During his three-hour-long interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, American podcaster and AI researcher Lex Fridman revealed that he had fasted for 45 hours, saying it was "in honour of this conversation" and "to get into the right mindset". He also mentioned reading about the Prime Minister's habit of fasting "for many days," following which PM Modi expressed his gratitude for the gesture and shared his views on the practice. "First of all, I'm truly pleasantly surprised and honoured that you're fasting, all the more because it feels like you're fasting as a tribute of respect for me. So, I express my deepest gratitude to you for doing this. In India, our religious traditions are actually a way of life," PM Modi said. Means to cultivate discipline PM Modi spoke about how the practice is embedded in the Hindu religious traditions and serves as a 'path' to elevate the body, mind, intellect, soul and humanity. He, however, highlighted that fasting is not everything, but merely one of the paths. When viewed through the prism of culture and philosophy, he added that fasting is a means to cultivate discipline. He said that it serves as a "powerful tool to bring both the inner and outer self into balance," and added that one can bring about subtle changes in the way one perceives his surroundings. "Your senses become extra sharp, highly aware, and fully tuned in, and their capability to observe and to respond multiplies, and grows sharper. I have personally often experienced this," PM Modi said in the podcast. Here's my conversation with @narendramodi, Prime Minister of India. It was one of the most moving & powerful conversations and experiences of my life. This episode is fully dubbed into multiple languages including English and Hindi. It's also available in the original (mix of… pic.twitter.com/85yUykwae4 — Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) March 16, 2025 Elevates senses and offers new perspective The Prime Minister also said that he experienced fasting accelerating his thinking process, aiding one to explore a subject from a fresh perspective. "You start thinking outside the box. I don't know if everyone experiences this, but I certainly do," he said. PM Modi also said that one needs to prepare in advance for fasting and that it cannot be forced. One cannot be forced into fasting The Prime Minister mentioned that there is a stark difference between fasting and forcing oneself to go without food, which is merely the physical aspect of it, to which he added that one must prepare the mind and body for the process. He said he often prepares by drinking water. "Most people assume that fasting simply means giving up food or not eating, but that is just the physical aspect of fasting. If someone is forced to go without food due to hardship with an empty stomach, can we call that fasting?" he asked. "Fasting is actually a scientific process. Whenever I fast for an extended period, I prepare my body in advance. For five to seven days before the fast, I follow various Ayurvedic practices and yoga practices, along with other traditional cleansing methods to internally reset my system," PM Modi explained. He said that he drinks a lot of water before fasting to detoxify and prepare the body. An act of devotion developed through personal experience The Prime Minister shared that fasting remains an act of devotion and form of self discipline developed through personal experience. He said that while doing his daily activities, fasting helps his mind remain focused inward. "Once I begin fasting, for me, it's an act of devotion. For me, fasting is a form of self-discipline. For me personally, even while I go about doing my daily activities during a fast, my mind remains deeply introspective and focused inward, and that experience is profoundly transformative for me," he said. "My practice of fasting did not come from reading books, listening to sermons, or following a tradition just because my family happened to have observed it. It came from my own personal experience," PM Modi said.
