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Studies on a yogi during an eight-day confinement in a sealed underground pit
Abstract
Yogi Satyamurti remained confined in a small underground pit (1.5 meter cube, sealed from the top) for 8 days, in what according to him was a state of 'Samadhi' or suspended animation. ECG was continuously monitored during these 8 days and various laboratory tests were carried out both before and after. Marked tachycardia gradually developed after the pit was sealed (heart rate 250/min) and persisted for nearly 29 hr. The ECG complexes were then replaced by an iso electric line. There was no electrical disturbance suggestive of disconnected leads. Normal complexes, however, reappeared on the eight day, half an hour before the pit was due to be opened. The Yogi was found in a stuporous condition, with an oral temperature of 34.8°C, and he began to shiver vigorously. Loss of weight and other biochemical changes were essentially the same as in total starvation. The yogic claim of a voluntary control over visceral functions, including the heart beat, still remains a very exciting and intriguing question.
... Some yogis have claimed the ability to reduce or even suspend their need for food, water, and even oxygen. Following previous studies with yogis placed in underground pits, Kothari, Bordia, and Gupta (1973) tested a yogi buried in a pit for 8 days without access to water or food, who seemed to stop his heart until some minutes before being brought out, at which point he was emaciated. There are also case and group studies with yogis showing decrease of oxygen consumption between 40% (Craig Heller, Elsner, & Rao, 1987) and 32% (Telles, Reddy, & Nagendra, 2000), and evidence of an altered trait in that baseline respiration rate among long-term meditators with retreat practice was significantly lower than that of nonmeditators (Wielgosz, Schuyler, Lutz, & Davidson, 2016). ...
... Some meditation practitioners have exhibited the ability to dras tically reduce their metabolism, with some of them staying buried in pits for a long time without food or water, and with a limited amount of oxygen, in a state of suspended ani mation or samādhi. Perhaps the most thorough study of this claim was conducted by Kothari, Bordia, and Gupta (1973), who tested a yogi buried in an underground pit for eight days. He showed increased heart rate for the first twenty-nine hours, replaced by what looked like an unchanging electric signal, which restarted half an hour before the yogi was about to be raised, at which point he showed metabolic signs of initial starva tion. ...
Contemplative traditions have posited that exceptional abilities can occur in conjunction with meditation. These claims have been often dismissed as mere fantasies, but some have been evaluated experimentally. This chapter reviews historical accounts from Asian and Western traditions about such abilities and summarizes the research on the relation of meditation with exceptional psychophysiological control and with parapsychological (psi) phenomena such as clairvoyance or precognition, which seem to bypass time and space constraints. There is some evidence that meditation may increase perceptual sensi tivity, bleeding and heart rate control, the ability to withstand cold temperatures and pain, and reduce metabolic responses. Analyses of cumulative research also suggest that meditation (particularly very long-term practice) is associated with greater-than-chance psi performance under controlled conditions. Nonetheless, the study of the relation be tween meditation and exceptional abilities has been scant, so more research on the topic is clearly warranted.
... Some yogis have claimed the ability to reduce or even suspend their need for food, water, and even oxygen. Following previous studies with yogis placed in underground pits, Kothari, Bordia, and Gupta (1973) tested a yogi buried in a pit for 8 days without access to water or food, who seemed to stop his heart until some minutes before being brought out, at which point he was emaciated. There are also case and group studies with yogis showing decrease of oxygen consumption between 40% (Craig Heller, Elsner, & Rao, 1987) and 32% (Telles, Reddy, & Nagendra, 2000), and evidence of an altered trait in that baseline respiration rate among long-term meditators with retreat practice was significantly lower than that of nonmeditators (Wielgosz, Schuyler, Lutz, & Davidson, 2016). ...
