Prompt Cast
The History and Dangers of Sword Swallowing
TLDR Sword swallowing has a long history that dates back thousands of years and involves relaxing the muscles in the throat to pass a sword into the stomach. However, it is a dangerous profession that can lead to various complications and even death.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast episode is about sword swallowing and how it requires a certain amount of relaxation.
04:05
Sword swallowing has a long history that started with religious undertones in India about 4,000 years ago and has since spread to other parts of the world.
08:27
Sword swallowing became popular in the United States in the 19th century, but died out in the 1950s due to the rise of new forms of entertainment, such as carnival rides, and more recently, the internet and video games.
12:42
Sword swallowing involves the voluntary and involuntary muscles of the GI tract working together to move the sword down the esophagus and into the stomach.
16:43
Sword swallowing involves relaxing the muscles, both voluntary and involuntary, in order to pass the sword down the throat and into the stomach, taking the same path as food but requiring different muscle movements.
21:14
Sword swallowers must relax all the voluntary and involuntary muscles in their mouth, larynx, and esophagus, as well as both esophageal sphincters, in order to pass a sword through their throat and into their stomach without damaging it.
25:21
Sword swallowing is a dangerous profession that can lead to throat pain, lower chest pain, internal bleeding, and even death if the person lacks a gag reflex.
29:22
Sword swallowing can lead to various complications such as inflammation of the lungs and pericarditis, sinus infections, and even death, and there have been impressive feats of swallowing multiple swords or even a car axle.
33:48
Sword swallowing can lead to complications such as inflammation and sinus infections, and it is not recommended to swallow snakes either.
Categories:
Society & Culture
