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Just the word "breathwork" is obnoxious to me. I suppose it's interesting that if you hyperventilate enough you can reduce oxygen in your brain to the point whe
by ilaksh 2y ago
Just the word "breathwork" is obnoxious to me. I suppose it's interesting that if you hyperventilate enough you can reduce oxygen in your brain to the point where you hallucinate. And that is probably safer than taking psychedelics.
But the idea that you would do that routinely seems obviously stupid to me. I think if you keep doing it for a number of years then you could damage your brain. My understanding is that your brain needs oxygen.
- gardnr 2y agoGot that one backwards: > Hyperventilation is irregular breathing that occurs when the rate or tidal volume of breathing eliminates more carbon dioxide than the body can produce. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperventilation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperventilation
- yorwba 2y agoRemoving carbon dioxide via your lungs doesn't mean your brain gets more oxygen. The "altered states of consciousness" are symptoms of oxygen deprivation which can be induced in other ways, but maybe hyperventilation is a particularly fun way to do it.
- _yb2s 2y agoThey were correct. Hemoglobin needs CO2 to release oxygen. If you are low on CO2 your tissues become oxygen deprived.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- andybak 2y agoIt seems obvious to me that the things you find obviously stupid, obviously aren't.
- codr7 2y agoI take it you haven't put a lot of effort into examining the practice? Pranayama is a pretty comprehensive system, and it has survived to this day for good reasons.
- adrianN 2y ago„It’sa comprehensive system that survived for hundreds of years“ is true for a lot of woo woo, eg astrology.
- codr7 2y agoTrue, that by itself is but an indicator. But that line of reasoning unfortunately leads absolutely nowhere worth going, a lot of supposed woo woo turns out to be something else on closer examination. Living life by popular opinion is not a very successful strategy if you ask me.