# Holding ones breath **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2001, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513 "2001-03-18T23:38:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2001, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/1 "2001-03-18T23:38:34Z")
What is the longest recoded time an individual held their breath. What is the average time that a normal individual would fall unconcious? ---
**Author:** ![Doubleclick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Doubleclick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubleclick)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/2 "2001-03-18T23:58:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by insider \* > \*\* > What is the longest recoded time an individual held their breath. What is the average time that a normal individual would fall unconcious? \*\* I don’t know…by Guybrush Threepwood could hold it for 10 minutes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/3 "2001-03-19T00:00:41Z")
No cites to hand, but I remember a long-ago Guinness Book of Records entry for voluntarily remaining underwater for in excess of 13 minutes. This record may (certainly should) have been excluded from further attempts due to the danger of death, so that 20-year-old record may stand. How long can you remain conscious if deprived of air? I’ve heard that in a hard vacuum with no air in your lungs you lose consciousness within 15 seconds or so. If you are holding your breath, especially if you have prepared by hyperventilating, maybe two minutes or so, but it probably varies a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/4 "2001-03-19T02:17:13Z")
I practice yoga _prânayama_ while driving to work. I can easily get up to 100 seconds, but I’m a beginner; an accomplished yogi could go way longer. Once my kids asked me how long I could hold my breath (I was lying down). Easily got to 120 seconds and could have gone longer. The real champs are advanced yogis. CSICOP types will jump all over any claims of yogic control of autonomic body processes. I will just cite one well-known case from the Menninger Institute where Swami Rama demonstrated his ability to stop his heart from pumping blood for seventeen seconds, to produce a ten-degree difference in temperature between different parts of the palm of his hand, and to voluntarily produce and maintain specific brain wave patterns on demand. He first generated brain wave patterns that were predominately characterized by beta waves; then he produced alpha waves, which are generally associated with a relaxed state. Finally, he was able to demonstrate the production of theta waves. Theta waves are associated with unconscious states, in contrast to alpha and beta waves, which are associated with conscious states. While producing theta waves, Swami Rama appeared to be in a state of deep sleep. However, he was able to recall everything that had transpired in the room during that period. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/5 "2001-03-19T10:51:49Z")
My 1996 copy of the _Guiness Book_ does not list a record for breath-holding, so apparently it has been excluded. It’s surprising just how long it’s possible to hold one’s breath after hyperventilating. My girlfriend asked me the same question as the OP just a few weeks ago, so I gave her a demonstration. After 30 seconds of hyperventilating, I was able to hold my breath for 3 minutes. I didn’t even start to feel uncomfortable until 2.5 minutes. IIRC, the Guiness record holder prepared by hyperventilating for 30 minutes. Now, what I’ve described above is probably extemely dangerous if done too much, so be careful. Better yet, don’t try it at all. I’ve only tried the above stunt three times in my life, and haven’t suffered any damage, but I don’t intend to push my luck any more. –sublight. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/6 "2001-03-19T15:43:22Z")
I would have to go with those two kids lately who were ressurected after 2 hours. ---
**Author:** ![gypsy\_gurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@gypsy\_gurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsy_gurl)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/7 "2001-03-19T20:14:16Z")
When my best friend was little she used to hold her breath until she passed out when she didn’t get her way 😃 ahhh the sheer GENIUS of that!!! Just thought I’d share! ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/8 "2001-03-19T21:39:03Z")
I have always heard that Harry Houdini had the record for breath holding at around 5 minutes and 15 seconds. This is undoubtedly an urban legend, but I thought I’d throw it out here to be debunked and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/9 "2001-03-20T00:11:50Z")
There was a guy on the Worlds Record tv program who said he could do it for 6 minutes but only got to 4 on the show. ---
**Author:** ![Tzel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Tzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzel)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/10 "2001-03-20T03:45:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sublight \* > \*\*My 1996 copy of the _Guiness Book_ does not list a record for breath-holding, so apparently it has been excluded. > \*\* Actually, the records listed in any given copy of the Guinness Book represent only a fraction of the records stored in the Guinness database which are still eligible to be broken. In any given year, Guinness publishes only those records that it believes will be of interest to readers. (The 2000 book, I believe, has a big section on “extreme sports”, including many skateboarding and snowboarding records.) All this info courtesy of the section near the back of the 2000 book. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/11 "2001-03-20T16:16:52Z")
You don’t need the book, here it is online, searchable & do bookmark it, thanks [http://www.thunderstone.com/texis/demos/gbwr](http://www.thunderstone.com/texis/demos/gbwr) ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2001, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holding-ones-breath/58513/12 "2001-03-20T17:05:07Z")
The ‘sport’ of Free Diving includes a discipline whereby contestants lie face down in a pool for as long as possible. [This page](http://www.divernet.com/compet/free998.htm) from a 1998 was won with a time of 6 mins 42 secs. On a TV programme on this some time back, proponents said that when holding your breath you pass through a point, if you are fully relaxed, after which it becomes much easier again. I tried this lying on my couch and it was very difficult coming up to 1 minute but, as suggested, it then got easier and I lasted almost another minute. I suspect this was not a very sensible thing to try, particularly as I was on my own so I have not tried it since.