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THE PHYSIOLOGY OF YOGAM
one point of view, however, we may legitimately consider it. It is said, that by restraining his breath the Yogi anaesthetises his physical senses and gets into a higher state of consciousness undisturbed by their distracting influence. It is an undoubted fact, that restraint of the breath does profoundly modify consciousness. If a doctor tightly closes the nose and mouth of a patient in an hysterical attack, after about a minute the patient quite suddenly returns to her normal consciousness ; she is generally quite unaware of the state she has been in and what she has been doing, and naturally abuses the doctor for holding her nose and mouth. Pouring cold water suddenly over the patient acts as well if nol better ; but it is possible that it acts through the deep and sudden inspiration of air which it induces. Moreover a patient can be so completely anaesthetised, as to be rendered insensible to the pain of a surgical operation, by putting an India-rubber bag, or some such apparatus, over his nose and mouth, and making him breathe the same used up and carbonic acid-laden air again and again, allowing him a breath of fresh air from time to time if he becomes very livid. I am doubtful on second thoughts whether this applies to Yogam, though there is not much difference between restraining breath and breathing it again and again ; for in the Yogi lividity does not occur, though that may again be accounted for by his having reduced his expenditure of energy and established cutaneous respiration.
Hatta Yogam is said to strengthen the lungs and to
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