Why can’t a person hold his breath for a long time, and even in a critical situation, he will still take a breath?

A person can breathe both consciously, that is, with such a frequency as he wants, and unconsciously – at any other time, in a dream and in an unconscious state. Also, we can never hold our breath for a long period of time. Basically it is 1-2 minutes. This is followed by involuntary exhalation and inhalation. This is due to the work of the medulla oblongata, which is responsible for the regulation of respiration processes. Exhaling and inhaling after holding the breath is a reflex that occurs without a person’s awareness.