This article summarizes and integrates research on the relation between altered consciousness (including states and traits, as well as procedures and practices to induce them) and enhanced functioning. The latter include improved psychophysiological control as well as enhanced performance in controlled parapsychological experiments. Multiple studies on meditation, hypnosis, sensory homogenization, psychoactive drug ingestion, and spontaneous alterations of consciousness have demonstrated enhanced physiological (e.g., gastrointestinal and other somatic systems, heart rate and bleeding control, ability to withstand cold temperature and painful stimuli) and psychological (e.g., perceptual sensitivity, attention control and cognitive deautomatization, creativity, enhanced positive affect and personality change) functioning. Parapsychological (psi) research also indicates that when individuals are exposed to techniques to alter the state of consciousness such as sensory homogenization, meditation, hypnosis, and psychedelic drugs, they exhibit stronger evidence of psi functioning than when they are in ordinary waking consciousness, particularly if they are prone to having spontaneous alterations of consciousness and/or have had a mental practice for a long time. Recommendations for further development of research in this area are provided.
... As previously mentioned, the mental stability could be related to sympathetic reduction and improvement in the parasympathetic activity contributing to decrease in BP, HR, BMI, stress and anxiety. Several studies about the effects of yoga practice have been indicating a number of physiological changes, such as increased GABA concentration, adrenalin and noradrenalin reductions 36 , increased serotonin and melatonin concentrations 37 , which can be related to improvements in mood, reductions in body temperature 38,39 , and increased galvanic skin resistance may be related to stress management, and also increased gray matter density in brain regions related to emotional regulation 40 . ...
Background: Hypertension is a major a chronic lifestyle disease affecting one in three adults over 25 years or about one billion, thereby resulting in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and renal complications. In addition, it is an important contributor for increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. Reports suggest that hypertension is rapidly increasing in the developing countries like India. Although medical management is effective in treating hypertension, owing to the side effects, alternative therapy such as Yoga practice is recommended. However, evidences on the efficacy of yoga practice in patients with hypertension are insufficient and further research is required. Objective: The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a 12-week Yoga program on physio-psychological parameters in patients with hypertension. Methods: Of 238 patients, 118 were randomly assigned to participate in yoga program (YP) group and 120 to the control group (CG) with no treatment. Parameters such as blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), body mass index (BMI), anxiety, and perceived stress were measured before and after intervention. Results: The groups were initially homogeneous; however, after intervention, the groups significantly differed. The YP group exhibited reduced BP, HR, BMI, anxiety, and perceived stress (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study suggests a 12-week yoga program may offer an effective intervention in reducing BP, HR, BMI, anxiety and perceived stress in patients with hypertension. Practicing Yogaasanas at home are helpful to avoid increased BP-related complications. © 2014 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. All rights reserved.
... Like mentioned in the introduction, the mental stability could be related to sympathetic reduction and improvement in the parasympathetic activity contributing to stress and anxiety reductions. Many other studies about the effects of meditation practice have been indicating a number of physiological changes, such as increased GABA concentration [57], adrenalin and noradrenalin reductions [58], increased serotonin [59] and melatonin concentrations [60], which can be related to improvements on mood, reductions in body temperature [61, 62] and increased galvanic skin resistance [63], may be related to stress management, and also increased gray matter density in brain regions related to emotional regulation [64]. New studies with familial caregivers would evaluate more physiological parameters than presented in this study. ...
Familial caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease exhibit reduced quality of life and increased stress levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week yoga and compassion meditation program on the perceived stress, anxiety, depression, and salivary cortisol levels in familial caregivers. A total of 46 volunteers were randomly assigned to participate in a stress-reduction program for a 2-month period (yoga and compassion meditation program-YCMP group) (n = 25) or an untreated group for the same period of time (control group) (n = 21). The levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and morning salivary cortisol of the participants were measured before and after intervention. The groups were initially homogeneous; however, after intervention, the groups diverged significantly. The YCMP group exhibited a reduction of the stress (P < 0.05), anxiety (P < 0.000001), and depression (P < 0.00001) levels, as well as a reduction in the concentration of salivary cortisol (P < 0.05). Our study suggests that an 8-week yoga and compassion meditation program may offer an effective intervention for reducing perceived stress, anxiety, depression, and salivary cortisol in familial caregivers.
