How David Blaine Held His Breath for 17 Minutes…and Why

Before you watch this compelling TEDMED video of magician, endurance artist and stuntman David Blaine of “Street Magic”, we need to remind you — don’t, don’t, don’t try these stunts at home or anywhere else. In fact, if Blaine didn’t sound so damn sane in this talk, you would think he was truly crazy.

In this video, the man who the New York Times described as a “modern-day Houdini” describes what it took to hold his breath underwater for 17 minutes — a world record. As reported on TED, this was “only two minutes shorter than this entire talk!”

Of course, Blaine is no stranger to holding his breath. He was once entombed underground for seven days in a transparent plastic coffin that was visible to people walking by above. He’s is also the guy who was encased in a block of ice for almost three days.

If you’ve ever wondered why some human beings want to stake out the most extreme edges of human endurance, this often personal talk will enlighten you. And you’ll probably find yourself sucking in very deep breaths by the end of it.

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Video Link Photo of David Blaine David Blaine stunt ‘Drowned Alive’  Lincoln Center in New York, by J.M. Luijt, Creative Commons

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