How long can a person hold their breath without dying?

[wolram]

The magician guy, fails to break record for holding breath under water, i think
they said seven minutes, i have a vague memory that a woman holds the
record, which woul'nt be a shock as most can talk for 5 mins without pause
for breath, but the point is just how long can a person hold their breath for
without death occurring ?

 

[Curious3141]

"Daid"? Who dat?

that a woman holds the
record, which woul'nt be a shock as most can talk for 5 mins without pause
for breath

I can see Moonbear and Evo sharpening their claws, getting ready to pounce on you.

 

[Astronuc]

The magician guy, fails to break record for holding breath under water, i think they said seven minutes, i have a vague memory that a woman holds the record, which woul'nt be a shock as most can talk for 5 mins without pause for breath, but the point is just how long can a person hold their breath for without death occurring ?

That depends on temperature and neural activity. One can be without oxygen for up to an hour without death or permanent brain damage, but one must be chilled to close to freezing (IIRC 34-35°F, but maybe higher) and anesthetized to bring brain neural activity to essentially nil, where it and the heart muscles won't require oxygen. Such a procedure is used in surgery to replace section of aorta or carotid artery in which aneurysm is likely to rupture.

My brother and I used to hold contests to see how long we could hold our breaths, and IIRC we achieved over 4 perhaps 5 minutes. I used to swim underwater for several minutes without breathing.

 

[wolram]

Oh, heck, i thought i was only thinking that, and i wrote it, stupid brain.

 

[Lyuokdea]

David Blaine was shooting for 9 minutes I believe, which would have gotten him a world record, edging out the previous record of 8 minutes 58 seconds. I think he ended up passing out somewhere around 7 and a half minutes though and had to be rescued.

~Lyuokdea

 

[theCandyman]

David Blaine was breathing pure oxygen though, if we were going to compare him to others that have breathed pure oxygen, he would be trying to break a record time closer to 15 minutes.

 

[Evo]

i have a vague memory that a woman holds the
record, which woul'nt be a shock as most can talk for 5 mins without pause
for breath

 

[FredGarvin]

...i have a vague memory that a woman holds the
record, which woul'nt be a shock as most can talk for 5 mins without pause
for breath...

I thought you'd say that you were amazed that there was a woman that would not talk for 5 minutes.

 

[russ_watters]

David Blaine was breathing pure oxygen though, if we were going to compare him to others that have breathed pure oxygen, he would be trying to break a record time closer to 15 minutes.

I'm surprised they would have considered that a record, then. But yeah, not only was he breathing pure oxygen beforehand (I didn't actually know that), he was also doing it underwater, which makes the concentration in his blood and volume in his lungs even higher.

 

[franznietzsche]

I'm surprised they would have considered that a record, then. But yeah, not only was he breathing pure oxygen beforehand (I didn't actually know that), he was also doing it underwater, which makes the concentration in his blood and volume in his lungs even higher.

They wouldn't have, but he would have tried to publicize it as such. In order to be qualified as a record, observers from some free diving association have to monitor him for several hours before the attempt to ensure he only breaths air.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Personally I preffered his street magic, much more fun to watch. No offence I'm sure the challenges are extremely physically demanding, but frankly there also fairly dull, and in fact the crowd aorund his London Eye stunt made that event he's a talented man, I hope he doesn't die pulling more and more dangerous stunts.