... The " Blue Pearl " sounds like a perfect description of a near-death experience. Master yogis can develop cardiac arrest or profound bradycardia while in very deep states of meditation (Kothari, Bordia, and Gupta, 1973a, 1973b). Do we become a pure soul when we meditate, project out of the body, or fall into a neardeath experience, passing through a tunnel of light as a transitional state? ...
This paper attempts to show that the sequence of a typical near death experience (NDE) is predictable and reproducible, enough to suggest that the NDE is a symptom of a specific altered mental state seen in a large number of medical and surgical conditions. I attempt to explain on an anatomical, physiologic, and psychological basis how NDEs might be caused, and suggest that NDEs might even be the basis of religion.
I also describe an NDE of a 38-year-old insulin-dependent diabetic who developed hypoglycemia secondary to a lack of caloric intake to support her daily insulin usage. She did not appear to be life-threatened from a cardiovascular standpoint. During the hypoglycemic spell, the patient appeared to be in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Following resuscitation with an intravenous injection of dextrose, the patient returned to a normal mental status, but recounted a typical NDE.
... Studies on transcendental meditation have shown that experienced practitioners are able to exert autonomous nervous control. 13 Beneficial effects of yoga on cardiovascular and neuroendocrine systems have been reported in a number of studies, [14][15][16] and yoga has also been shown to improve myocardial perfusion and help in the regression of coronary lesions. 17,18 This pilot study assesses the efficacy of shankh prakshalana as a bowel prep for colonoscopy. ...
Colonoscopy is now the gold standard for colon cancer screening and a vital diagnostic and therapeutic tool in 21st century medical practice. Although advances have been swift since colonoscopy came into wide use a generation ago, its effectiveness can be compromised by patients' ability to adequately prepare for the procedure. Many patients dread this task more than the procedure itself. While no prep regimen can be ideal for all patients, the authors present a novel approach that represents a potential time-saving improvement for younger, healthier patients. It is a modern version of an Indian practice called shankh prakshalana, in which lukewarm saline is used in combination with five yoga postures to cleanse the bowel.
The objective of this study was to examine the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of lukewarm saline and yoga (LWS/yoga) as a colonoscopy preparation in comparison with NuLytely(®) (PEG-3350, sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and potassium chloride solution) used according to the manufacturer's instructions.
This was a pilot study comprising 54 healthy adults, ages 18-65, equally divided into two groups: Group A preparing with lukewarm saline and yoga postures (LWS/yoga); and Group B preparing with NuLytely(®) as directed on the label.
Data were collected on the quality of bowel preparation, patient safety, patient tolerability, and side-effects. The setting was a Joint Commission accredited outpatient endoscopy clinic.
Patients performed the series of five yoga postures known as shankh prakshalana, interrupting the exercises at regular intervals to consume 480 mL of lukewarm saline. The solution was prepared by adding 9 g of sodium chloride per liter of lukewarm water (99°F-102°F/37.2°C-38.9°C).
The mean total score was significantly better in Group A versus Group B (20.63 ± 5.09 versus 16.48 ± 5.18, p < 0.0007). In Group A, 24/27 (88.9%) of patients had excellent or optimum total scores, compared with 21/27 (77.8%) in Group B (not significant). In our pilot study, LWS/yoga, used under supervision, produced better colon preparation than Nulytely, used as directed. Limitations: A randomized, endoscopist-blinded study is needed to confirm these results.
Shankh prakshalana is effective as a colonoscopy preparation.
