Tolly Burkan
Tolly Burkan, also known as Bruce Burkan, (born May 17, 1948 in New York City) is a firewalking spokesman. He is the founder of the Firewalking Institute of Research and Education in Twain Harte, California and claims there are over three million firewalkers globally, including 3,000 instructors on six continents. Since the 1980s he has received widespread media attention,[1] and has been called the "father of the global firewalking movement".[2]
During the 1970s, Burkan gained his reputation by creating innovative, cutting-edge methods for developing human potential. In that decade, he also created the world’s first firewalking class and began teaching firewalking to the general public.[3] In the 1980s, he founded the Firewalking Institute of Research and Education, started working with large corporations and began training instructors.[4] In the 1990s he was one of those who transformed his work into a mushrooming corporate trend.[5]
He has written six books including Extreme Spirituality, Let It Be Easy, and Dying to Live.
References
- ^ Papers include: USA Today 4-2-90 Page 1, Section D, Philadelphia Inquirer 5-1-02, The Wall Street Journal 4-18-89 (Front page) and Los Angeles Times 4-11-84
- ^ FYI; Web hits., Star-Tribune, April 28, 2001, accessed April 15, 2007. "Meet Tolly Burkan, father of the global firewalking movement."
- ^ HEALING STATES by Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D. and Stanley Krippner, Ph.D. Simon & Schuster 1987
- ^ "ANCIENT ART IS A HOT EXPERIENCE - WALKING ON FIRE", Miami Herald, February 14, 1997.
- ^ Some well-known corporations that use firewalking in training seminars: American Express, Microsoft, U-haul, Coca-Cola, Re-Max International, Met-Life, Colombo Yogurt