People swallow swords by carefully training their bodies to suppress natural reflexes and align their internal anatomy to allow a sword to pass safely down the throat and esophagus. The process involves several key steps:

• The performer leans the head back and hyper-extends the neck to straighten the passage from the mouth to the stomach, aligning the mouth, throat, and esophagus in a straight line

• They consciously relax the upper esophageal sphincter, a muscle that normally contracts to close the top of the esophagus and triggers gagging when touched. This suppression of the gag reflex is critical and requires extensive practice

• The sword, lubricated by saliva or sometimes vegetable oil, is carefully inserted through the mouth, past the pharynx, and down the esophagus. The sword gently pushes aside organs like the trachea and heart as it travels down the straightened esophagus

• The sword passes through the lower esophageal sphincter, another ring of muscle that normally prevents stomach contents from refluxing. Sword swallowers learn to relax this muscle as well, allowing the sword to enter the stomach in some cases

• The entire process requires intense concentration and control of muscles that are usually involuntary, such as those responsible for peristalsis (the muscular contractions that move food down the digestive tract)

• Sword swallowers do not dislocate bones; instead, they rely on muscle control and body positioning. The act is extremely dangerous and takes years to master safely

While some performers historically used guiding tubes to reduce risk, modern sword swallowers typically swallow real metal swords without trickery or collapsible blades

. In summary, sword swallowing is a skillful physical feat involving the relaxation of throat muscles, suppression of gag reflexes, body alignment, and careful insertion of a lubricated sword down the straightened esophagus into the stomach or upper digestive tract