impose on ourselves can have quite an intense effect on even the small miracles in everyday life. Therefore, whether you believe in things like light nutrition or not, this documentary is worth watching for anyone who is willing to look around the corner in life. The fact that the production sometimes comes across as a bit dry and unwieldy is a bit of a negative. But the whole thing is still interesting. Worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp