# 157: What Happens When the Body Lets Go? (with Werner Klingler)

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-thinking-practitioner-958450/157-what-happens-when-the-body-lets-go-with-werner-klingler.md
Podcast: [The Thinking Practitioner](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-thinking-practitioner-958450)
Published: 2025-11-12T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.thethinkingpractitioner.com/e/157-altered-states/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/x46pciekhk7efsp4/TTP_157_audio_202510308pps0.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-thinking-practitioner-958450/episodes/157-what-happens-when-the-body-lets-go-with-werner-klingler
Duration seconds: 4022

## Resource

🎙 What Happens When the Body Lets Go? Werner Klingler on Anesthesia, Altered States & the Physiology of Relaxation What actually happens when the body "lets go" — in anesthesia, trance, or the deep relaxation familiar to hands-on practitioners? Til Luchau talks with Professor Werner Klingler, anesthesiologist, physiologist, and fascia researcher at Ulm University (Germany), whose work bridges clinical anesthesia, neuroscience, and connective-tissue research. Drawing on decades of operating room experience, Dr. Klingler explains how different parts of the brain disconnect and re-synchronize during altered states, why the "freeze reflex" comes first, and how fascia's responsiveness makes it a living sensory organ rather than inert tissue. Fair warning: Werner gets wonderfully detailed about physiology — but stick with it, because he drops some genuine gems about autonomic "push-ups," why tears cleanse neurotransmitters, and what happens when children wake from anesthesia with wide-open pupils. In this episode, they discuss:- The "octopus model" of consciousness — why "altered state" is too simple- The three pillars of anesthesia: unconsciousness, analgesia, and muscle relaxation- How breathing and CO₂ levels influence pH, drug effectiveness, and tissue tone- Why warmth matters: how temperature shifts the load between muscle and connective tissue- What "autonomic push-ups" teach us about resilience and cyclic training- The freeze-then-flight reflex pattern and how it shows up under anesthesia- How emotion and perception shift as anesthesia fades — and why some people wake up sad- Whether sensation is required for bodywork to be effective (spoiler: tissue effects happen either way)- Pre- and post-operative care: what bodyworkers can offer surgery patients- Why fascia i…

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