Circular Breathwork and Its Impact on Consciousness and Mental Health

Recent research conducted by scientists from the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience and the MIND Foundation has shed light on how circular breathwork techniques can induce altered states of consciousness that are closely linked to mental health benefits. During these breathwork sessions, participants experienced reductions in carbon dioxide saturation, which correlated with the emergence of states resembling those reported in psychedelic experiences. These altered states were associated with notable improvements in psychological well-being and reductions in depressive symptoms.

Altered states of consciousness have shown promise as therapeutic methods for mental health conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, traditional psychedelic-assisted therapies face legal, medical, and financial barriers, limiting their accessibility. Circular breathwork practices, rooted in ancient techniques like Tummo and Pranayama Yoga and adapted into modalities such as Holotropic and Conscious-Connected breathwork, present an alternative that is non-pharmacological and more widely accessible.

These practices involve continuous, deep breathing without pauses, often performed in group settings accompanied by emotionally evocative music, aiming to facilitate deep psychological experiences. Preliminary studies suggest that such practices can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms, while also enhancing self-awareness and overall life satisfaction. Despite promising findings, the physiological and psychological mechanisms behind these effects need further exploration.

In an exploratory study published in
Communications Psychology, 61 individuals with prior breathwork experience participated in sessions at the MIND Foundation in Berlin. Of these, 43 engaged in Holotropic or Conscious-Connected breathwork sessions, while 18 served as a control group practicing normal breathing. Mental health assessments, conducted via standardized questionnaires, showed that after one week, participants reported reduced depressive symptoms and increased well-being. Salivary biomarkers analysis indicated decreases in sympathetic nervous system activity (via alpha-amylase) and transient increases in inflammatory markers (interleukin-1 beta).

Physiologically, active breathers demonstrated significant drops in end-tidal carbon dioxide (etCO₂), reaching as low as 16.6 mmHg, compared to approximately 34.3 mmHg in controls. These decreases in CO₂ levels were linked to deeper experiential states, rated via hand signals and questionnaire scores that aligned with psychedelic-like experiences. Participants with more profound altered states of consciousness showed greater improvements in mental health outcomes.

While these results are preliminary and derived from an unregistered exploratory study, they suggest that circular breathwork may serve as an affordable, non-invasive method to facilitate altered states of consciousness conducive to psychological healing. The findings imply that managing CO₂ levels during breathwork could be a key mechanism behind these benefits, potentially offering an accessible alternative for mental health treatment.

Further research with larger cohorts and controlled designs is necessary to confirm and expand upon these initial findings, paving the way for innovative, non-pharmacological mental health therapies.