David Blaine’s attempt to hold his breath for 17 minutes underwater was actually really unsettling. As he described the way he felt at certain points of the performance, I began to feel light-headed myself just listening to the details of how much pain he was in.

What I did find interesting was how much physical preparation he had to do in order to complete this achievement. He really focused on the specific things he could do in order to  make this seemingly impossible feat a reality in front of thousands of people. Each little step he went through, like slowing down his heart rate, started in smaller increments of time, breathing exercises, and building up his red blood cell count, were all part of the journey he traveled through to do something that defies nature. He surpassed natural human functions in order to survive with nothing, not even air.

That’s really scary to think about, and makes me wonder how little humans will need in the future to live once people keep making discoveries and pushing the limits. David Blaine’s story shows that mental and physical hinderances can sometimes be overruled by determination and a strong sense of purpose.