August 26, 2026
Isabel Dziobek, Barbara Breitenstein, Martha N. Havenith et al.
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)....
Frontiers in Psychology
July 30, 2026
Lena Erdmann, Barbara Breitenstein, Maria Badanova et al.
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...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
June 26, 2026
Malin V. Uthaug, Jack G. Allocca, Martha N. Havenith et al.
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...
bioRxiv Preprint Server
January 14, 2026
Muad Y. Abd El Hay, Ana Cukić, Marieke L. Schölvinck et al.
preprint
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...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
September 8, 2025
Malin Vedøy Uthaug, Giancarlo Allocca, Martha N. Havenith et al.
1 citation
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...
Commun Psychol
April 13, 2025
Martha N. Havenith, Max Leidenberger, Jelena Brasanac et al.
14 citations
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 Square
February 22, 2024
Martha N. Havenith, Max Leidenberger, Jelena Brasanac et al.
3 citations
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...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
December 15, 2021
Malin V. Uthaug, Natasha L. Mason, Martha N. Havenith et al.
15 citations
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...