Credit: Jan Brndiar de Pexels
Researchers from Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, The Mind Foundation, alongside other employees, found that reductions in the saturation of carbon dioxide during circular breathing sessions were correlated with the emergence of modified states of consciousness. The modified states resembled those reported in psychedelic experiences and have been associated with improvements in psychological well-being and reductions in depressive symptoms.
Altered states of consciousness have proved promising as therapeutic approaches in the treatment of mental health disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Legal, medical and financial barriers limit the accessibility of psychedelic therapies.
Circular breathing practices, rooted in traditional techniques such as tummo and pranayama yoga, and adapted in forms such as holotropic and conscious breathing, can present a more accessible and non -pharmacological alternative.
These practices involve continuous and deep breathing without a break between inhalation and expiration, often carried out in common and accompanied by emotionally evocative music.
The first studies suggest that circular breathing can alleviate stress, anxiety, depression and SSPT, while improving self -awareness and life satisfaction. However, the physiological and psychological mechanisms that underlie these effects remain largely unexplored.
In the study, “decrease in CO2 Saturation during circular breathing supports the emergence of altered states of consciousness ” Communications psychologyThe researchers conducted an exploratory study to understand how circular breathing can induce altered states of consciousness.
In total, 61 participants with previous breathing experience participated in the Mind Foundation premises in Berlin, and 43 participants engaged in Holotropic or Conscious Breathing Sessions. An 18 random selected control group was invited to breathe normally to distinguish the effects of active breathing from the common and musical context of the session.
The mental health results were evaluated in a subset of participants using the rapid inventory of the depressive symptomatology and the mental wellness scale of Warwick-Edinburgh, administered a week before and a week after the breathing session. Due to incomplete responses, final mental health analyzes included 25 participants who fulfilled questionnaires before and post-session.
The researchers measured the pressure of final carbon dioxide (and2) at six moments using a portable blood test device.
The subjective depth of the experience was evaluated using manual signals, a high finger for a consciousness of normal awakening, five fingers indicating a deeply modified state of consciousness. The biomarkers of the activity and inflammation of the autonomous nervous system, in particular α-amylase and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), were analyzed from saliva samples taken before and after the sessions.
Reductions of the final carbon dioxide pressure were observed during active circular breathing sessions compared to passive control participants. Active respirators have experienced significant drops in etco2 Levels, reaching as low as 16.6 mmHg, against an average of 34.3 mmHg in passive respirators.
Decreases in carbon dioxide levels were correlated with deeper modified states of consciousness, measured by both real-time signal notes and post-session questionnaires.
Active respirators have reported subjective experiences comparable to those reported in psychedelic substances studies, marking in the same way on the questionnaire of mystical experiences and the scale of consciousness modified at 11 dimensions.
The psychological well-being scores improved a week after the session among the subset (n = 20) active respirators with complete responses. Participants showed reductions in depressive symptoms measured by the rapid inventory of depressive symptoms and improvements in well-being evaluated by the mental wellness scale of Warwick-Edinburgh. Reductions of carbon dioxide levels and greater subjective depth have predicted greater improvements in mental health results.
Biomarkers’ analyzes have shown that the concentrations of alpha-amylases saliva decreased after the breathing sessions, which suggests a reduction in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, while the beta levels of the interleukin-1 increased, indicating a transient activation of the inflammatory responses. Stronger modified state experiences have been associated with a lower increase in inflammatory markers.
The results suggest that circular breathing can offer a low -cost non -pharmacological method to induce modified states of consciousness which contribute to psychological healing. Decreases in carbon dioxide saturation during breathing sessions seem to facilitate the appearance of these states, which were linked to reductions in depressive symptoms and well-being improvements.
As an exploratory study not recorded with an incomplete cohort monitoring, all the results would require confirmation thanks to an experimental design and a more rigorous execution.
More information:
Martha N. Havenith et al, decrease in the saturation of CO2 during circular breathing supports the emergence of altered states of consciousness, Communications psychology (2025). DOI: 10.1038 / S44271-025-00247-0
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