Hypovolemia (also hypovolaemia)

Hypovolemia (also hypovolaemia) is a state of decreased blood volume; more specifically, decrease in volume of blood plasma. It is characterized by both loss of water and salt (sodium) depletion [as well as other electrolytes]. 

Once the body recognises it is losing fluid, cardiac output then decreases in order that blood loss,  fluid loss and electrolyte from, for example, a  wound is minimised .  Round about 24 hours after injuries, cardiac output may return to normal if adequate fluid resuscitation has been given and the wound protected.  It is a tricky process because inadequate fluid resuscitation may cause renal failure and death, but over-resuscitation also causes morbidity.

The body recognises that the danger is now one of infection and the need is for healing, so all the necessary white cells and antibodies hurtle to the site of the injury and help to stem the breach  made in the skin defences.

The key time for spiritual experience is that critical time when there is a state of decreased blood volume.   In effect blood volume goes down as water is ‘siphoned off’ from the veins to the body cells.  As the blood volume goes down, the volume of oxygen it can carry goes down and eventually we suffer a form of hypoxia.