Oxygen: a mind-altering substance?

[Kuhnada29]

I know deep breathing is supposed to relax you and decrease stress and anxiety, but have you ever like gotten euphoric effects from deep breathing, even mind-altering effects? I did, I will explain now. This happened to me two times, one time i was on the way to work and I decided to start breathing deeply, and the weirdest thing happened, I got some euphoria, which automatically put a smile on my face and filled me with a bit of optimism, not only that....soon after, I started feeling a vibration......like there was a vibration/buzzing in my mouth and a bigger buzzing/vibration in my head which felt the same as a WILD vibration that felt good. It forced me to chuckle( i couldn't help it ), and I know the guy i was in the car with was like "wtf is wrong with him". Then AGAIN today, I decided to try something else. Breathe hard, deep, and relatively fast for about 10 to 15 seconds until i got that lightheaded feeling and held my breathe....what happened next is hard to explain. LIke what happened was I was basically cut off from external stimuli for a period of time, and lost in bliss/euphoria, and optimism. Some people might think this is dangerous but I don't think so...it's too natural, and your NOT cutting your oxygen levels off, your simply holding your breathe ( same thing you do while swimming ), and causing a surge in oxygen levels. Oxygen, natures natural pain-killer/anesthesia I have to admit the euphoria and optimism I got from doing the deep/fast/breathing thing was stronger than a low-dose percocet high but shorter. The CRAZY part about all of this is, when i first did it, I would just kind of black-out into unconsciousness, but the more I do it it's like I'm starting to be able to see SUBTLE images/positive images. But it was subtle as in LIKE A DREAM OR SOMETHING. This leads me to believe that this breathing thing active Chi/Ki/consciousness and introverts you or lets the subconscious rise. I don't know, other people should try this breathing technique and see what happens to you. Breathe hard, deep, and fast until you feel and light-headedness and hold your breathe

[jarrhead]

Sounds awesome. Now you should try it with one of those oxygen machines. haha.

[Kuhnada29]

no,the air we breathe isn't pure oxygen, breathing pure-oxygen could kill you if not used properly.

[Dannon Oneironaut]

You have been practicing pranayama. The rapid deep breathing sounds similar to the breath of fire. Stanislov Grof is a psychologist who used to have his patients use LSD in therapy. When LSD became illegal he started using breathwork with the same results. Check out Stanislov Grof and his breathwork. Also check out rebirthing technique started by Leonard Orr. Leonard Orr is a bit of a quack and rebirthing movement has become quite cult-like, but the technique itself is amazing and a great spiritual practice. The way rebirthing works is breathing deep and fast, yet relaxed, connecting the inhale and the exhale in a circular way with no gaps or holding of the breath. You let the exhale happen automatically without willing it. It builds up into a wave. You will have a strange taste in your mouth, your hands will start buzzing and tingling. If you ride the wave and keep relaxed your hands may clench involuntarily and you may curl up into a fetal position. Then you know that you are on your way to reliving your birth. When we took our first breath after being born we were usually in a fearful state, especially when the umbilical cord was cut prematurely and a doctor holding us upside down and slapping us. Rebirthing heals this breathing trauma. After the fear of birth is healed, the fear of death is easy to heal. Anyway..... Try experimenting with your breathing in the bathtub in hot water. Hot water makes the experience so much stronger. Just stop if you get scared. I did it with a snorkel and a certified rebirthing practitioner guiding me. I stopped breathing for 15 minutes and sank to the bottom of the hot tub. I don't remember much but a timeless feeling of peace. Then I remember taking a breath and floating up to the top of the tank real fast and I poked my head out and everything was psychedelic and bright. I relived my first breath. Later she told me that I wasn't breathing for 15 minutes! I was like "Are you crazy?! You let me do that?!" But I was Ok. She knew what she was doing.

