Abstract

Psychedelic substances are one way to explore altered states of consciousness (ASCs) – but by far not the only one. Traditions across the globe have used physical challenges like fasting, sleep deprivation or extreme temperatures in order to evoke ASCs in ceremonial settings. One of the most accessible practices in this vein is voluntary hyperventilation, often referred to as breathwork. Unlike the more subtle effects of slow-breath practices, breathwork can trigger immediate and at times dramatic mental shifts akin to psychedelic experiences. How can simply changing the rhythm of your breath so profoundly alter your conscious state?

In this talk, I will present new results that begin to unravel the interactions between physiological dynamics and subjective experiences during breathwork. I will show that dropping CO2 saturation can act as a trigger for ASCs; that the resulting subjective experiences resemble those induced by psychedelics; and that they in turn modulate physiological changes, e.g. in heart-rate variability and cortisol release. Together, these first glimpses hint at an incredibly dynamic interplay between mind and body during breathwork experiences, suggesting embodied cognition as one of the fundamental features of ASCs (pharmacologically or otherwise induced) – and of their mental health benefits.