A recent study has shown that special breathing exercises, known as high ventilation breathwork (HVB), combined with music, can make people feel powerful and unusual changes in their state of mind, much like what some experience with psychedelic drugs, but safely and without medication. Researchers wanted to understand why these strong feelings and positive changes happen in the brain and body during HVB.
What Was the Study About?
The research team invited healthy adults who were already familiar with breathwork to take part in different types of sessions: some did HVB at home over video calls, some in a lab, and others inside an MRI scanner that watches the brain. In all sessions, participants followed breathing patterns guided by music to help them get into the right rhythm. Before and after these sessions, everyone filled out questionnaires about how they felt, including moods, anxiety, and special states of mind such as feeling at one with the world (called “oceanic boundlessness”) or feeling blissful.
The study also looked at what was happening inside the body by measuring the heart’s beat patterns and by tracking blood flow in the brain using advanced MRI scans.
What Did They Find?
– Participants in all settings reported feeling more positive, calm, and emotionally moved after the breathwork.
– Most people said they experienced a deep sense of unity, joy, and even spiritual feelings, without using any drugs.
– No one had panic attacks or serious negative feelings, though sitting in the MRI machine made some feel a bit uncomfortable physically.
– The scans showed that certain areas of the brain that help connect breath and emotions responded to HVB. Blood flow in these regions dropped as people felt deeper states of bliss and unity, especially in an area called the insula, which helps us feel and understand our bodies.
– At the same time, parts of the brain that process memories and emotions (like the amygdala and hippocampus) became more active during the most intense experiences.
– The body’s stress system also kicked in as the heart rate changed, but instead of causing negative stress, it seemed to support a positive, calm feeling.
Why Does This Matter?
This study shows that breathwork with music can safely bring about powerful, positive feelings and changes in how the mind and body work together, offering a drug-free way to help people feel better emotionally. These findings may one day help design new therapies to support mental health using simple breathing and music, making these benefits available to more people.
