Strange Abilities of Tibetan Lamas

There are countless speculations and myths surrounding Tibetan lamas and their alleged magical powers. Many charlatans and self-proclaimed experts speak on the topic, yet few have taken the time to live with them in the harsh, high-altitude conditions to truly understand their customs, practices, and potentially even their unusual abilities.

One of the few truly "qualified" individuals to share insights and stories about the lives of Tibetan lamas is the now-deceased professor Alexandra David-Néel, who taught at universities in Beijing and The Hague. She spent many years in the cells of Tibetan monasteries and completed a full series of spiritual exercises under the guidance of high-ranking lamas. She cannot be compared with the many so-called experts and wandering mystics who feed eager and gullible readers with lies and the products of their imagination.

The Lung-gom Exercises

Among the extraordinary abilities of Tibetan lamas — which they themselves consider common and not particularly noteworthy — is a series of practices known as lung-gom. Those with this ability are viewed simply as messengers capable of quickly connecting distant monasteries. Lung-gom is said to allow a person to move at abnormal speed, traversing vast and inhospitable mountain terrain.

According to Tibetans, someone trained in this practice — known as a Lung-gom-pa — can sit on a stalk of barley without bending it, or stand on a pile of grain without displacing a single kernel.

“Lung-gom” refers to a meditative training technique that develops extraordinary speed and endurance, allowing practitioners to run without stopping for days at a time. These aren’t short sprints — these are incredible distances covered in astonishing time.

In his book The Way of the White Clouds, Lama Anagarika Govinda explains that “Lung” represents both air and vital psychic energy, while “Gom” means meditation, contemplation, or deep mental focus. It is the act of emptying the mind of all subject-object relations. The Lung-gom-pa is not flying through the air but mastering and redirecting internal energy through ancient breathing techniques (pranayama). These runners remain completely anonymous — no one is allowed to speak to them.

The pinnacle of these exercises, according to some initiates, involves levitation. Some say that under the right conditions, Lung-gom-pas’ feet no longer touch the ground as they speed across the landscape. Some even attach chains to themselves to demonstrate how light they’ve become.

Observations of Alexandra David-Néel

Her experiences reflect a Tibet of the past — one where even the 12th Dalai Lama held her in high esteem, personally guiding her in spiritual practices. This is extraordinary, considering Tibetans generally viewed curious Europeans as intrusive thrill-seekers. Her book Mystics and Magicians in Tibet remains a primary source for many authors.

(Writing as Alexandra David-Néel)

“I first saw a Lung-gom-pa in the grassy desert of northern Tibet. One evening I spotted a dark figure far in the distance. Through my binoculars, I saw it was a man. I was surprised — we hadn’t seen a single soul in ten days, and people don’t usually wander this vast solitude alone and on foot.

He was moving steadily closer. One of my guides guessed he was a Lung-gom-pa. This piqued my curiosity. I wanted to photograph him, speak to him. But when I mentioned this, one servant cried out:

‘Honored Lady, you must not stop the lama or speak to him. It would mean his death. While on their journey, these lamas must not break their meditative focus. If they stop reciting their mantras, the deity within them flees, and the shock of its sudden departure kills them.’

I knew he walked in a trance, and I accepted the warning. As he approached, I could clearly see his expressionless face and wide-open eyes fixed on a distant point in the sky. He wasn’t running — with each step, he seemed to bounce like a ball. He wore monastic robes and a ritual dagger (purbu), which he appeared to lean on. He gave no sign of noticing us.

Four days later, in a region called Thebgje, I inquired about the Lung-gom-pa. I was told others had seen him at sunset, a full day before we did. From this, I calculated he had walked day and night at the same incredible pace.”

Training to Become a Lung-gom-pa

Monks who aspire to become messengers undergo strict training, including breath control and a special kind of movement practiced in complete darkness and isolation — for exactly 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days (a traditional Tibetan timeframe for spiritual training).

The novice sits cross-legged on a thick cushion, inhales deeply, holds the breath, and jumps without using hands, still cross-legged, landing in the same position. One extreme test involves jumping out of a pit the same depth as the person’s height, under a dome with a narrow opening. The total jump height must be double the person’s height.

Once the student is advanced enough, he is permitted to undertake long journeys. He receives a new mantra from his guru, focuses his mind on it, and walks in rhythm with the syllables. He must not speak, look around, or even think — only fix his gaze on a distant object. Once he reaches trance, he retains just enough awareness to avoid obstacles and stay on course, but it all happens mechanically.

The Actual Journeys of Lung-gom-pas

Vast plains, twilight, and solitude are considered ideal. Even if the practitioner is physically tired, entering the trance again is easy. In that state, they no longer feel exhaustion and can cover many kilometers with ease. Clear, starry nights are preferred for beginners — they must focus on a single star throughout the journey.

According to both her own experience and trusted lamas, Alexandra wrote that one loses the sense of body weight. Even pain from hitting a rock disappears, and the runner moves for hours in a pleasant, almost euphoric state — similar to what car racers describe.

Tibetans clearly distinguish between voluntary Lung-gom-pa runs and the movements of “pawo” or “pamo” — people involuntarily possessed and driven into aimless trances. There are many such afflicted individuals in the Himalayas.

These insights from Alexandra David-Néel are undoubtedly fascinating — raising just as many questions as they do answers.
Could these feats be explained by strengthening leg muscles? That would require a steady supply of nutrients, which doesn’t align with the lamas’ austere lifestyle.
Is the key the repetition of mantras, inducing hypnosis and even anesthesia of the feet? Possibly — but the resulting injuries would likely impair further movement (unless, perhaps, they re-enter the trance state to keep going).

In short, this ability seems impossible to explain purely through physiology or sports science. The true core of Lung-gom-pa abilities likely lies in their breath control, concentration, and meditative practices — things that may seem absurd to us, yet are deeply effective for those who practice them.