Intensive breathing exercises may significantly reduce blood flow to the brain and trigger altered states of consciousness, according to a study published in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry.
The research examined high-ventilation breathwork, a technique involving sustained, intensive breathing. Researchers used brain imaging to investigate changes in cerebral blood flow and the activity of neural networks during and after the practice.
How intensive breathwork affects the brain
The study included 30 healthy adults with previous experience in high-ventilation breathwork. During the practice, global blood flow in the brain’s gray matter decreased by 45.5%, from an average of 29.81 to 16.24 milliliters per 100 grams of tissue per minute.
Participants also experienced increased heart and respiratory rates and reported changes in perception and their sense of self. However, the researchers found no significant overall change in functional connectivity within the brain’s default mode network, which is involved in self-reflection and self-related thinking.
What the findings mean
The researchers concluded that reduced cerebral blood flow and changes in neural communication may contribute to altered states of consciousness through partly distinct mechanisms. The findings do not establish that the reduction in blood flow directly causes these experiences.
The study also has important limitations. It involved only 30 experienced practitioners and did not include a control group, so further research is needed to determine whether the results apply to people without previous experience or have any clinical significance.