I broke my breath-holding record!

Guys!! I'm really excited to say that I just broke my longest breath-holding record yesterday, and I got it on camera! My new record for holding my breath is now 5 minutes and 36 seconds, which is 32 seconds longer than my previous record I set back in 2017. That's also about three times longer than most people in the world are able to hold their breath for!

There's a story to how I got motivated to break my record again. I started seeing cans of pure oxygen being sold at the local grocery store I shop at and that got me thinking. I remembered hearing how magicians and divers had set world records for holding their breath by breathing pure oxygen for a long time beforehand, and this gave me an idea. I went online and found a good deal on canned oxygen and purchased it, and once it arrived, I gave it a try.

Instead of doing it like the magicians did, I simply took a few slow, deep breaths in and out with it and then used it to take a final deep breath that I held as long as I could. I noticed my diaphragm began contracting from carbon dioxide build-up at around the same time it usually does whenever I hold my breath, but I still pushed on. Normally when I get up to the 5 minute mark I feel light-headed, and I've also actually passed out from lack of oxygen from going that long before, but this time I was able to continue past 5 minutes.

Maybe this can of pure oxygen was just a placebo effect for me, or maybe it did give me a little boost to continue going as long as I did, but I managed to not only last until 5 and a half minutes, but I kept going for an additional 6 seconds to make sure I held my breath for that long -- and to show off, of course!

This is a self-taught talent of mine I have a lifetime of practice with. I've never used anyone else's methods or advice; I always used my own trial and error to find out what works best and then made it work. Here's a recap of my longest personal records so far:

3:30 (this was my first record I ever set, aka my best record as a teenager)
4:00 (early 2013)
4:30 (March 22, 2013)
5:04 (January of 2017)
5:36 (September 10, 2023)

When I set that first record as a teenager, it was a little scary. I could have kept going longer but everything suddenly went black just before the 3 and a half minute mark so I got scared and stopped. Yes, I actually lost my vision during that attempt somehow, but it was immediately restored once I started breathing again. Still freaked me out as a kid though!

My next record came as a young adult, where I managed to achieve 4 minutes not once, but twice in a row. I was so proud of myself! I knew I had to keep going, and that same year I filmed a video of me making it to 4 and a half minutes. But I wasn't done yet!

I really wanted that 5 minute goal. Even as a kid, I always saw that as a respectable record to have one day, and I wanted to make that childhood dream come true. So one winter day in 2017, I got super motivated, began filming myself, and went for it -- and I did it! I ended up holding for 5 minutes and 4 seconds, and I actually passed out from lack of oxygen from this attempt, which was captured in the video. It was totally unexpected and not like my first record as a teenager where everything had gone black -- one second I was conscious, the next I wasn't, and I woke up 7 seconds later not knowing what had happened right away.

This wasn't the first time I passed out from holding my breath. Back in 2013 when I was achieving the 4:00 and 4:30 records for the first time, I accidentally passed out during one of those attempts. This was the first of several times this would happen, and it was also unexpected to where I didn't see it coming. I was dazed and confused when I woke up for a bit, then I realized what had happened and was both stunned and proud that I had managed to do something regarded as physically impossible for most people to do.

There were plenty of other pass-outs and near pass-outs that happened along the way, including a complete unconsciousness where my friend K2 was spotting me by covering my nose and mouth with his hands, but he let go as soon as he noticed it had happened and made sure I was okay. I thoroughly researched it online and was relieved to read that it isn't dangerous nor does it do any damage to your brain so long as you start breathing again shortly after you pass out, and this is a big reason why I always hold my breath outside of water in case it ever unexpectedly happens.

My goal, however, was not to pass out -- it was to push my limits as far as I could while still maintaining consciousness. I accepted these blackouts (which were all harmless since I just started breathing again immediately after they happened) as aggressive conditioning of my body's limits and made the decision to continue pushing them.

That brings me to now, in September of 2023, where I managed to not only hold my breath for 5 minutes and 36 seconds, but I was conscious the entire time. I successfully made it past that 5 minute barrier that my brain had previously put in place! I recall several other times where I made it to 5 minutes (off camera) where I had convulsed and gotten light-headed at the end, meaning I had been on the brink of unconsciousness, as well as a few behind-the-scenes extras detailed on this website where I managed to get past 5 minutes but only because I had accidentally inhaled a tiny bit of air during my attempt to prolong it.

After researching online, I came to the conclusion that you're possibly able to condition your brain to survive longer and longer without oxygen. I read an article about a tribe of people (the Bajau sea nomads) who have to go underwater spear-fishing every day for food and are able to hold their breath for up to 13 minutes, reportedly because evolution gave them a bigger spleen to store additional oxygen in. Our bodies are phenomenal and adaptive, so if I continue not breathing for long periods of time, my brain will learn to adapt and push back the maximum duration it can comfortably withstand being without oxygen.

So I want to know just how much I'm able to comfortably condition it for and I'm curious to unlock my talent's maximum potential. Not only is it fun to impress people with my talent, but it's also really thrilling for me to experience it! I'm always had that natural curiosity about my body as young boy and I'm happy that I've been able to satisfy that curiosity by finding out just how far I'm capable of going.

Thank you to all my fans who cheer me on and encourage me to practice and attempt new records! I credit your interest and support along with my own interest and curiosity for making this new achievement possible, and I implore you to stay tuned because I'm not stopping at 5:36. My next goal is 6 minutes and I really think I can do it!

Big Lungs Crew represent! 💪 🫁

- Primal 💚