The act of walking barefoot through fire, or, more commonly, over a bed of hot coals, without being burned, an act often associated with religious rites. Fire walking has been a traditional practice in many societies around the world, notably in India, Polynesia, Japan, and New Zealand. Usually, it is either part of a ritual in which many people participate, not as firewalkers necessarily, but as chanters, prayers, and observers. Occasionally it is performed by a single individual as a demonstration of religious faith. The fakirs of India perform in public places activities such as fire-walking, lying on beds of sharp nails, and provoking poisonous snakes, to demonstrate their own faith and to encourage devotion in others. In recent years fire walking has become a part of new age or Human Potential Movement practice, as participants demonstrate empowerment gained through participation in a Universal Consciousness or their self-release from fear.
In most fire walking rituals, 20-60-foot beds of extremely hot coals are prepared. Participants then chant, pray, meditate, and/or shout encouraging slogans for some time before they step onto the coals. In some cultures mental preparation for the ritual lasts for days or weeks and includes praying, fasting, and meditation; in some, preparation is a matter of a few hours under the guidance of a compelling leader. Once the event begins, some people rush across the coals, while others move more slowly; some even stop and stand, sit, or kneel on the coals for a few moments. Occasionally participants are severely burned, but an amazing number cross the coals with no apparent harm.