High ventilation breathwork (HVB) can induce altered states of consciousness with phenomenological similarities to those reported following administration of serotonergic psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin or ayahuasca. Non-pharmacological methods capable of reliably eliciting such states may provide scalable models for investigating therapeutic mechanisms...
This preregistration specifies the confirmatory efficacy and safety analyses for the main paper of the EX_WELL arm of the RESET Berlin trial. The trial compares circular breathwork against progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), an active, structurally matched comparator, in adults with trauma exposure and subclinical depressive symptomatology. The primary outcome is mental well-being (WEMWBS)....
BackgroundResearch suggests that high ventilation breathwork (HVB) improves mental health by reducing experiential avoidance (EA) through altered states of consciousness (ASCs). The present study examined whether EA during participants’ most recent breathwork session predicted mental well-being afterward. Additionally, the study examined the relationships between EA, ASCs, emotional...
Abstract Background The Pivotal Mental States (PiMS) construct posits that psychedelics and other stress-inducing practices, such as fasting and hypoxia, can evoke transformative mental states through increased serotonin receptor activation in the brain. These states are associated with enhanced cognitive flexibility, accelerated associative learning, and psychological insights that may...
Non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSCs), whether entered via psychedelics, breathwork, hypnosis or other means, show striking therapeutic promise by improving well-being and reducing psychopathology across diverse conditions. While the neuronal dynamics underpinning such therapeutic shifts in consciousness have to some extent been mapped, research has mainly focused on the central nervous...
bioRxiv Preprint ServerJanuary 14, 2026Muad Y. Abd El Hay, Ana Cukić, Marieke Schölvinck et al.
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Psychedelic substances show promise for treating psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and PTSD, but the neurobiological mechanisms underlying their therapeutic effects remain poorly understood. Preclinical findings have so far been inconsistent, limiting mechanistic insights. We argue this translational gap is exacerbated by systematic disconnects between conditions thought to...
This project investigates whether high ventilation breathwork (HVB) may support mental health through psychological mechanisms that have been proposed in the psychedelic-assisted therapy literature. HVB can reliably induce altered states of consciousness (ASCs) and has been discussed as a potentially low-threshold, non-pharmacological alternative to psychedelic interventions for conditions such...
AbstractBackgroundResearch has shown that psychedelics may have therapeutic potential in treating mental disorders like depression and anxiety. However, the mechanisms and actions underlying their effects are still not fully understood. Similarly, while the significance of mindset and setting in shaping psychedelic experiences and therapeutic outcomes is well established, information about the...
Abstract Altered states of consciousness (ASCs), induced e.g. during psychedelic-assisted therapy, show potential to treat prevalent mental health disorders like depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. However, access to such treatments is restricted by legal, medical, and financial barriers. Circular breathwork may present a non-pharmacological and hence more accessible alternative to...
Research SquareNovember 21, 2024Tiziano Canello, Alejandro Tlaie, Kamlesh Chalise et al.
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Abstract High ventilation breathwork is a breathing practice that involves deep, accelerated breathing over a prolonged duration (> 15 minutes). This basic practice underpins a wide range of traditions, from Pranayama to Holotropic and Conscious-Connected breathwork. Anecdotal reports suggest that it can benefit physical and mental health, often by evoking altered states of consciousness....
Abstract Altered states of consciousness (ASCs), induced e.g. by psychedelics, show great potential to treat widespread mental health disorders like depression and PTSD. However, access to such treatments is restricted by legal, medical, and financial barriers. Here, we explore the potential of circular breathwork to serve as an accessible, non-pharmacological alternative to engage similar...
Abstract Background Holotropic breathwork (Grof ® Breathwork), was developed by Stanislav Grof and Christina Grof as a ‘non-drug’ alternative technique to evoke altered states of consciousness (ASC). Interestingly, although HBW has been anecdotally reported to evoke experiences and mental health effects corresponding to those of psychedelic substances, the scientific literature on the matter is...