[Kuhnada29]

This is interesting I always thought people didn't come into the world stress and spiritually troubled but as a result of social conditioning ( food/water tampering, Ritalin/Adderall, child hood trauma, etc. ) I didn't think you come into the world stressed..that's very interesting. Second, are you sure this is a safe in a bathtub? I don't want to drown or anything. And uhh, not holding your breathe for 15 minutes is impossible sir. You would surely be brain-dead. but yea peace is the right word, your like in a state of "no-thought", and a nice body buzz when I do this. I take deep breathes, fast, and deep, until I get that slight lightheadedness and hold my breathe. I'm a little hesitant to try this in a bathtub though, especially with no one watching me. I say this because when I do this, i kind of slip into an unconscious state, like I really don't feel like doing anything at that moment but just feeling that feeling. Are you SURE i can't DIE doing this deep breathing excercise in a bathtub? It seems natural though, i'm doing the same thing as swimming but with this technique I have more oxygen in my system, and I'm not moving anywhere. It's just that the unconsciousness state kind scares me. This sounds a lot like baptism also, as in the Christian practice. Leonard Orr says that he seen memories of his birth while doing his rebirth techniques, when I did it i didn't exactly see my birth...i'm not sure exactly WHAT i saw, but i know it was me, i think..it was a memory or something, but it was so faint, and sublte i couldn't recall it all the way when coming back. It's like when you wake up in the morning and you forgot your dream, but you knew it was something. Hard to explain. "In Orr's Rebirthing-Breathwork, the main breathing technique is a connected breath, where the breather does not pause between inhale and exhale. According to facilitators, this causes a build up of oxygen in the blood and a build up of prana or life energy." yea that's about right.

[Dannon Oneironaut]

Better if you practiced in bed instead of in a tub. I don't guarantee nothing. If you are interested find a trained person to watch you and guide you in a tub. But you can try some very easy breathing in the bathtub, just stop if it gets too intense, and get out if you have to. I also thought it was impossible to not breathe for 15 minutes. But apparently not. Believe it or not! I have trouble believing it. But apparently the same thing is experienced by Yogis when they go into samadhi. An explanation could be that my blood was so oxygenated by the breathing practice, I don't know. It is also possible that the woman exaggerated, but I don't know why she would. She seemed very professional and trustworthy. I actually did three sessions with her and this happened on the last one and she said that I didn't need to come back anymore but could do it at home. If she wanted to sell me more sessions she wouldn't have said that.

[Forsaken]

Actually, when you hyperventilate, you reduce the blood circulation and oxygen into your brain. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperventilation

[nina]

Please do not do this in a bathtub. Common sense/safety please guise.

[Kuhnada29]

So is hyperventilating beneficial or harmful, there's like two sides now. I've seen athletes do this purposely before a game, but I've never see them hold their breath after. Maybe there is a difference.

[jarrhead]

I guess my post was deleted. But yes, common sense do not do in a bathtub without a trained professional

[Dannon Oneironaut]

Make sure that you are not hyperventilating. There is a difference between pranayama and hyperventilation. The main difference is to be relaxed, and to not force the exhales but to let it happen automatically. Do not induce hyperventilation. Find a breath-work coach.

[nina]

I guess my post was deleted. But yes, common sense do not do in a bathtub without a trained professional What post? Nothing was deleted from this thread.

[Dannon Oneironaut]

Majestic, never try to hold your breath. I didn't try to hold my breath. It just happened without me knowing. I wasn't holding my breath, I just didn't inhale for a while without my knowledge, I didn't hold my breath out. Athletes don't try to hold their breath.

[Kuhnada29]

ok now your starting to confuse me. "Not inhaling" IS holding your breath. That's why you got whatever effects you did. Just like me. i said at the beginning of this thread you hold your breath after you breathe fast. A Pranarama website says that you SHOULD hold your breath if you feel a little lightheaded. http://www.yogapoint.com/pranayama/d..._breathing.htm

[Dannon Oneironaut]

Don't get confused. Just watch some videos. I don't recommend Hindu pranayama, IMHO.

[Kuhnada29]

alright, I'll check the videos out. What I was talking about in the original post, i looked it up, it's called "Murchha Pranayama". It explains perfectly what I experienced. You don't necessarily have to hyperventilate/breathe fast. It was intense, i think i might check out simpler forms of pranayama then move on to that.