What religions or spiritual reasons does one practice fasting?

D. R: What religions or spiritual reasons does one practice fasting?
What religions or spiritual reasons does one practice fasting? I just wanted to know a list of them and “reasons” why a certain religion or spiritual practice observes fasting. I know that fasting is a time to abstain from food for, usually for prayer but that is all I know about it. Thank You!

Answers and Views:

Answer by Anonymous User
Spiritual fasting cleans the body-mind and feeds the spirit, allowing our physical bodies to better extract the Divine cosmic energy from our normal biochemical energy sources.
Spiritual Fasting has some importance in almost every religion. Spiritual fasting is mentioned in both the Old and New Testament, in the Mahabharata, in the Upanishads and in the Qur’an and can be a very empowering experience. It can be experienced as a mystical death and at the same time have many benefits for your body. In this process, the blockages are removed, we are naturally able to make a stronger connection with our light body, which is a powerful doorway to our cosmic body. In this way, it is not a denial of the body, but a special doorway to enhance our experience of our own Divinity

Answer by Cute Boy
Hinduism

In Hinduism many sages use to fast for many days. They will not even drink water but live only on breathing and meditate on God. This is one of the important methods to progress in spiritual path. Many common Hindus fast often like some people take only water, some take only juice or milk, some people take food daily once etc.

One more importance of fasting is to avoid spending our time on cooking food and use that time for praying to God. In olden days people use to spend at least half day for collecting materials and cooking food. If they were on fasting, even that half-day could be used for praying to God. So that’s how fasting took importance in religions

Answer by Kay
I’m a catholic and we do have fasting every “holy week”.. i don’t really know the exact reason as i’m not very religious but i ever asked my mom why do we do that, she said that in order to understand and appreciate Jesus sufferings, we should also experience it but practicing fasting or abstain from food. =)

Answer by ishy
Jains fast during special holy days and festivals. It’s done to purify mind and body.

“Jain fasts may be done as a penance, especially for monks and nuns. Fasting also purifies body and mind, and reminds the practitioner of Mahavira’s emphasis on renunciation and asceticism, because Mahavira spent a great deal of time fasting.”