1.1. It has been claimed that Indian yogis can voluntarily become hypometabolic (bhoogarbha samadhi) in a sealed underground chamber as a means of remaining in a mediative state for multiday periods.2.2. To investigate this claim we obtained cooperation of a practitioner of bhoogarbha samadhi. In an open flow system, we measured his resting rate of oxygen consumption and also his oxygen consumption rate over a 5 h period during which he was requested to display his abilities to become hypometabolic as if he were in bhoogarbha samadhi.3.3. The yogi's resting O2 consumption was 3.06 ml O2kg-1 min1 and his O2 consumption over a 4h period of meditation was 1.85±0.26 ml O2kg-1min-1, a reduction of 40%.4.4. At the beginning of the mediation there was a peripheral vasodilation and a fall in core body temperature of 0.4°C. These events were reversed at the end of the meditation period.5.5. This study confirms that Indian yogis can enter a state of self-induced hypometabolism, but the mechanisms remain unknown.
This chapter briefly reviews recent psychological, physiological, molecular biological, and anthropological research which has important implications, both direct and indirect, for the recognition and understanding of the potential life span and health span enhancing effects of the basic yoga meditational regimen. This regimen consists of meditation, yogic breath control practices, physical exercises (of both a postural- and movement-based, including aerobic nature), and dietary practices. While each of these component categories exhibit variations in different schools, lineages, traditions, and cultures, the focus of this chapter is primarily on basic forms of relaxation meditation and breath control, as well as postural and aerobic physical exercises (e.g., yogic prostration regimens, see below), and a standard form of yogic or ascetic diet, all of which constitute a basic form of regimen found in many if not most cultures, though with variations.
This overview surveys the new optimism about the aging mind/brain, focusing on the potential for self-regulation practices to advance research in stress-protection and optimal health. It reviews recent findings and offers a research framework. The review links the age-related biology of stress and regeneration to the variability of mind/brain function found under a range of conditions from trauma to enrichment. The framework maps this variation along a biphasic continuum from atrophic dysfunction to peak performance. It adopts the concept of allostatic load as a measure of the wear-and-tear caused by stress, and environmental enrichment as a measure of the use-dependent enhancement caused by positive reinforcement. It frames the dissociation, aversive affect and stereotyped reactions linked with stress as cognitive, affective and behavioral forms of allostatic drag; and the association, positive affect, and creative responses in enrichment as forms of allostatic lift. It views the human mind/brain as a heterarchy of higher intelligence systems that shift between a conservative, egocentric mode heightening self-preservation and memory and a generative, altruistic mode heightening self-correction and learning. Cultural practices like meditation and psychotherapy work by teaching the self-regulation of shifts from the conservative to the generative mode. This involves a systems shift from allostatic drag to allostatic lift, minimizing wear-and-tear and optimizing plasticity and learning. For cultural practices to speed research and application, a universal typology is needed. This framework includes a typology aligning current brain models of stress and learning with traditional Indo-Tibetan models of meditative stress-cessation and learning enrichment.
This chapter briefly reviews recent psychological, physiological, molecular biological, and anthropological research which has important implications, both direct and indirect, for the recognition and understanding of the potential life span and health span enhancing effects of the basic yoga meditational regimen. This regimen consists of meditation, yogic breath control practices, physical exercises (of both a postural- and movement-based, including aerobic nature), and dietary practices. While each of these component categories exhibit variations in different schools, lineages, traditions, and cultures, the focus of this chapter is primarily on basic forms of relaxation meditation and breath control, as well as postural and aerobic physical exercises (e.g., yogic prostration regimens, see below), and a standard form of yogic or ascetic diet, all of which constitute a basic form of regimen found in many if not most cultures, though with variations.
Electroencephalographic patterns were studied in 30 normal healthy individuals practicing meditation and compared with 10 normal healthy controls not practicing meditation. In this study, we found prominent alpha wave activity and increase it its voltage in meditators as compared to controls. Meditators had significantly more alpha rhythm as compared to control group. Percentage of alpha waves were higher in persons performing meditation with good coherence which suggested good homogenicity, uniformity and increased orderliness of brain.
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