Circular breathwork induces altered states of consciousness linked to improved mental health

Researchers from the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, the MIND Foundation, alongside other collaborators, have found that reductions in carbon dioxide saturation during circular breathwork sessions were correlated with the emergence of altered states of consciousness. Altered states resembled those reported in psychedelic experiences and were associated with improvements in psychological well-being and reductions in depressive symptoms.

Altered states of consciousness have shown promise as therapeutic approaches in treating mental health disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Legal, medical, and financial barriers limit the accessibility of psychedelic-assisted therapies.

Circular breathwork practices, rooted in traditional techniques such as Tummo and Pranayama Yoga, and adapted into forms such as Holotropic and Conscious-Connected breathwork, may present a more accessible, non-pharmacological alternative.

These practices involve continuous, deep breathing without pauses between inhalation and exhalation, often conducted in communal settings and accompanied by emotionally evocative music.

Early studies suggest that circular breathwork may alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, while enhancing self-awareness and life satisfaction. Yet the physiological and psychological mechanisms underpinning these effects remain largely unexplored.

In the study, "Decreased CO₂ saturation during circular breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness," published in Communications Psychology, researchers conducted an exploratory study to understand how circular breathwork may induce altered states of consciousness.

A total of 61 participants with previous breathwork experience took part at the MIND Foundation's premises in Berlin, and 43 participants engaged in either Holotropic or Conscious-Connected breathwork sessions. A randomly selected control group of 18 was instructed to breathe normally to distinguish the effects of active breathwork from the session's communal and musical context.

Mental health outcomes were assessed in a subset of participants using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, administered one week before and one week after the breathwork session. Due to incomplete responses, final mental health analyses included 25 participants who completed both pre- and post-session questionnaires.

Researchers measured end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure (etCO₂) at six time points using a portable breathalyzer device.

Subjective experience depth was assessed using hand signals, one finger raised for normal waking consciousness, five fingers indicating a deeply altered state of consciousness. Biomarkers of autonomic nervous system activity and inflammation, specifically α-amylase and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), were analyzed from saliva samples collected before and after sessions.

Reductions in end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure were observed during active circular breathwork sessions compared to passive control participants. Active breathers experienced significant drops in etCO₂ levels, reaching as low as 16.6 mmHg, compared to an average of 34.3 mmHg in passive breathers.

Decreases in carbon dioxide levels correlated with deeper altered states of consciousness, measured both through real-time hand signal ratings and post-session questionnaires.

Active breathers reported subjective experiences comparable to those reported in studies of psychedelic substances, scoring similarly on the Mystical Experiences Questionnaire and the 11-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness Scale.

Psychological well-being scores improved one week after the session among the subset (n=20) of active breathers with complete responses. Participants showed reductions in depressive symptoms measured by the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology and improvements in well-being assessed by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Reductions in carbon dioxide levels and greater subjective experience depth predicted greater improvements in mental health outcomes.

Biomarker analyses showed that salivary alpha-amylase concentrations decreased after breathwork sessions, suggesting reduced sympathetic nervous system activity, while levels of interleukin-1 beta increased, indicating a transient activation of inflammatory responses. Stronger altered state experiences were associated with smaller increases in inflammatory markers.

Results suggest that circular breathwork may offer a low-cost, non-pharmacological method for inducing altered states of consciousness that contribute to psychological healing. Decreases in carbon dioxide saturation during breathwork sessions appeared to facilitate the onset of these states, which were linked to reductions in depressive symptoms and improvements in well-being.

As an unregistered exploratory study with an incomplete cohort follow-up, any findings would require confirmation through more rigorous experimental design and execution.

—Justin Jackson

This article was originally published on MedicalXpress Breaking News-and-Events.