Mystery Magician David Blaine: How I Held My Breathe for 17 Minutes In this highly personal talk from TED Talks, magician and stuntman David Blaine describes what it took to hold his breath underwater for 17 minutes (a world record) and what his often death-defying work means to him. Share This Previous Article'THE SOURCE FAMILY': About a Cult Leader Who Liked to Rock and Eat Health Food Next ArticleBob Mould: Circle of Friends May 20, 2013