Automatic body functions such as breathing. Is it just some biological code loop running in the background of our operating system or is each breath still being requested separately by a subconscious bit of your brain?
In:
Mostly the first one.
I learned something cool when I was being fitted for my powered filter mask. A huge part of the reason people hate wearing regular masks is that it takes an autonomous function and makes us experience all the silent inputs.
With a regular mask we instantly become hyper aware of things like breathing rate, breath speed and timing (ex. 3 second inhale, .5 second pause, 1 second exhale, 1 second pause…), How deeply to breath in, how completely to breath out. All of that is computed autonomously.
Once a mask goes on we start conciously breathing and our concious mind isn’t as good at it. So we fail on the side of caution and end up breathing deeper and faster than needed. A funny conundrum because the feeling of hyperventilation is what most people describe as “I can’t breath with a mask on” so we breath harder or faster.
Long story-short, a lot of hidden sensory input and basic math is being done behind the scene for every breath.
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