David Blaine’s Hanging Around, Upside Down.
Illusionist David Blaine has been hanging around, upside down for the past couple of days. You can find him at the swinging in the breeze above the Wollmann ice rink in Central Park, New York.
Its a stunt that requires a great deal of endurance, focus, and might I add, stupidity.
Medical, hanging up side down for long periods of time is simply not a good idea. It can mess with the heart and cause the blood pressure to rise. There’s increased risk of brain haemorrhage, seizures, and blindness because of all the blood pooling in the brain and skull. It can also cause breathing problems – with the diaphragm upside down, the intestines will be exerting pressure on the lungs, making breathing more difficult. And of course, there’s less blood, and therefore oxygen, going to the legs, which could possibly cause muscle tissue to die off.
All in all, doesn’t seem like a smart move. Even Blaine’s own physican, when told about the stunt, said ‘”It scared the crap out of me.”
So, really, I really have to ask ‘why would someone put themselves through this?’
Can anyone tell me…
(source)
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Perhaps he’s just after the attention: he is getting media coverage as a result, after all. Some people will do anything to get those 5 minutes of fame, and then do things that are progressively worse (i.e. dangerous) to stay in the spotlight…
I wouldn’t care about what his doctor says. These magicians are always having their doctor say to the public that whatever they’re about to do is batshit crazy, but you can be sure there’s a gag.
What if he were wearing a flight suit or something similar under his clothes? Doesn’t that help to regulate his circulation in unfamiliar gravity?
good point. he’s one of these people that seems to need to continually push the envelop and see how far his endurance can last.