The author climbs down a rope during a freediving course off the coast of Dahab, Egypt.
Photographer: Wendy Timmermans for Bloomberg Pursuits
Adventure
Freediving Is the Lung-Crushing, Mind-Altering Path to Inner Peace
How the high-risk, high-reward extreme sport helps conquer your fear of the deep through meditation.
The Guinness World Record for holding one’s breath underwater is 24 minutes and 3 seconds. Most humans, however, can barely make it a minute and a half.
For a diver, the degree of difficulty increases exponentially. Lungs shrink to half their size at a depth of 10 meters (33 feet). After about 30 seconds, blood vessels in the arms and legs constrict, redirecting red blood cells to vital organs, including the heart and brain, part of the “mammalian dive reflex.” After a minute or so, trapped carbon dioxide causes the diaphragm to spasm, signaling the brain to breathe.