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.This condition of inadequate vital functioning is present in the greater number of men, women, and children of to-day, and is one that is commonly associated with what we speak of as " bad breathing." For we say that a person is a " bad breather," or that he " breathes imperfectly." But we must remember that this so-called " bad breathing " is only a symptom and not a primary cause of his malcondition, for the standard of breathing depends upon the standard of general co-ordinated use of the psycho-physical mechanisms.What we ought to say, therefore, in such a case is not that a person " breathes badly,"but that he is badly co-ordinated.The truth is that when we refer to this mal-co-ordinated condition as " bad breathing," we are mistaking a general malcondition for a specific defect, and the conception of the respiratory act which makes this error possible, and which affects even our way of expressing it, provides yet another instance of the dominance of our general attitude by the " end-gaining " principle.This " end-gaining " principle is again dominant when it is decided that a person who is spoken of as a " bad breather "needs specific " breathing exercises " or " lessons in breathing."We shall see that in this, as in so many other spheres, a vicious circle is developed.In the attempt to make this clear we must give consideration to the fundamental principles upon which these breath-121122Respiratory Mechanismsing exercises (usually called " deep-breathing " exercises) or" lessons in breathing " are based.Take any book on breathing, whether written by a scientific author or by an expert in vocal or " physical culture," and read the written instructions in connexion with the exercises therein advocated.Take the opportunity also, when possible, to be present when the unfortunate children or adults in a gymnasium are being given a lesson in breathing or are performing their breathing exercises.You will then have proof that the whole of the processes concerned are directed towards specific and not general improvement, and though the people who are guilty of teaching " breathing exercises " may differ in detail of method, they all base their work alike on the same specific " end-gaining " principle.I shall now proceed to detail the processes involved.The pupil is asked to take a deep breath.He may also be asked to perform some " physical " movement at the same time as he takes the deep breath, the idea behind this request being that the performance of the movement may help to increase the chest expansion.Yet it is a scientific fact that all " physical" tension tends to cause thoracic (chest) rigidity and breathlessness (lack of respiratory control), two conditions which should be avoided as far as possible by such pupils during their attempts to pass from, conditions which are symptomatic of bad breathing to those which ensure satisfactory respiratory functioning.It will be necessary for the layman to watch the pupil (or pupils) carefully during their attempts to carry out their written or spoken instructions in connexion with " deep breathing." Specific defects and peculiarities to be noted during the process have already been set down in Man's Supreme Inheritance.Here we wish to refer only to the defective general use of the psycho-physical organism during these attempts.In order to make the point, we must refer to the fact that the pupil or the teacher, or both, must have recognized certain harmful manifestations which called for some remedial procedure on the lines of " deep-breathing,"etc.Hence the decision to employ " deep-breathing " as a remedy.These harmful manifestations would be the result of certain incorrect psycho-physical uses of the organism.This would indicate that the sensory appreciation in the Respiratory Mechanisms 123sphere of guidance and control of the psycho-physical mechanisms concerned must have become unreliable and defective, and in the present instance, so far as the observation of the teacher and pupil is concerned, certain defects must have been particularly noticeable in the use of the breathing mechanisms.Here we have a clear case of certain established incorrect uses of the mechanisms, associated with a condition of unreliable sensory guidance and control, and any effort to remedy these incorrect uses by means of such processes as " deeping " or " lessons in breathing" is merely an attempt to correct a general defective condition of psycho-mechanics by a specific remedial process.In other words, it is an attempt to correct the imperfect uses by the performance of exercises, the guidance and direction in such performance being associated with the same imperfect sensory appreciation which was already established when the lessons began.This means that with the continued practice of the exercises, the original defects in the general use of the mechanisms will become more and more pronounced and, what is more, increase in number.It may be argued that, as the result of the lessons, the pupil's chest measurements are increased, that he " feels better," and so on.We are quite ready to admit that this may be so, but owing to the unreliability of his sensory appreciation, what he feels is as likely as not to be a delusion [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]