…to breathe or not to breathe…

Nonfiction literary compositions

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…to breathe or not to breathe…

Postby The Madame X » Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:57 pm

…to breathe or not to breathe…
By Madame X @2008

“The whole universe is the stage on which your mind dances with your body guided by your heart” - Anonymous

A well balanced physical body is no doubt advantageous for the effective functioning of the mental, emotional and even spiritual aspects of the self, as all our systems are inexorably connected. A very important, if not the most important function, is proper aeration and oxygenation of the body and all its constituent tissues and organs. “Breath is life”, without it we would perish, and certainly so would the other less physical aspects of the self. Interestingly enough, the extreme conditions of too much air, not enough air and those of too much oxygen and not enough oxygen, create certain physical responses that catalyze not only similar physical responses but also dreamlike states of altered consciousness. Flooding with and depriving the body of air and oxygen is known to cause variable degrees of emotional and mental confusion, distorted vision, hallucinations, altered consciousness, out-of-body-experiences, unconsciousness, near-death-experiences, and possibly even death. These are dangerous thresholds, that many seek to explore, but while some succeed in finding alternate avenues to the astral, many find only their death.

Too much oxygen
While air contains oxygen, it is not just oxygen but a composite of various gases, oxygen being the primary but generally much less than 50%. Oxygen enriched air is said to have quite a few health benefits that include stress reduction, headache and hangover relief through detoxification. In Las Vegas hotel lobbies, as well as in many other cities, the recreational use of oxygen is endorsed at trendy neon-bright oxygen bars, where customers breathe oxygen enriched air. Although this kind of oxygen intake is not hazardous, excessive oxygen intake is hazardous and considered toxic.

Too much air

Breathing deeper or faster than necessary, known as hyperventilation or overbreathing, may provide the body with a surplus of air, but in fact, it causes an unstable reduction of carbon dioxide in the blood, which in turn affects constriction of blood vessels and ultimately the function of the central nervous system. Recreational use of overbreathing and hyperventilation generally results in feelings of lightheadedness, momentary altered consciousness, and ultimately unconsciousness. While such ‘fainting games’ are not hazardous, over repetition of such may cause long-term brain damage. Many shamanic practitioners use overbreathing, combined with intense concentration and rhythmic dancing, to facilitate their connection with the astral. Hyperventilation and overbreathing are generally not lethal.

Not enough air
When the body experiences a lack of air, it creates an equally toxic condition but in this case and conversely so, toxicity is caused because of an excess of carbon dioxide in the blood. Such air deprivation is created by a situation of diminished or halted breathing, by skip breathing, by rebreathing exhaled carbon dioxide, or by exposure to environments containing high levels of carbon dioxide. Recreational use of asphyxiation to reduce or halt air intake during orgasm is responsible for thousands of deaths yearly.

Not enough oxygen
Without oxygen, brain cells quickly die, in the central nervous system glutamate is released and so is a receptor blocker. These blockers are responsible for generating a sensation of elated euphoria when the brain is deprived of the oxygen it needs. Mountain climbers and pilots, being exposed to high altitude and subsequently low oxygen environments, have reported feelings of elation before loss of consciousness, as well as, near-death-experiences. Not enough oxygen prompts diminished ego controls, exhilaration, enhancing sexual sensations and the intensity of orgasm.

Recovering from the extremes
Recovery depends on how long the central nervous system of the brain has been flooded by, or deprived of air/oxygen, and if or how much brain damage has occurred. Those who completely recover have only been unconscious for a short period of time. The longer someone is unconscious, the higher the chances of brain damage or death, and the lower the chances of recovery. Typically, recovery may take hours or even days. During recovery many experience episodes of amnesia, emotional and mental confusion, distorted vision, hallucinations, out-of- body-experiences, altered consciousness, and near-death experiences. Associated with recovery is a delirium where bizarre thoughts and perceptions, visual and auditory hallucinations are experienced. While experiences may be similar there are no two cases exactly alike even for the same individual.

Altered States of Consciousness
In this process the dream-self lucidly travels to the Astral. Trancelike out-of-body experiences, as well as other involuntary alterations of conscious processes, like blackouts or seizures, can facilitate visiting the Astral. There it’s possible to access and retrieve insight from the Akashic Halls, elementals, deities, ancients and others that populate those regions. It is a state that can be reached in many ways to explore aspects of reality that are substantially different from those perceived by an ordinary state of awareness. While dreaming is a form of altered consciousness, other trancelike states can be obtained through techniques that include drumming, ecstatic dance, journeying, meditation, and vision quests. Achieving altered states can also take place during the practice of yoga, hypnosis, hormetic practices like fasting and physical distress, exposure to the elements, prolonged solitude, hyperventilation and other forms of breathwork.

For thousands of years hormetic practices have been explored to attain a deeper communion with the divine plane and the astral. Hormesis is creating a negative condition with the intention of obtaining the body’s positive counter reaction to it. For example, the physical body needs food, drink, sleep and of course to breathe; therefore fasting, sleep deprivation as well as the exploitation of mild oxygen deprivation are some hormetic practices used to catalyze the body’s natural responses as possible altered states of consciousness.

Breathwork
Tantic and Yogic doctrines encourage the awareness and the use of breathwork to promote longevity, heightened levels of meditation and sexual fulfillment, improved living, and as the basis for spiritual awakening. Studies have shown that breathwork can alleviate stress, lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduce levels of negative hormones in the blood stream. Yoga propones that reducing the breathing rate to four respirations a minute increases life-span three fold. Some yogic masters can remain in a state of trance for years by maintaining specific control of their breath.

Of particular note among the various methods of breathwork is Kumbhak or breath holding, which assists specifically with detoxification and focus building. Breath-holding exists naturally between inhalation and exhalation; it is the moment where the breath is suspended for equal or more time than what an inhalation or an exhalation would take. There are two minute variations of this practice: One that requires the suspension of the breath externally, the other where the breath is suspended internally. External breath holding allows the experience of a sense of emptiness and expanded awareness that better enables slipping into the astral, while internal breath holding allows an inner awareness of personal energetic vitality and its distribution. This last method is of particular interest to energy feeders and energy workers who try to better process and absorb pranic intake.


Breath is the most fundamental of the natural human processes, yet it is often taken for granted. Looking closer we can recognize it as a precious resource both when it comes to physical wellbeing as well as toward spiritual connectivity. Regardless if we seek optimum physical oxygenation, to breath deeply, to suspend our breath, or the fine line between one and the other, Breath is Life. As our mind seeks to explore those realms that lie between light and shadow led by our inner most passions, our breath expands our potential to the universe. So stop a moment, take a deep breath, hold it in……then release.
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