The Theory of Fasting, Purpose, benefits and what else... Options

I have asked this under a different topic and forum category/purpose but have not get any answers until now. Hopefully, starting this it's own topic will generate some enlightments (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

My questions basically all around fasting, such as why people do it, what is the benefits of it, how do you actually fast and what result do you actually get from fasting?

I know that fasting are supposedly purifies the body, and the mind. But does it awaken certain occult powers/influences?

A local magical system where I lives employs a lot of fasting into their system. Doing a specific working, a fast often are involved. To cast a spell, it is usually "bought" with specific fasting from a whole night fast, 3 days, 7 days etc. Certain "rules" also applied such as white fast where you're only allowed to eat white rice and plain water - up to only a handfull of plain tasteless food and a glass of water. A very popular "Pati geni" fast involves the operator to meditate in a complete darkness for complete 24 hours up to 3 days (some requires more) while single mindedly reciting the mantra/intent of the spell/powers the operator wish to "purchase". The result were said to be immediately can be tested.

Friends and one of my personal staff can confirm this with personal or other people's experience with results such as: complete obedience/submission of the opposite sex up to drive them to insanity/suicide, instantly kill a person, insert physical materials like nails, glass or poisonus animals into the victim's body for prolonged incureable sickness, ability to heal, see the astral, immunity to razors, nails or other sharp weapons, the physical martial art power of 10 horses (for example (IMG:style_emoticons/default/13.gif)) the ability to run and fly like the wind, to be physically invisible, and the ability to refuse death (but not old age) until the operator allows death to come (usually when he/she got really tired of the prolonged sickness)...etc etc etc.

These will sound like fairy tales to many western minds, but are supposedly true and exist, every single claim of it, since growing up in this country I have heard these often and witnessed severals of them. I could go on and on with this but that is not the purpose of this topic.

Majorities of the above achieved by difficult fasting/s, meditations and mantra's.

I have several theories in my attempt to answer this such as the direct/indirect use of our subconscious mind, single pointedness of intend over a period of time and use of barbarous words to bypass it to awaken/strengthen our untapped powers. But I'd like very much to hear your thoughts on this please. Anything that could add to our knowledge.

How does - exactly - fasting achieves the operators intend? Has anybody fasted for an intent and got results? etc... anything related to this please

i should have said that another way.
sleep deprivation is not really powerfull as fasting, wish is a powerfull tool in itself.

However, i believe sleep deprivation is much more agressive in its nature. But also quite different.
Fasting is more helpfull for meditating and seeking calmness.

Where sleep deprivation is much more energetic and active after a while. The mind really starts to act crazy.
even if you just skip one night of sleep, most of you will probably have experienced this, the mind really starts having a really strange train of mind.
Strange ideas an thoughtforms start to appear seemingly out of nowhere, and eventually there will be even slight hallucinations.

Fasting makes me lightheaded, and weakens my body, it heightens my meditative experiences, it reduces the activity in my mind.

I think therefor that fasting and sleep deprivation are two complete opposites.