I've been a fan of the series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure for a long time now, and I've kept thinking about the Ripple Mask since I was introduced to it. Early in the series there was a magic called the ripple that could basically be used to do whatever the plot needed it to; walk on water, fight aging, climb oil-slick walls, accelerate healing, precognition, magnetize things together, etc. The ripple was seemingly inspired by tai chi or qigong breathing exercises and going through a training regime was needed to channel ripple energy. In part 2 of the series (episode 16 of the anime) Joseph is forced to wear the Ripple Mask that would suffocate him if he didn't breathe with the right rhythm for his body to generate the ripple. There was even a little montage at the end where they were supposed to do ridiculous feats like breathe 10 times a second, and inhale for 10 minutes then exhale for 10 minutes, despite still wearing the mask. (The latter may be possibly, but likely only while laying still)
Obviously, most of those things are completely impossible, but something about that ripple mask just stuck with me. There are a lot of psychological and physiological effects breathing has on the body that can be controlled with the proper breathwork, but why not find a way to control it with technology? The right device could be used to increase lung capacity, increase how long you can hold your breath, strengthen the diaphragm to breathe stronger/harder, or force you to breathe slower or faster, all without any real conscious effort.
The first thing that would likely need to be done is monitor vital signs and keep them within a safe range so it can't actually suffocate you to death:
From all the reading I've done there doesn't seem to be any good reason to breathe through the mouth, even though most breathing exercises I see suggest exhaling through the mouth, I think it's better habit to always breathe through the nose when possible. I have also had problems with nasal congestion for most of my life, so not only have I needed to force myself to learn to be less of a literal mouth-breather, but I was thinking that pressure-balanced valves could be used to maintain the same airflow evenly through both nostrils. That way, if one nostril is congested that I can't breathe through it, then airflow through both nostrils is equally restricted, even to the point I can't breathe at all. I know I said before that I don't want the mask to suffocate me, I'm often tempted to force my body to choose between nasal congestion and life, nasal cycle be damned. Like an elevation training mask, valves can be adjusted automatically to vary the airflow resistance to inhaling and exhaling with one-way valves, to strengthen the diaphragm, control the rhythm of breathing itself, or very gradually allow more air in than out to increase lung capacity. It would add needless complexity, size and weight, but it could possibly incorporate a CPAP machine to pump air, aiding/controlling the respiratory rate entirely.
I've thought about making this mask for a long time, and it'll probably still be a while before I actually do, but I'd like some feedback on these few thoughts I've had on making it.
Obviously, most of those things are completely impossible, but something about that ripple mask just stuck with me. There are a lot of psychological and physiological effects breathing has on the body that can be controlled with the proper breathwork, but why not find a way to control it with technology? The right device could be used to increase lung capacity, increase how long you can hold your breath, strengthen the diaphragm to breathe stronger/harder, or force you to breathe slower or faster, all without any real conscious effort.
The first thing that would likely need to be done is monitor vital signs and keep them within a safe range so it can't actually suffocate you to death:
- Pulseoxymeter for a safe minimum blood oxygen levels and to monitor heart rate.
- Carbon dioxide meters to compare inhaled CO2 to exhaled CO2 to estimate blood CO2 levels and pH.
- Air flow meter to monitor the actual respiration rate and amount.
From all the reading I've done there doesn't seem to be any good reason to breathe through the mouth, even though most breathing exercises I see suggest exhaling through the mouth, I think it's better habit to always breathe through the nose when possible. I have also had problems with nasal congestion for most of my life, so not only have I needed to force myself to learn to be less of a literal mouth-breather, but I was thinking that pressure-balanced valves could be used to maintain the same airflow evenly through both nostrils. That way, if one nostril is congested that I can't breathe through it, then airflow through both nostrils is equally restricted, even to the point I can't breathe at all. I know I said before that I don't want the mask to suffocate me, I'm often tempted to force my body to choose between nasal congestion and life, nasal cycle be damned. Like an elevation training mask, valves can be adjusted automatically to vary the airflow resistance to inhaling and exhaling with one-way valves, to strengthen the diaphragm, control the rhythm of breathing itself, or very gradually allow more air in than out to increase lung capacity. It would add needless complexity, size and weight, but it could possibly incorporate a CPAP machine to pump air, aiding/controlling the respiratory rate entirely.
I've thought about making this mask for a long time, and it'll probably still be a while before I actually do, but I'd like some feedback on these few thoughts I've had on making it.