Is hyperventilation into trance dangerous?
August 15, 2015 7:35 PM Subscribe
The Wim Hof method utilizes hyperventilation to trigger a state of deep trance. Is this dangerous?
In this VICE short, Wim Hof teaches his students to hyperventilate to reach a deep trance state. If done daily, can you pant yourself to brain damage?
The documentary in question
In this VICE short, Wim Hof teaches his students to hyperventilate to reach a deep trance state. If done daily, can you pant yourself to brain damage?
The documentary in question
It's hyperventilation to induce hypoxia, right? Hypoxia is certainly bad for you. We can see this in brain damage from high-altitude climbers.
posted by persona au gratin at 1:17 AM on August 16, 2015
posted by persona au gratin at 1:17 AM on August 16, 2015
It causes the exact opposite, actually: hypocapnia. Not particularly good for you, but unlikely to kill you unless you're standing up while hyperventilating or swimming immediately afterwards.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:55 AM on August 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:55 AM on August 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
I know a few people deeply involved in Kundalini who do this as part of their daily meditation, and I used to know a few freedivers (who use it to extend the length of time they can breath-hold). It doesn't send you into a deep trance, it causes hypocapnia (linked above) which is more of a euphoric out-of-body experience (it's also what people having panic attacks experience). Very similar to huffing nitrous oxide or glue, according to people who have done both.
In Kundalini it's generally done sitting down in soft surroundings, because you can easily pass out or stop breathing (due to loss of hypercapnic drive - most people will start breathing again on their own, but not always which is how freedivers often die).
Do not do it alone and do not do it standing up or near sharp objects or naked flames. In terms of brain damage it's unlikely to be good for you but I haven't heard of brain damage aside from my friends' pre-existing nutcasery.
There have been plenty of freediving deaths, so there are obviously risks involved, but it's hard to say what would have happened had those people not been underwater. Perhaps they would have started breathing again spontaneously, perhaps not. The freediving literature, particularly magazines and blogs, are great for learning more about it and they are pretty open to self-examination - they do not want their world champions dying.
I haven't heard of any Kundalini deaths, but it's the kind of scene where that sort of thing would not be discussed, or the victim would be blamed.
posted by tinkletown at 9:00 AM on August 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
In Kundalini it's generally done sitting down in soft surroundings, because you can easily pass out or stop breathing (due to loss of hypercapnic drive - most people will start breathing again on their own, but not always which is how freedivers often die).
Do not do it alone and do not do it standing up or near sharp objects or naked flames. In terms of brain damage it's unlikely to be good for you but I haven't heard of brain damage aside from my friends' pre-existing nutcasery.
There have been plenty of freediving deaths, so there are obviously risks involved, but it's hard to say what would have happened had those people not been underwater. Perhaps they would have started breathing again spontaneously, perhaps not. The freediving literature, particularly magazines and blogs, are great for learning more about it and they are pretty open to self-examination - they do not want their world champions dying.
I haven't heard of any Kundalini deaths, but it's the kind of scene where that sort of thing would not be discussed, or the victim would be blamed.
posted by tinkletown at 9:00 AM on August 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
There have been plenty of freediving deaths, so there are obviously risks involved, but it's hard to say what would have happened had those people not been underwater.
They either get a version of shallow water blackout or its cousin, deep water blackout.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:06 AM on August 16, 2015
They either get a version of shallow water blackout or its cousin, deep water blackout.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:06 AM on August 16, 2015
Both shallow water blackout and deepwater blackouts are due to hypocapnia and loss of apnoeic drive (deepwater blackouts have the added drop in partial pressure of oxygen on ascent to shallower water).
My point was that I wasn't sure whether the individual freedivers who died would have started breathing again spontaneously had they been on the surface and able to, or whether they would have required CPR. It varies from patient to patient, depending on the degree of hypoxia.
posted by tinkletown at 5:06 AM on August 17, 2015
My point was that I wasn't sure whether the individual freedivers who died would have started breathing again spontaneously had they been on the surface and able to, or whether they would have required CPR. It varies from patient to patient, depending on the degree of hypoxia.
posted by tinkletown at 5:06 AM on August 17, 2015
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Or you could give yourself respiratory alkalosis -- well, actually you will be doing that, on purpose -- and that does wacky things to your blood chemistry.
There are better ways to feel good.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:52 PM on August 15, 2015 [2 favorites]