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One Week in Silence: A Journey Into the Self
Dear Sponsor,
Here’s just a quick note to tell you that I survived my “One Week in Silence” 7-day fast in SAS-conditions. I was released on Sunday 9 December 2007 at 7pm, and greeted by three beautiful Brazilian girls. I thought that I was hallucinating, but fortunately I wasn’t. They had come from the Amazon Cry Foundation to greet me, as all the sponsorship money raised by the generous people of Blackpool, Cleveleys, St Annes and Lytham will be going towards the great work being done with the indigenous peoples who are either victim of, or are threatened by the destruction of the rainforest.
The ordeal was a major accomplishment personally. How did I survive? How did I prevent myself from going crazy? The key message I wanted to get across to people was that to make a change in the world, we each, individually, need to make a change within. We need to see what changes we should make, make them, and then commit to them – without looking back. That’s what helped me cope with the extreme circumstances of my incarceration.
Being locked away in solitary all day – and 14-hour pitch-black nights – with no mental stimulus, what could anyone do? Just think – that’s all. One of the few items I was allowed was a notebook and a pen, for the purpose of recording my experiences in – a sort of journal. By the end of the week, it became clear that this was a book, having written 23,000 words.
I am glad to say that I lost 1 stone 9 pounds in weight and have come out sane, feeling fine and looking back on the experience as a worthwhile challenge. I learned a lot about myself and have developed more compassion to others. Never again will I take small mercies for granted. Thanks you all for your support.
The One Week in Silence fast was recorded as part of a documentary that is being made in relation to our charity and in February 2008, I will be organising some talks, where I will tell all those who have sponsored me about my experience, and also more about the charity work and where the money is being invested. Also by that time, we should have the DVDs and book available for sale.
My sincere thanks for all those who sponsored me. You helped me to raise almost £1,000 towards the Amazon Cry Foundation.
John Birch
Amazon Cry Foundation
See www.OneWeekInSilence.co.uk for more info on the DVD and book
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