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Day 4 - Revealed: the medical risks
David Blaine is no stranger to breathtaking feats of endurance. Previous spectacles have seen him buried alive, entombed in ice and marooned atop a hundred-foot pole.
Not satisfied with these astonishing acts Blaine is now attempting his most audacious - and dangerous - feat to date.
In last night's Channel 4 coverage of Above The Below, David revealed that he wants to be known as "the greatest showman of all time" and is pushing himself up to and beyond his physical and psychological limits in the pursuit of this goal.
But what are the dangers David now faces?
During his preparation for the feat, Blaine met with nutrition expert Dr Mike Stroud. Stroud warned the illusionist that he will "become more vulnerable within days [of starting the feat]". Stroud explained that during starvation the body is essentially eating itself and therefore not getting all of the nutrients it needs. Effects include a thinning of the heart and other internal organs, which will function less well as a result, and thinning of the bones.
Other physical effects of starvation include hormonal imbalance and loss of sex drive, thinning of the skin, susceptibility to cold temperatures and bleeding gums, possibly caused by scurvy.
And while some sceptics have suggested that Blaine could be receiving glucose in his water to sustain him, experts also warn that glucose in fact heightens the risks for those living without food. This is because it boosts the metabolism, stimulating the uptake of vital nutrients.
The risks continue once David exits the box. Victims of starvation need strict medical supervision as they take on food again. If Blaine begins to eat too suddenly the shock to his system could do permanent damage, even inducing heart attack.
David will also confront psychological challenges while inside the box. Psychologist Dr John Potter explained on last night's show that after 12-14 days, Blaine will likely begin to experience mood swings, low self-esteem and begin demonstrating ritualistic behaviour, such as finger pulling.
Gulf war veteran John Nichol, who was kept in solitary confinement as a POW, confirms that "Trying to keep your mind... active in those situations is incredibly difficult".
In fact, Dr Potter says that without stimulation, the brain eventually starts to create its own, often in the form of hallucinations.
In the first stages, the walls confining a person may appear to start to wiggle. Later, Blaine is likely to think he can see insects crawling on the walls and it's even possible that faces will start to appear to him.
It is thought that the use of meditation and mental games will ease the psychological problems posed by isolation. So, too, will the journal that David has, in which he will keep a record of his life inside the box.
Despite these tools, Blaine anticipates problems coping with the isolation and upon entering the box said the hardest part would come in the second half of the challenge "when I start to lose my mind and everything becomes really bad".
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