AI Insight
This controlled study of 24 healthy adults found that a single session of high ventilation breathwork induced significantly stronger altered states of consciousness compared to body scan meditation, including mystical experiences, feelings of oneness, and emotional breakthroughs. Participants in the breathwork group reported effects similar to psychedelic experiences, with greater psychological insight and behavioral changes persisting one week later. Both interventions improved stress, anxiety, depression, and wellbeing equally over time.
Why it matters
This research suggests breathwork could serve as an accessible, non-pharmacological alternative to psychedelic-assisted therapy for inducing therapeutic altered states of consciousness. The findings support further investigation of breathwork as a potentially cost-effective mental health intervention that doesn't require controlled substances.
BackgroundBreathwork that increases ventilatory rate or depth represents an accessible non-pharmacological modality for potentially inducing altered states of consciousness (ASCs). Despite gaining traction as a potential therapeutic tool, empirical controlled research on breathwork and ASCs remains limited.MethodsWe examined the effects of a single session of high ventilation breathwork, compared to body scan meditation, in 24 healthy adults with primary outcomes of acute ASCs including mystical experience and emotional breakthrough. Sub-acute secondary outcomes were collected 1 week later.ResultsBreathwork was associated with larger effects on oceanic boundlessness (p = 0.007, r = 0.63), visionary restructuralisation (p = 0.018, r = 0.60), total mystical experience (p = 0.007, r = 0.66), oneness (p = 0.018, r = 0.60), positive mood (p = 0.007, r = 0.66), ineffability (p = 0.038, r = 0.55), and emotional breakthrough (p = 0.028, r = 0.45). At follow-up, breathwork was associated with substantially greater psychological insight (p = 0.002, r = 0.67) and behavioral change (p = 0.008, r = 0.60) relative to body scan meditation. Stress, anxiety, depression and wellbeing improved in both groups over time.DiscussionResults from this preliminary experimental study indicate that breathwork is associated with larger acute psychedelic-like effects than meditation, alongside greater emotional breakthrough, insight, and self-reported behavioral change. These exploratory relationships and preliminary observations provide greater context around breathwork-induced ASCs, and support the feasibility of ASC-focused breathwork research for future confirmatory trials.