The Dragon of Within

Meditation, Fear, and Your Three Brains

Freediving is basically snorkeling, except you learn to hold your breath longer and you dive really deep. I got into the sport because I sensed something important about the effects of water on the human body — and the first time I tried it, I noticed how easily my fear response got triggered by the urge to breathe. Fear likes to present itself as an impenetrable barrier. It tries to convince you that you cannot change. That it’s too dangerous to try something new. Naturally, it discourages many people from freediving beyond their first try. Instead of quitting the sport, however, I accepted the challenge. And I’m glad I did.

Every time the urge to breathe kicks in, the entire world around you transforms in an instant. This transformation is subtle, and you have to train yourself to watch for it. Not only watch for it but head it off and keep it from happening. It’s all part of the magic of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems , something that Navy SEALs refer to as “flipping the switch.” Physiologist Per Scholander called it the “master switch of life.” Gaining control over this master switch is one of the best-guarded secrets of meditation.

I can best explain it through an example.