Man Sets Sights On Eye-Popping Record

A Brazilian man is looking to break an eye-popping record, literally.

Claudio Paulo Pinto can pop his eyeballs out of their sockets at least 7 millimeters (0.3 inches), which is at least a national record for eye-popping according to RankBrasil, an organization similar to Guinness Book of World Records that lists Brazilian records.

Pinto is a former driver and got a job scaring visitors in a haunted house near Rio de Janeiro. But he recently got laid off, and now wants to show the world what he can do.

"I was measured by an opthamologist on television in January. I could pop my eyes out 7 millimeters", Pinto says. "Since then, my capacities have improved over 50 percent."

That puts Pinto close to the record. The title of "furthest eyeball popper" in the Guinness Book of World Records currently belongs to Kim Goodman of Chicago, who can pop her eyeballs 11 milimeters (0.43 inches) out of her sockets.

Doctors say Pinto's ability is called "globe luxation". It can strain blood vessels and nerves between the eyes and the head and feels unpleasant but usually doesn't cause lasting damage.

Pinto says he's been doing it since he was 9 years old and "it doesn't hurt a bit".

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