Fire walking is one of the most mystifying cultural ceremonies in the world. It begins with a person volunteering to walk barefooted over a bed of hot coals or stones. Most of these beds measure about 10 feet in length. All shoes and socks have to be removed. Then, they step right onto the red-hot bed and walk down it. Miraculously, just like a fireproof safe, they are not burned by the fire.

How is it possible? The secret is in the coals! When people walk across the fire bed, they are walking across coals that have already burned down so they are not actually flaming anymore. In fact, fire walkers actually walk over the ashes of coals. In addition, when two things of different temperatures come together, the hotter thing will cool off a bit and the cooler thing will heat up a bit, culminating in a sort of equilibrium. While it may appear easy, you should not attempt fire walking without consulting a fire walking instructor or somebody who can give you sound advice. Some people have been hurt because they walked on the fire bed before the coals have cooled off adequately.

In most cases, a fire walk is conducted as part of an important ceremony. Some young men do it as a rite of passage to prove that they can conquer their fears and become men. Many tribes believe that fire walks can be used for healing or cleansing such as the Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in Africa. However, some people do it to impress people or prove that they have supernatural abilities.

Many cultures across the world have been known to participate in fire walking so the practice does not belong to any one culture. Nobody knows the exact origins of the fire walk because evidence of it has been found all over the world. While some people believe it originated in Africa, the oldest recorded fire walk occurred in India 4,000 years ago. Orthodox Christians in Greece and Bulgaria also performed fire walks during feasts. During the Thimithi festival, Hindu Indians will celebrate their faith by participating in fire walks. Japanese Buddhists and Taoists have been doing it for centuries and even little girls in Bali join in during important ceremonies.

• Fire Walking Theory: Touches on many aspects of fire walking theory including false theories.
• Myth vs. Physics: Discusses the actual physics of fire walking as well as myths surrounding it.
• Fire Walking: Has many links to other resources that discuss fire walking.
• Taiwan Fire Walking: An article about fire walking and other rites during the celebration of Bao-sheng Da-di’s birthday in Taiwan.
• Behind The Miracles: Excerpts from a book entitled The Secret Science Behind Miracles highlighting five different fire walkers.
• Sundoor: Do you want to learn how to fire walk and teach others? This is the fire walking school by Peggy Dylan.
• Fire Walking In The Land of Lightning: A firsthand account of someone who experienced a fire walking festival in Malaysia.
• Fire Walk Ceremonies: Discusses different aspects of fire walking ceremonies.
• Optimum Therapies: Offers fire walking as therapy. Private and public fire walks can be arranged.
• Kataragama: Description of a fire walking ceremony by the Kataragama Devotees Trust with pictures. 
  

Anyone can learn to fire walk as long as they are careful to learn how to do it properly in the presence of a qualified instructor.